work/life balance

June 24, 2015 by Marc Hausman

Queasy Unease About Best Places to Work

One winner trumpets after hours roof top yoga. Another corrals staffers each month for an evening of board games. Still another whisks employees away on a cruise.

The just released list of 150 top workplaces by the Washington Post is an eclectic group of companies, associations and non-profits that have taken steps to make employee satisfaction a priority. I was thrilled to see a number of long-standing Strategic Communications Group (Strategic) clients included in the ranks.

Yet, as I read through the myriad of health, wellness, convenience and culture creation perks offered by those recognized an uncomfortable realization set in. The criteria used by the media like the Washington Post, Fortune and others to bestow this sort of recognition is both dated and misguided.

Nearly every benefit touted is designed to keep an employee in the office under the pretense of productivity, culture and collaboration.

While on-site dry cleaning, foosball fun and charity-inspired 10K runs can be attractive to some, for me – a parent of three sons under the age of 12 – it merely adds up to missed family time. I decided long ago at Strategic that was unacceptable.

I’m not the only one. Last year the CEO of a technology start-up called MongoDB that has raised more than $200M in venture capital resigned to spend more time with his family. The blog post he penned about his decision caused waves in a community defined by a hard charging mentality.

“The United States is arguably struggling to adjust to the realities of modern family life more than any other affluent country,” New York Times columnist Claire Cain Miller wrote at the time. “Many workers today – blue-collar and white-collar alike – believe they must choose between career and family.”

All of us at Strategic are passionate about Web2Sales, committed to innovation and absolutely focused on the success of our clients. Yet, the very DNA of our business celebrates family, and encourages personal growth and fulfillment.

I love what I do…just not as much as I love this crazy crew.

August 31, 2012 by Marc Hausman

What's Important in Life

The recently published Washington edition of SmartCEO magazine features an article entitled “Work Wonders: How to Convince Your Employees that a Little Hard Work Never Hurt Anyone.” (I would have included a link to the story, yet the magazine has yet to update their Web site with current content.)

The gist of the article is that if a CEO embraces a long, arduous work schedule – often to the detriment of their personal life – than the company’s employees will do the same. Here are a couple of choice quotes from CEOs quoted in the piece:

“Even on vacation, I’m hooked to my BlackBerry and work 16-hour days.”

Mehul Sanghani, CEO

Octo Consulting Group

“It’s very hard when one spouse is working humongously long hours and isn’t home for dinner and the other has a more normal life.”

Gloria Bohan, President and CEO

Omega World Travel, Inc.

“Your customers need you. They expect you to be there and work hard and be staying up late at night thinking about all of them. That’s the job of a CEO.”

Michael Jacoby, CEO

Broad Street Realty, LLC

This work at all costs, at all times mentality is as dated and out-of-touch as the three martini lunch, boys will be boys vibe of the 1960s. It’s silly, foolish, unproductive and, worst of all, completely insulting for employees who are smart, focused and committed to their professional achievement.

I too once subscribed to the baloney spit forth by SmartCEO. In fact, I once convinced employees that my “Work Party Weekend” idea would benefit their career development.

Was I ever wrong!

Make no mistake, I remain passionate about Strategic Communications Group (Strategic) and the innovative work we do for our clients. Plus, my competitive streak still runs deep.

Yet, I recognize that work/life balance is paramount for a person to be happy, healthy and productive. We each get one time around the track in life, so you have to always remember what is truly important.

Here’s an anecdote to illustrate my point. Earlier this year a west coast based client requested I participate in a conference call scheduled at the same time as my son’s baseball game. I chose the game and suggested we reset the call for later that evening. My request stressed the client relationship which, in turn, led me to question the decision.

The game was close when my son smacked a line drive into left field. He sprinted around the bases and made a head first slide into third. Getting up and brushing off the dirt, he spotted me in the stands and winked.

Now, months later, I can’t recall what that conference call was about. Yet, I’ll remember that wink forever.

Enjoy Labor Day!

Hausman Family Photo — The Hausman family on vacation.