Recent Posts
- QBQ
- Report from the Southwest Supply Management Conference
- Think Outside the Box
- Congrats to P&G
- Job Well Done
- Click, click, click, was the sound of the typewriter.
- Even with insurance, buyers may still be at risk
- Market Intelligence, does your company have an employee or department involved?
- The Ins and Outs of Intellectual Property
- Giving Financial Presentations with PowerPoint
Recent Comments
- Prachi on Centralized vs. Decentralized Purchasing
- seo on Market Intelligence, does your company have an employee or department involved?
- 国際結婚 on Manufacturer's View in a Small World
- 国際結婚 on Manufacturer's View in a Small World
- Mary on Think Outside the Box
Most Commented On
- Certificate or Certification? (18)
- Who does what? A Look at Procurement's Role in the Supply Chain (9)
- Goals, Goals, and more Goals (4)
- The Bored Employee (4)
- Train the Trainer: A Review of the CPSM Instructor Program (4)
Archives
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
Blog
Get a Life!
December 26, 2007
This is the first time I can ever remember leaving work on Friday, December 22 and not being scheduled to return until January 2, 2008. I have no access to the computer system at home to work on buying products for the company... Until recently as a salaried employee, I had the option to put time in at my convenience to get the job done. Now I am limited to 7:30 to 4:30, Monday through Friday and an hour for lunch. This is the new work/life balance.
When my husband was Inventory Control and Purchasing Manager for Kroehler Manufacturing Company in Dallas, this time of year we worked round the clock.
I was his assistant for many years.
First we started planning for inventory several weeks before year end. Then January 2nd, we had students come in to help us count. It took days to compile the information.
We had to type the inventory sheets, cost and extend the cost, and come up with the magic figure of inventory on hand, also including work in process and finished goods.
My husband and I worked seven days a week for several months. My daughter was 5 or 6 at that time. She would have Barbie dolls, Barbie clothes and many of the accessories set up in the office. She played while we worked. The work/life balance was not an issue back then. You had a job and you worked until it was done.
Now all you read about is a work/life balance. Companies are beginning to recognize signs of employee burnout. The theory is unless people can have balance in their lives, productivity will suffer. There is no point taking the time off if you are working throughout your so-called vacation. The problem is separating your personal life from ones work life.
Did you know that it has become such a problem now that professional help is offered to employees to adjust to a work/life balance? I must admit, it is difficult to work with things undone. To have things you never get to. You adjust to your limitations and move on.
The gift of time has been great. I find that I am so busy I don’t know how I used to work 60 hours a week. I study in the morning before leaving for work. I go to meetings two to three times a week. I have been attending Saturday supply management classes.
I get to do all of these things because my daughter is grown. My husband is retired and has taken over a lot of the household duties. We eat out all the time, so cooking is not a problem.
You must set your own agenda. Are you leading a balanced life? It is up to you. I missed one of my daughters school functions because I had pneumonia and she still remembers it. You can never get back the missed plays and sports activities of your children. You can’t go back. Put some of these activities on your 2008 calendar.
Posted by Mary Walker on December 26, 2007 | Comments (0)