Work, Family and Faith: True Work/Life Harmony comes by staying true to yourself

Many organizations like to say that they promote a healthy work/life balance, but few employees feel empowered to actually make it happen.

There will always be a project. There will always be that 6 p.m. conference call, but there are opportunities during the work week to make sure you meet your responsibilities at work while also honoring your commitments at home.

John Erdmann, a member of my new team at TD Bank, is a master at this.

He believes in a simple philosophy, "Focus on what is most important in your life and everything else will fall into place. For me, that is my faith and my family. Living my faith means that I need to set a good example of how to live for my children and to be there for my wife. But I can't do either if I'm always working. At the same time, living my faith also means I need to deliver at my job and to treat others with compassion and respect.

If you approach your work and life in a smart way and leverage the opportunities that are available to you, you can have a great career and a great family life."

Family Man/Company Man

As Head of Finance and Accounting for TD in the US, John has a very important job. He also has a strong marriage and five very active children.

He'd be the first to tell you that while he may have an important job, he doesn't consider himself that important. "I'm not so important that the company will fall apart if I don't respond to e-mail immediately after hours or on a weekend. I have provided my cell phone # to my manager and direct reports. They know to text me if I need to look at something after hours and I'm happy to do so. Otherwise, I'm generally not logging onto e-mail." 

Too busy for Time Off?

John says he's not sure what to make of people who brag that they are so busy they can't take a vacation or time off. "I take all my vacation time every year," he said. "In most cases, if you have your team set up properly, you have people who can cover for you while you're out. It actually benefits them as they may get more exposure to senior executives than they would otherwise"

I agree with John. If a manager can't step away to take time off, they aren't leading their team appropriately. It can mean, quite often, that you aren't prepared for or anticipating the unexpected, so when an emergency happens, everyone has to scramble. That's not strong leadership.

Flexible is the new normal

John really appreciates today's technology that makes it possible to work from anywhere. "For example, I take my son to a rock climbing center that's right around the corner from the office. I can work from there or come to one of our offices, do some work and then go pick up my son."

John believes providing flexibility for employees where possible is critical to achieve a happy and productive workforce. "I almost never miss my kids' activities because I have the flexibility to work around their schedules and still get my work done on time and I make it a priority to provide the same flexibility to my teams."

Healthy Work Life Balance = Increased Productivity

John has found that when he has a good work life balance, he is more productive and more effective and that even small adjustments can pay big dividends. "Most mornings, I enjoy a cup of coffee with my wife before coming into the office. As you can imagine with 5 children, that's about the only quiet time we have! Then when I start work, I'm more focused and productive"

Making Harmony Happen

Doing a good job is a clear priority, but being a good husband and father and giving his family what they need is important as well. You have to know yourself and what's most important to you, says John.

"If you haven't done so, I would recommend taking some time to really think about what is most important in your life and what brings you peace and joy. Be deliberate in making the time to focus on what you are really passionate about" he said. "If you do, I think you will find that not only will you be more productive and effective in your career, but you will have a greater sense of peace in your life"

That's sound advice we can all take to heart.