The Leadership Insiders network is an online community where the most thoughtful and influential people in business contribute answers to timely questions about careers and leadership. Today’s answer to the question “How do you create balance in your professional life?” is written by Tendril CEO Adrian Tuck.
As the CEO of a growing company and married father of two, creating balance in my life is paramount.
I’m adamant that everyone in the company is allowed to make the necessary adjustments to ensure work-life balance. I tell my employees all the time, to go home, spend time with family and friends, and then pick up their work later on, if necessary. Or be productive wherever you are – even if it means working on a plane or at the airport – so you don’t always have to bring work home. Combining this with company retreats, ping-pong tournaments, summer picnics, community service efforts and unlimited vacation is invaluable in fueling energy, trust and creativity among my team.
See also: Here’s why you should stop striving for work-life balance
Being disciplined with these work/life balance habits also extends to my home. While I’m a proponent of keeping work in the office, I like keeping my family involved. My wife and kids are excited and proud of what I do and I give them regular updates, which helps when I have to be away more than I’d like. There are also some ongoing rules in our house to ensure strong family time.
At dinner, no phones or laptops are allowed and we always eat together in the evening. We also have a ritual called, “Rose, Bud, Thorn.” We go around the table and each of us must say something good about their day (Rose), something not-so-good (Thorn) and something we are looking forward to (Bud).
Once the kids have gone to sleep, I always try to watch a TV program before I go to bed to take my mind off of work. Luckily we live in the era of great programming from services like Netflix and HBO TV. In the morning, I wake up early (around 4:30 am) and immediately open my laptop and do work. This way, I get a lot of things done before everybody else is awake and can enjoy a little more quality time before the kids head off to school.
I’m very fortunate to be the proud head of two families. Proud of my work family and the special things they continue to achieve each and every day and proud of my home family, the best support system anyone can have.
