No one is ever quite ready; everyone is always caught off guard. The one day you are a student, single and without a care in the world and the next you are married, you have a family and you have become part of the corporate rat race. Family life, or to be more specific, parenthood chooses you. You realize that of all the balls you ever juggled, this is the one you should not drop. The same goes for your career, especially if you hold a executive position as a CFO in a construction company. Both carry a lot of responsibility and there needs to be a balance.Here are five reasons how/why high-powered CFO dads and husbands tend to optimize their time at home and in the office and how their behaviour and their kids behaviors at home influence their behaviour at the office:
1) They stay connected to their spouse:
Being in constant communication with the old “ball and chain” keeps them grounded. (The saying “Happy wife, happy life” comes to mind.) They take time to call, text and email throughout the day, and even more when they are out of town. Staying connected helps them stay on the same page (and out of the dog box), even when it’s challenging. Knowing what is going on with their other halves and kids keeps them focused on what’s most important: their family.
2) They schedule EVERYTHING:
If something is important enough they take time out of their busy schedules to do it, instead of feeling constantly overstretched, like butter spread over too much bread, and feeling guilty that they are neglecting their wives/partner and family. Better work-life balance empowers CFO’s to feel more energized and zoomed in on their lives at home and at the office. Feeling fully present, capable and fulfilled in every aspect of your life is the truest definition of success. It eliminates stress, guilt and confusion. Keeping a calendar in accordance with the highest standards can help them reach the highest levels of efficiency. Beyond the customer meetings and conference calls on their schedules, they also put time aside for catching up on the news, family dinners, changing diapers and putting the kids to bed.
3) They are strictly family orientated after hours:
Spending time together as a family helps busy CFO’s connect with their kids. It is also a time when life lessons, like sharing, fairness and compassion, can be reinforced without conflict. Children grow and change quickly, so family time is a wonderful time CFO’s get to know their children better. By doing that they set an example to employees and encourage employees to do the same. When you feel better about your life at home, your life at work is bound to improve.
4) They learn a lot from their children:
How much patience they have as dads and CFO’s for instance. CFO’s accept that raising kids is part joy and part guerilla warfare. They know they are not just a roll model for their children, they have to set an example at the office too. Occasionally the wrong buttons will get pushed, and it is important not to overreact because they are always aware that their children and employees are watching their every move. Another thing they learn from their kids is to have courage. All of us have moments in our lives that test our courage. Taking children into a house with a white carpet is one of them, especially when they are toddlers because it’s like having a blender without a lid.
5) They don’t work while on vacation:
When CFO’s take time off, they are off the clock for the duration of their vacation and they encourage employees to take full advantage of their time-off opportunities by not responding to emails or calls while on vacation. However, no matter how old you are or no matter how hard-core executive you think you are, when a toddler hands you their ringing toy phone you answer it! That is the only exception to the rule.
When balancing parenting and a high-powered job, you’re going to have to make sacrifices, no matter how well you plan. You’ll likely miss a few date nights (heaven forbid) or soccer games, or you’ll need to reschedule a few meetings. Accept that you can’t be everywhere so you can enjoy where you are. After all, when you take a step back, being in the C-suite of a company and being a parent are privileges not everyone will experience.
