Jonathan's Latest Thoughts
"Jonathan’s area of special interest is all aspects of commercial property with particular reference to real estate strategy and implementation/change supporting the future of an organisation. His Corpra Commentary will concentrate on these areas and he will comment occasionally on horse racing from a real estate point of view." Jonathan's CV
Click on the link below to read Jonathan's previous commentary:
October 2010 - Time for Change and to Make the Most of Change
August 2011 - Adversity and DiversityIn business we plan for the future by predicting outcomes. We set a vision, develop a strategy to attain that vision and then plan, engage and manage resources to achieve targets in line with the strategy and our predictions. Business schools teach us how to do this – in theory. But the “best laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft a-gley”. Thus Robbie Burns wrote in his poem “To a Mouse” 1786 after he upturned a mouse’s nest whilst ploughing a field.
In business we plan for the future by predicting outcomes. We set a vision, develop a strategy to attain that vision and then plan, engage and manage resources to achieve targets in line with the strategy and our predictions. Business schools teach us how to do this – in theory. But the “best laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft a-gley”. Thus Robbie Burns wrote in his poem “To a Mouse” 1786 after he upturned a mouse’s nest whilst ploughing a field.
March 2012 - Live to work or work to live
Have you ever asked - what is it all for? What am I really trying to achieve? Do I need to change my priorities? How can I spend more quality time with my family?
Being on the wrong side of three score years but fortunate enough to be able to spend nearly 5 weeks in South Africa, has made me think about possible answers to these questions and to consider whether it is ever possible to achieve a balance between work and non-work, whatever your definition of the latter.
There is a mountain of literature about work / life balance. Nigel Marsh in "Fat, Forty and Fired" suggests that this part of the problem. The more you strive to achieve a balance between a career and a family life, the less balanced you become. In his opinion, the bar has been set at an unrealistically high level.
So if CEO's and senior managers can't "work to live" what are the chances for lesser mortals? Which member of a management team would chose to risk his or her job by putting an important family event ahead of a crucial business commitment? Also of course many manager at all levels get huge satisfaction being part of a shared-goal driven team. They enjoy hard work and find winning a thrill. It is part of what gives them value.
Is it any easier for younger people? I fear not. Many want to climb the career ladder and, having achieved success when single, find it very hard to get off the treadmill when they marry and start a family. When my first daughter was born, I remember my mentor saying: "Don't make the mistake I did. Your children only grow up once and you can never relive that important period." I was no paragon. Neither was I ever a CEO of a major corporation but I have been lucky enough to work for one or two bosses, who understood the importance of the family and managed output not input. But it was always me that thought I should be in the office.