@Damien :: You make a great point in that not everyone has the same priorities/goals with regard to work life balance. Thanks for the perspective and also for sharing that great acronym.

@JLow :: I really love the meetings that are used to schedule additional meetings, lol. Thanks for the additional perspective on goals/reality.

For the company that “recommends” no-Friday-meetings, workers who prefer to work late will find this prohibitive to their reality.

And vice versa.

It’s all about finding that cultural fit.

To answer your first question- Yes! In my organisation, we have way too many meetings. It is when the few true leaders chair these meetings that an action-items list is generated.

To your second question- Yes! While I agree that achieving that balance between work and home is crucial, if one is already feeling “balanced” at work (alone) then that work itself is no longer challenging!

The “perception of reality” is a little broad for me to comprehend. I think what you are getting at is simply about goals. When you have goals, you set priorities to reach them. If someone has no family and they are driven to be as productive as possible, it makes sense they would have no consternation about meetings on Friday. Heck, there are places youu can go to work out at 2 in the morning for that matter.

If I may spell out an acronym to sum up this laboriously long comment:

SPIDOG

Set priorities in direction of goals.

Goal: To be a present dad

Priority: No meetings on Friday.

While that is our shared reality, there are many who don’t live in it. You see what I mean?

Thanks for the article.