In general, people decide to accept a job proposal because they are interested in the professional project they offer them. And they decide to leave the companies for the leadership styles and the climate they generate, if it is “toxic.” This is why it is very important not only to incorporate people for their professional skills (grade training, grades, courses and seminars), but also to understand what their attitudes are.
The attitudinal is preponderant when incorporating people, especially if incorporations are made thinking of a future leaders development plan; And much more if it is about incorporating a new leader into the organization.
It is for this reason that, beyond the “hard” (understanding its formation, grades and results), we must also see and analyze, even projectively, the “soft”; That is, how empathic the candidate is not only with the project, but also with climate, people, culture, management of their stress and emotions under pressure in work.
Therefore, who has the vocation of “growing” in the organization, beyond their qualifications, training and results, must make merits in other fields to access the condition of leader.
This will imply a deep analysis of the culture in which it develops, the leadership styles with which it must deal, the vision, mission and values of that organization, and work its profile to achieve the greatest possible adaptation with that set of statements, behaviors and values.
In short, we talk about understanding if someone “puts on the shirt” of the company where they work and thus begins their career towards a leadership position, or simply values as correct the monetary consideration he receives for his time, dedication and results.
It is not about writing in stone, there are different approaches on this subject depending on each person and where its realization puts: in their career as a leader, or in other personal constructions outside work; And if this is just a means for that.
There are no correct or incorrect paths in this regard. In any case, the right thing will be to be consistent personally. If someone puts their personal fulfillment in the professional field, they must have specifically evaluated what will leave out of their vision, if that is what they really want. On the contrary, if it puts its realization in other personal constructions, you must analyze which professional horizon will reach and if it satisfies it.
At the end of the day, there can be no surprises: the personal and professional decisions that people take decide a course, a future course.
If someone puts everything in their profession or work, they must assume that there are probably other areas or spaces of their life in which some fault may feel; Already the reverse, perhaps you must assume a more limited professional horizon.
But, as we said, nothing is sculpted in stone, circumstances can change and people, by nature, too. The important thing is then to be clear about what I build at each stage of my life and where I put my personal and professional fulfillment. Being this clear to people tranquility and fullness, and therefore achieve their best version, and thus it is spilled in each field, whether the professional or not.
So far this topic could be presented as an iron option, something like: “Or you are happy at work or you are in other areas of your life” and you can choose one thing or another, not both.
From my point of view, this reading would be a mistake and would not leave a positive teaching in search of the balance between personal and professional life that we must promote from companies and search as individuals.
So, the balance between personal and professional life is possible? The answer is yes, it is possible through development and career policies that contain elements and aspects related to people, their families, their free time, their personal interests and others. And that is where the two large areas or spaces converge: that of the person and that of the professional.
These spaces in equilibrium will prevent the “character” from “comma” to the person and that the person releases the professional that the organization needs.
Whatever the scenario in which the person/professional moves (either one that explicitly promotes these balances, or one that lives them culturally implicitly), to build a successful career you have to have the greatest “fit” with the reality of the organization in question, seeking the balance between the “hard” and the “soft” we were talking about, but now in a double dimension: both aspects must be balanced in the personal and professional. That will be the true success of the individual and the company: balance.
Finally, it seems prudent that, described success, it is mentioned what the failure would be. From my point of view, failure is the false “iron option” that we mention, since any pure “model” taken to an extreme, at least theoretical, can show us the next day frustrations at a point of no return.
For example, a super successful and laureate professional who lives in solitude, without having cultivated other dimensions of his life and without knowing how this outside the professional environment will be once removed or left from the system, can be an image that helps us to understand better; And on the contrary, the image of the one who, by force of building a world out of the professional, did not pursue professional achievements, is likely that in the decline of his career living deep and accumulated professional frustrations.
Balance is always a challenge, getting it is laborious in all orders. Its construction is always plagued by contradictions, marches and countermarks, but once reached provides fruits of fullness in everything, for the person and for the organization.
*Marcelo Villegas is a lawyer specializing in complex negotiations, labor law and human resources, former Minister of Labor of the Province of Buenos Aires and Ontological Coach.
By Marcelo Villegas
