PLOWING AHEAD
Come what may
I started my small advisory business, EQ Growth Solutions LLC post-Covid, intending to “scale back” the workload since I entered my middle 60’s. I was intrigued with the potential balance I would have from a work/personal perspective.
I am having an impact working with multiple companies. Working on growth strategies, coaching the leadership teams and supporting culture change to get to high performance. It's motivating, rewarding, and hard work/time-consuming.
Earned my first “F” grade. On the topic of “The Balance Thing”. Simply said, I suck at saying “no”.
I am not a coward, and I can deal effectively with conflict, set clear goals and hold people accountable. It’s just I want to help businesses improve their financial performance in a more sustainable manner, not just in things like purely financial engineering to deliver a better Balance Sheet performance. That’s not me.
I was taught all the values around disengaged vs. engaged employees. I was and had to be super engaged playing the roles I played. So here lies the dilemma. I have only 2 switches “on” and “off”, like many of you.
So how do I step back and be “semi-retired”, yet ensure the work I am doing with businesses is helping them. It fulfills and motivates me.
It is REALLY difficult to not pick up the phone call or answer the text that arrives during/after dinner, or the call that goes long (while my family is waiting in the car in the garage) as I listen to one of my coworkers share concerns and digging into the root causes of their frustration.
What am I supposed to do? Say to the caller “Hey Laura, I’d love to help you this evening, but I am out of hours and won’t be on the clock again until Monday.”
When I think of myself saying those words, I go into a trance, and this is what I see…
A dense fog starts rolling in…and then…
I see an NFL referee materializing after a penalty flag drops to my kitchen floor. The referee says.
“Personal Foul…Unsportsmanlike Conduct…The Advisor.”
I’ve spoken with a number of colleagues who are in the Advisory/Consultant business, asking what the best way is to handle this. I sense there is an unwritten rule within this community.
Below is a summary of the answers I got:
“Mike, it all depends on the situation. Setting and enforcing boundaries is difficult.” Meaning, either just roll with the punches or be evasive about where you were when your phone was ringing or the text arrived.
So becoming “part-time” has been a dreadful transition. I don’t think I’m alone in this battle.
I will change this so I’ll need to find the course corrections to make.
It should be easier than it is.
Check out the EQ Growth Solutions website and let’s get connected. https://eqgrowthsolutions.com/
#Listen, #Learn, #Network,#Adapt, #Win
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