For those family-owned businesses, the below dinner table conversation can be a familiar one. Never mind the kids’ wanting attention, a dog that needs to be walked and other husband/wife roles that come into play.
Wife/CEO: How come you weren’t at the meeting today?
Husband/President: I’m sorry, which meeting?
Wife/CEO: Our staff meeting – the one we have every week? (“Why do I have to remind him of this? It’s like every Thursday morning putting the garbage out!”)
Husband/President: I told you we had a new client visit – don’t you remember? (“Why does she always nag – I’m her husband, not her employee!”)
Wife/CEO/Husband/President: UUGGHHH!
When we first started our company in 2002, my wife and I had no idea the number of surprises we were in for. No idea! It’s amazing when you wear every hat under the sun, how easily those roles can take over all facets of your life. Suddenly, roles start to jump over one another, and the Dad role takes second fiddle to employee relations, sales, contract reviews, lease agreements and the like. The Husband role bleeds into President, Wife into Events Coordinator, Daughter into BD Exec, and Son into Chief Dishwasher! How many of you small-business or family-owned business leaders feel the same way?
So, how do you juggle it all? How do you place boundaries around the business, home, family, friends, church, “alone time” and more? How do you get the roles to work together well, whether at work, at home, or at a client site? We’ve spent years refining our approach and keeping what works, and we think we’re pretty good at the juggling act. You can have a life and a business too, and your marriage can be as strong as ever. You can also keep the executive hat on around your employees, even when having varied discussions amongst your team members. So go ahead, throw the ball with your boys in the cul-de-sac and don’t feel guilty about the phone buzzing with the latest “fire” you have to put out. You’ve read our blog, and you’re good to go!
So what’s the secret? Here are some gems we’ve collected over the years that have done wonders for our company and our marriage. They just might help you regardless of what company you work for. Here goes!
1. Turn the phone/computer off when you get home. This sounds so simple it’s almost silly. And yet, many of us cling to this like we’re being weaned off our binky! We have to answer that email NOW – no waiting until tomorrow. We must read that text, stop what we’re doing, fire up the box and work. No matter that it’s family game night or Sunday right before church. This is ridiculous America – we need to lower stress and remember what is important.
2. Uh-oh – Trouble in Paradise. Not really, but if a husband/wife team have a difference of opinion in front of employees, the water cooler’s a buzz even though this may be a normal discussion between executives. Everything is amplified when brainstorming sessions get lively, and no matter what you say, folks will assume that the “husband and wife” are having issues or “something is going on.” That’s not the case, but you do have to carefully keep your boss hat on and logically, nicely and tactfully discuss the issue at hand. It helps prevent the grapevine from running rampant. Or at least keeps it pruned!
3. The 30-Minute Debrief. This is a lifesaver, and it has worked wonders in our marriage. Shoot, it worked great when we had our first kid, and Mom needed to hand off our bundle of joy to Dad – immediately! My bride and I used to talk work 24/7, and it dominated the day when we had a 5 and 2 year old. We worked together at the office, at home, in the evenings – it never ended. We made a rule and have stuck by it most nights. We get home, debrief about our day, make any decisions that need to be made, then that’s it. Thirty minutes tops, no if’s, and’s or but’s. Leave today what can be handled tomorrow, and all that. Enough said!
4. Top 5 at 5. It goes without saying that you should plan ahead for what you’ll do tomorrow, but few do it. Pick the top 5 things that you absolutely have to do and write them down. Use your planner, a note pad, or a journal. And don’t write the time wasters down like email, phone calls and the like. You can manage that with quick flags, follow up tasks and to do lists. This is what Stephen Covey calls the big blocks of effort that help you achieve your goals. Check how you did with the goals you wrote down yesterday, write your top 5 for tomorrow, and put it to bed. You’ll feel better, your mind will be at ease, and you’ll be able to listen to Sports Radio 1310 The Ticket all the way home without any stress. Greatness!
5. Um – How Are You Related? Prospects and customers alike ask this a lot, and it seems to follow us in networking events, client meetings and even black tie affairs. When you both own the company, people get this image of Lucy and Ricky Ricardo – constant bickering. They’re not quite sure how you fit together and run the company. My wife and I have learned that we each play a vital role in the company, and we explain how we started the firm and the experiences we both bring to the table that helped us build a great company. This makes questions easily answered by either myself or my wife, or both of us, because we’re married, and we know what the other is thinking. Isn’t that right, Honey? Honey??
No comments:
Post a Comment