In last week’s Message, I shared with you a coaching call I had with a manager who is considered by his firm leaders to be a high performer (HP). Somewhat surprisingly, he made it clear in our call that his primary dedication isn’t to his career, but to this family.

Since inquiring minds want to know, I asked him how he pulled it off, because so many complain that it is nearly impossible to have a balanced life in the profession. He shared with me a number of strategies that, together, have given him the ability to make his family his first priority and still be considered a HP.

First Practice

First, he said he concentrates on training and coaching his staff so that he can delegate as much as possible to them. All the frustrations of staff shortage and turnover haven’t derailed his pursuit to increase his capacity.

This is especially important because he resists a practice that so many managers and partners fall in to, which is to hold on to work that should be completed by someone else. He refuses to accept all the excuses for not delegating.

Other Practices

Here are some other strategies he uses that feed into his commitment to put his family first.

• He plans ahead so that he is on top of his workload. It’s hard to delegate at the last minute.
• He works with purpose. Over the course of 8 or 10 hours, it’s so tempting to be lured away with distractions and other disruptions. He is resolute to remain focused.
• He makes sure that his staff are doing well and are satisfied by regularly checking in. His into his day and week consistent routines of connection.
• He manages the expectations of others by completing his current obligations, yet will renegotiate them when necessary. In addition, he considers how each additional “yes” impacts his current commitments.

Notice that he does these things BECAUSE he puts his family first. When it’s easier to do the work himself, he chooses to delegate. When he’s tired at the end of a day, he chooses to plan tomorrow. When he’d rather not have the discussion, he chooses to negotiates his commitments to others.

I’m thankful for this manager’s call. It is so refreshing to hear of someone who’s primary commitment doesn’t take away from enjoying a high performing career. It’s not perfect, but it is a true example of a HP with a balanced life.

Your Practices

If I could hear your inner voice, it may be saying, “Yeah. Yeah, I know all this.” But believing that just knowing these things will help you is foolish. The only reason this manager’s life is more balanced than yours is because he’s actually practicing what he knows.

So, from what you know, what practices do you need to take seriously enough to keep your important things first? What will you begin doing this week? Otherwise, you won’t be counted among those HPs with a balanced life.