Page 282 - Just Promoted A 12 Month Road Map for Success in Your New Leadership Role

Creating Your New Life Integration 267

to be stuck. Don’t forget to assign work to your children. For example, a sixth
and third grader who pack their lunches for the next school day with mini-
mal supervision save at least 20 minutes of time for mom or dad and become
more responsible in the process.
Select your child-care support carefully from among the several options
available. Do you need someone to come to your home and be available in the
evening? Can either you or someone else take a child to day care and then pick
the child up? Do you want your child to have a nursery school experience in
addition to having a babysitter? There are pros and cons to each of the day-
care alternatives. Which one best meets your family’s needs? Make sure your
child-care provider knows your expectations and needs. Be sure that your
child-care provider is being paid a fair and competitive salary and receives
recognition and reinforcement for a job well done so you can count on his or
her long-term help.

3. Avoid spreading yourself too thin. Too many commitments ultimately
reduce your effectiveness. Check the number of have-tos in your life. High
achievers often overextend themselves. This is often because of enthusiasm
and involvement in their job, but it is also because of ineffective delegation
skills, unwillingness to say no, and lack of a support network. Sometimes peo-
ple just feel guilty and do too many things themselves. It is not uncommon to
see managers and executives of both genders trying to be all things to all peo-
ple. Our contemporary lexicon includes the terms superwoman and superman,
supermom and superdad. Do it all, want it all, have it all, lose it all. Delegate
some of the work at home as well. Buy some of the services you need such as
housecleaning, lawn mowing, and clothes cleaning so that when you are at
home, you have time to relax and enjoy your family.

4. Realize that every choice you make has payoffs and trade-offs. Every
action has pluses and minuses. When priorities are in conflict between self,
family, and work, make the best decision possible, and don’t criticize yourself
for what you are unable to do. Make yourself a mental or written note to catch
up with someone or something at a subsequent time if you can’t spend the
time now.
Our society is supercharged with options. Obligations weigh heavily on
our choices. Try to make your best choices, and avoid the tendency to try to
be perfect and satisfy everyone.