In business today, leaders and organizations have to be more aware than ever of how their employees balance their work and personal demands. In the search for this delicate balance, a leader must first understand why separation is key, and understand the consequences when personal and professional lives overlap.
Why separation is so important
As technology has revolutionized the business landscape, many professionals no longer just leave their work at the shop. As a result, many people are doing two things at once–and doing neither one very well. When your personal and professional lives overlap in this manner, both of them suffer.
If an employee is experiencing personal issues, it can be extremely distracting, costing the company and also impacting other employees. On the other side, if a leader is having a tough time at work, they can potentially take it out on their family which negatively affects their home life.
The Facts
At work: Jobs frequently require people to work late, to put in extra hours and miss family events. To be great in business a person must make sacrifices.
At home: Most professionals today work to provide for their family and feel their family or personal life is the most important thing to them. People want to be who they are, other than what their business card states.
So how do you do both?
Be present at work: When a person is at work they need to be at work, no matter their family dynamics or problems—they must learn to leave them at home.
Be present at home: When a person is home with their family they need to be present. Leave your phone and your work clothes at the door.
5 simple tips
1. Never walk in the house on the phone.
2. Change your clothes from work clothes to home clothes immediately upon arriving home so you feel the part.
3. Make eye contact with those speaking with you, no matter if they are your co-worker, your boss or your three-year-old.
4. Share the expectations with your company team and your family.
5. Be aware of your personal state of mind and change it if necessary.
Consequences
In many organizations, leaders may not deal with a struggling employee appropriately, which may result in turnover. A strong leader must sit down with that employee, and with empathy share with them the consequences of their behaviors if they don’t change. When people don’t have personal and professional separation then they feel overrun and ineffective in all things.
To be successful a leader must have employees that are able and willing to do what it takes to achieve success. The greatest achievement is when a person is doing a job they love and have a family that loves them.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Nathan Jamail, president of the Jamail Development Group, and author of the best-selling Playbook Series, is a motivational speaker, entrepreneur and corporate coach. As a former Executive Director, life insurance sales professional and business owner of several small businesses, Nathan travels the country helping individuals and organizations achieve maximum success. Nathan has worked with thousands of leaders in creating a coaching culture. Get your copy of Nathan Jamail’s most recent book released by Penguin Publishers, “The Leadership Playbook” at www.NathanJamail.com.
