Balancing Act
BALANCING ACT
Some years ago I heard a pastor struggle to express his frustration with countless versions of the apology “I’d like to (help with the food bank/ teach Sunday school/attend Bible study...), but I just don’t have the time.”
“Friends,” he said finally, “you come into this world with nothing, you go out with nothing, and in between you have time. Time is the only thing you do have.”
And so it is, but there is no end to the demands on it. Specially, as a business owner who aims to grow their business.
Here is a sampling of what “balance” might mean for your business:
Work-life balance. "Work-life balance" came into use in the 1970s and 80s, as stressed baby boomers strove to achieve a balance between career, family and other areas of their lives. Yet shifting generational experiences have encouraged HR leaders to reevaluate the term. According to Forbes, Generation X has focused heavily on the balance aspect, embracing remote work trends and using PTO to focus on family and work outside the office. And many today can choose to work remotely (translation: you’re always at work). Now more than ever, work-life balance is a matter of choice and discipline. Set priorities for yourself and what you want to offer those around you.
Balance between customers (clients) and employees. It is essential to be customer focused, and we make it a priority. But you also need good people and sometimes they can be harder to find. Are you burning your people out in the name of serving customer demands, even those that aren’t reasonable? Or disserving your customers by low expectations of your team or lack of direction? You can do both things well but as soon as you do, you’re at risk for getting out of balance. Watch for the signs before trouble begins.
Balance can be overdone. That’s right, you have to balance your balance along with everything else. Most priorities should not be set in stone and there are seasons when you may have to fudge them or even set them aside. Sometimes you have to borrow more cash than you’d like, work longer hours, build up inventory, hold back good people, or push forward with newbies. Balance is a means to an end, not an end itself. Get out of balance for a time if you have to – or adjust how you balance – but do it on purpose rather than by inattention.
Sarai Roy | Bookkeeping offers specialized service lines to help root out imbalance before it becomes dysfunction, or to help regain your equilibrium. Whether it’s interim/outsource assistance with accounting, bookkeeping, and/or risk management; we can help. We also partner with firms in people solutions and information systems, and other fields to offer comprehensive services for your business as a whole.
We can help with the “balancing act”!