Posted by Beth Fillerup on Thu, Feb 18, 2010 @ 05:58 PM
You have probably heard some variation of the quotes: "Life is what happens when we are busy making other plans" or "Life is a journey, not a destination." In my own life, I often find myself focused on "making other plans" and trying to reach my next "destination," working so hard in my business that I lose focus on the journey. Unfortunately, sometimes it takes a shock to the system to remind us that life is indeed a journey and that we need to enjoy every bit of it.
Sadly, I recently received one of those shocks. One of my sisters, Rose, died suddenly of a heart attack last month at the age of 57. An event like this makes you reevaluate your own life and rethink your priorities. It also shows you how quickly life can change and to make sure you are enjoying the journey along the way.
I have reflected a lot on my life over the last month and have concluded a couple of things. I feel fortunate to do the work I do - helping people achieve their business and personal goals and dreams is very rewarding; however, my life balance is lacking the attention it deserves.
Over 700 people attended my sister's funeral; it was clear that she had influenced so many in her circle of friends, family, and community, on so many levels. In addition, she maintained a healthy life balance of raising four kids, hiking in the Sierra Nevada (including Mount Whitney two years ago), educating hundreds of children, and working with the State and National Park Service to replant native species. It was apparent that she had recognized and truly appreciated her life journey.
Seeing Rose's journey so clearly and in stark contrast to my own, I realized that I and many other business owners I know are so busy "making other plans" and "reaching our destination" that we are not taking time to enjoy the journey. We believe that by working so hard, we will have more freedom and flexibility as we meet our future goals. In reality, we become one-dimensional: slaving away with less freedom while life passes us by.
I have started and encourage you to take time each week to plan - and calendar - what you are going to do for yourself. What activities will you participate in? What individuals will you spend more time with? Better yet, create a goal list of the top 10 items that you want to achieve in your life or that you want to begin working on.
My sister Rose will be remembered by many, including myself, for her positive influence and for the impact she had on our lives. I also have a little piece of her that I will carry with me through life - inspiration. I will use her inspiration to redirect and enjoy my current journey; not just always work toward a future goal or dream.
The Bottom Line
Life is short. Take time to assess whether you are living the life you want TODAY. I am a believer that through hard work we can achieve anything, and if we focus some of our hard work toward a sustainable life balance, we can get just that. Every week, make a point to plan and calendar time to maintain your life balance. I have to go now - I'm planting my spring garden. Thank you Rose.
Do you have life goals you'd like to share? If so, leave us a comment on our blog or email Michael at MGunther@collaboration-llc.com. Your goals will be featured in an upcoming blog or Facebook posting.
Michael Gunther is Founder and President of Collaboration LLC, a team of highly skilled business professionals who are dedicated to assisting proactive business owners to build profitable, sustainable businesses through results-oriented education, coaching, and consulting services. Learn more at www.collaboration-llc.com.
Posted by Beth Fillerup on Thu, Feb 04, 2010 @ 04:56 PM
The Entrepreneurial Couple - these are individuals that are married, significant others, life partners, etc. who have elected not only to spend their lives together but also create a business together. At first it makes sense - two smart people, a great idea, working with someone you trust to take charge of your destiny. But along with these benefits come unique challenges and even additional pressure on the relationship due to poor communication, unresolved conflicts, reliance on the business to financially support both individuals, and no separation between work and home.
While I have seen many couples make this transition successfully, I have seen a greater number fail. The individuals that succeed do so by clearly defining what they expect from one another in both the business and personal relationships, avoiding undue stress and creating a true partnership. The following are seven topics that I have noticed are most important for discussion and agreement.
1. Roles and Responsibilities. Identify clear roles, responsibilities, and expectations - just as you would with any employee. Without clear roles, individual duties get blurred. This can lead to each person thinking the other is handling an item, which can lead to tasks not being completed, which leads to the blame game.
2. Decisions. Determine a process for making decisions from the get-go. Focus particularly on how disagreements will be handled. What happens if one partner wants to go in a direction that the other partner vehemently opposes?
3. Needs and Values. Come to an understanding on what each person's needs and values are in both the personal and business relationships. Often, the personal relationship is about security, connectedness, and equality; this relationship tends to be full of emotion. On the other hand, the business relationship is more about risk, equitability, and competition; this relationship leans more toward rationality. Each person needs to understand how the other views these differences, and then together you can come up with a game plan on how to honor these views.
4. Separation of Work from Home. Create parameters about topics that should stay at the office. Couples working together often see their home and work life blend together to the point where they feel they are always working and have lost aspects of their personal life and relationship. One couple that I've worked with uses the rule that from 6:00 PM until 8:00 AM the next morning they cannot talk about business.
5. Personal Independence. Identify and develop some independent activities, hobbies, or friendships. This allows each of you to maintain a sense of individual identity and to also bring new perspectives and insights into the relationship.
6. Finances. Establish clear budgets for both the business and your household. It is crucial that you manage both budgets well since you rely on one business to support a household of two (or more). Most importantly, business financial decisions that may impact your personal household finances should be made jointly.
7. Assistance. Get an outside advisor or coach. It is imperative to have someone you trust advising you on the dynamics that arise from sharing a business and personal relationship. Having an impartial third party can help prevent differing opinions from becoming major conflicts that can negatively impact your relationship.
Entrepreneurial couples can create an unstoppable team if they have a strong, trusting foundation, but without good communication skills and clear expectations or parameters these relationships may also hinder a business's growth and prosperity.
Bottom Line
If you are an entrepreneurial couple, you probably desire business success, family harmony, and personal well-being. Unfortunately, entrepreneurial partnerships may have a hard time achieving these three things and may under-perform due to unresolved conflicts and ambiguity about roles. Together as partners, I encourage you to take time to evaluate how you are truly performing as a team. Create a game plan, write down your resolutions, and make a contract with one another using the above seven topics as a guideline.
Is there a topic that you would like Michael to discuss? If so, email him at MGunther@collaboration-llc.com or call (805) 541-9040 to let him know.
Michael Gunther is Founder and President of Collaboration LLC, a team of highly skilled business professionals who are dedicated to assisting proactive business owners to build profitable, sustainable businesses through results-oriented education, coaching, and consulting services. Learn more at www.collaboration-llc.com.