Dear friends and professional colleagues,
I hope I find you all fit and well as I start to pen my fifth President’s page in my year of office as your President.
Before I get onto my chosen topic this month, I hear through my ABE network that our Building Control members did us proud and responded admirably to the numerous ‘dangerous structures’ situations which arose during the recent riots in various parts of the country! Very well done to you all who were called out to assist and do your duty; you do this without question 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. I don’t recall seeing much recognition of this in the media!
This month has been similar to July in that it has been a quiet month from an ABE Presidential perspective, and as I stated last month I’ve had a great holiday in Germany and a couple of great weekends away in the UK to recharge my batteries.
This brings me to the subject I thought I’d write about this month, that’s really close to my heart, namely: Trying to get the work life balance right.
I don’t profess to be a master of getting this balance right by any means! I’ve seen me work until stupid-o'clock on the computer to complete a report or piece of work when the need has occasionally arisen. I do, however, make this the exception rather than the rule.
I often wonder how high-flying people such as Richard Branson, Barack Obama, the Dragons’ Den guys and the like manage and prioritise their time!! What techniques and systems do they use?
As I talk to fellow ABE colleagues on my travels, I’m well aware of the pressures many of you work under nowadays in your day jobs, in these times of continuously trying to improve efficiencies and cut costs. A good example of this is the Building Control environment; I have had many discussions with fellow ABE members working in both the public and private sectors of Building Control. Many have to deal with heavier workloads with less staff as costs and budgets are squeezed! I fully appreciate the heartache and stress this must place on members and their families.
I have had personal experience where organisations in my area have ‘over streamlined’ and created vacuums, where staff couldn’t cope; this was often compounded by some of the remaining staff being off sick with stress-related symptoms. This has, I’ve got to say, offered some consultancy opportunities to me through my professional network, where I have been able to go in and assist in flattening out the workload peaks, and bring situations back to normality.
Time management
I’m sure most of you have done similar courses to me over the years and follow simple ideas to make our lives easier, for example:
• Writing a ‘to do’ list at the start of the day and reviewing it at the end of each day!
• Making it part of our normal day to review and redraft plans, as unforeseen things occur from time to time and make us review and change our priorities.
• I know others who list the three most important things they need to do each day and make sure they, at least, get done!
• I know a few business coaches in my area who state and enthuse that we must set goals for everything we do in life and have a ‘bucket list’ of things we want to achieve before we’re planted or fried! Buried or cremated, that is!
Since the end of 2006 I have been lucky enough to work for myself as an independent Chartered Building Surveyor. I employ my sister who manages my diary and makes my life simple. I love the fact that I only answer to me. And I am in control of my destiny!
I remember my last proper job working for a large social landlord as Head of Service. They were a great forward-thinking award-winning employer, who were smart enough to spend a fortune investing in and developing their staff; I will be forever grateful as I learned more in four years than I did in ten with my previous employer. That being said they demanded and expected their pound of flesh from their staff, and I often worked many unpaid hours to keep on top of the workload. On reflection, I think this was probably down to my own perceptions of what was expected of me!
One thing I don’t miss from working for a large organisation is the politics and frustrating bureaucracy and controls which, of course, are necessary, that sometimes made me feel like I was running in quicksand when I was trying to get a good job done for our customers!
Compared to those distant times my life now feels blissfully simple, and I work hard ensuring things stay simple. I am ruthless in managing my time and keeping my priorities right. My simple priorities are as follows:
1. my personal relationship with my good lady, Linda
2. relationships with my family and friends
3. my social life and quality time outside of work
4. earning a living doing a job I enjoy
5. other stuff which includes devoting time to ABE business in the five-year Presidential cycle. I’m in year four of the cycle as President following three years as Vice President; I then do my final year as Past President next year.
I also don’t beat myself up for stuff I don’t have time to do! I do the best I can with the time I’ve got, endeavouring to stay positive and enjoy what I do.
As I close this month I’m due to head off to London to represent the ABE at the inauguration of RIBA President, Angela Brady, which should be good and I’ll tell you all about it next month.
Kind regards to you all,
Colin
October 2011
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