Association Leadership - May/June 2008 - (Page 22)

ewre Nu eat F Perspectives How do you manage life/work balance? With so much talk about generational issues in the workplace, we thought it would be interesting to add a new feature called ÒPerspectives.Ó Why? To hear and understand more about people and gain insight into what makes us tick. In each issue, we will pose a question to a ÒseasonedÓ executive member and a ÒyoungerÓ member. These members will share their experiences on the topicÉ and weÕll all benefit from the unique perspectives. This month, our respondents Ð ÒyoungerÓ member Emily Speight and ÒseasonedÓ member Michael Clayton Ð were posed the question, ÒHow do you manage life/work balance?Ó After they wrote their answers, they shared them and then came back and wrote a follow-up Òresponse.Ó Interested in being part of this series? Contact Beth Brooks at BethBrooks@TSAE.org. A “younger” perspective: Balancing personal and professional responsibilities is a constant struggle for many of us. For me, because I have a 15-month-old son, Þnding the right balance in my life is more important than ever. While that sometimes seems impossible, IÕve developed a few strategies that have helped. First, I ask my co-workers for assistance. As a one-person membership shop, I found myself working a lot of overtime but felt that my day-to-day tasks were keeping me from more important ofÞce duties, such as new membership initiatives. So I wrote a list of all the things I was doing in my job. I also wrote lists for the things I felt I should be doing but didnÕt have time to do, and a list of the things I would like to do if I had the time. I discussed my Þndings with my boss, who agreed to reassign some of the day-today tasks Ð some have been assigned to our administrative assistant, some have been outsourced and some will be handled by a new staff person we expect to hire soon. Even with all this help, I will still have to work overtime. However, my stress level is reduced because I know the day-to-day tasks are being completed while I focus on initiatives that will serve and grow membership. Emily Speight Second, I asked for the ability to work remotely, which meant being able to access Director of Member and shared databases from outside the ofÞce. Some people may view this as a curse rather Chapter Services than a blessing, because it brings work into the home. For me, however, it has deÞnitely Texas Society of Architects been a beneÞt. Now if I work overtime I am not stuck at the ofÞce. In the evening, I can spend time with my family and then work after my son goes to bed. On weekends, I can work before my husband and son wake up, or while my son naps. Also, one thing I did for myself a couple years ago was to resume playing tennis. Tennis is a passion of mine. It brings me joy every time I step on a court. Not only does it make me happy, but it also makes me healthier and is a great way to relieve stress. There are things we all can do to work toward having balance in our lives. If you are overwhelmed by work, think about the processes you can put in place to ease your burden. Ask for help, and take time every week to do something that feeds your soul. You may not Þnd balance right away Ð IÕve still got a long way to go Ð but you should be better off in the long run. 22 Association LEADERSHIP | May/June 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Association Leadership - May/June 2008

Association Leadership - May/June 2008 Contents President’s Column Homepage 60-Second Solutions Cover Feature: Associations As a Profession Positivity: Key to Retaining Young Talent Perspectives Association Case Study TSAE Annual Conference TSAE's Newest CAEs New Members Community Spotlight Grand Membership Campaign Committee Thank-yous Austin Dallas/Fort Worth Index to Advertisers Advertiser.com The Lighter Side of Associations- New Feature

Association Leadership - May/June 2008

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