Professional obligations and family commitments can conflict — particularly for those in leadership positions or in long-hour jobs. And many people learn it the hard way.
“At one point, I became one-dimensional. It was all work and I had little time for family or other activities,” said Charles D. Morgan, CEO of PrivacyStar, who served as CEO of Acxiom Corporation from 1972 to 2008, overseeing the pioneering database marketing services and technology provider’s growth from 25 employees to 7,000.
Morgan, a serial entrepreneur, reveals his work-life balance struggles in his new memoir, “Matters of Life and Data: The Incredible Journey of a Big Data Visionary whose Work Influenced Millions of People (Including you).”
While working his first job at IBM as a systems engineer, Morgan is called back just days after his honeymoon as a result of a pressing office matter, marking the start of a grueling career. Despite ups and downs in both the professional and private arenas, he has ultimately built a successful career and a peaceful family life. Morgan now shares some insights on the everlasting challenge of striking a balance between competing interests.
• While you may feel compelled to be involved in every aspect of the business, delegating tasks to people who can do a better job than you’ll benefit you and the company. So know your strengths and weaknesses for better time management.
• Find a system that simplifies operations and makes things occur faster, even if it means rocking the boat. For example, when titles were dropped at Acxiom, the culture change did not make everybody happy, but in the end, the company became more efficient and versatile, giving everybody more time at the end of the day.
• No matter what you are involved in at work, make time for your kids throughout the day. Make sure your kids know they’re important to you. Attend their recitals and ball games and find hobbies you can share with them. As accessible as possible.
More information about this book can be found at www.mattersoflifeanddata.com.
For those struggling with work-life balance, take some time to consider how you can streamline your work to make more time for your family.
-StatePoint
