Balance

By Zig Ziglar

Do long hours guarantee more productivity and more profit?  Maybe.  Maybe not.  In a Wall Street Journal article, industrial psychologist John Kamp said, “Everybody’s got a different limit.  But there’s a point for every person at which extra hours cause a drop in work quality and an increase in stress.”  There seems to be a fine line between the extra productivity created by the extra hours and a decline in the quality and creativity of the finished product of those extra hours.

In addition, a key cause of the productivity decline in America is marital difficulty.  It seems likely that many people who work long hours in an effort to be more productive are actually harming their productivity and their marriages at the same time.  People who work too many hours may also lose their ability to appreciate and achieve the goals of their employer.  “We want to make sure people see how their efforts fit into the big picture,” says Kirby Dyess, vice president of human resources for Intel.  Intel is also wary of overwork intruding on workers’ personal lives.  In surveys over the past few years, Ms. Dyess says, Intel employees who report success in balancing their professional and personal obligations were more likely to say they could tolerate competitive pressures (like ambiguity and change) than those who said work dominated their lives. 

A recent internal study showed no correlation between hours worked and advancement at Intel.  Education, experience and results matter more.  However, Ms. Dyess says there are times when it makes sense to work extra hours.  Maury Hanigan, a New York consultant who advises companies on personnel strategies, says in a new job “you need to put in the time to get up to speed and make your mark,” perhaps for a year. 

From where I sit, balance is the key.  Your personal, family and business lives are all important.  The best way to get to the top and stay there is to maintain that balance.  Take that approach and I will SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

 Zig Ziglar is a motivator and teacher.  He is the author of 27 books and loved by millions of people world wide for his practical wisdom and his gift of hope.

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