By Dr. Kevin Hatcher
Kevin Hatcher, EdD, is the Senior Associate Athletic Director at Colgate University and a former Associate Athletic Director at the University of Texas-El Paso. He can be reached at: khatcher@mail.colgate.edu.
Athletic Management, 18.2, February/March 2006, http://www.momentummedia.com/articles/am/am1802/gponbeam.htm
Last summer, I left the windstorms and roadrunners of West Texas for the snow mounds and galloping deer of Central New York, taking a new position in athletic administration. As is the case with every new job, the change allowed me to start anew, with a fresh outlook and a recharged perspective. It also gave me the opportunity to re-examine my work-life balance.
Like most athletic administrators, I’ve always worked a lot of hours. There is a strong sentiment in our business that the more hours you work, the more successful you will be. But I started to feel like I was missing out on life. I felt alone when my family planned activities while I was working. My job started to define who I was, and it was making me an unhappy person.
So, with this job shift, I decided to examine how to find more time for my family. To avoid getting burned out in my job and to keep my family strong, I wanted to more consciously think about my time, and I wanted to do this on a daily basis.
To be honest, it has been a daunting task. But it has also been rewarding in that it has given me more energy—both at work and at home. The following are six tips I’ve used to give clarity to managing my personal and professional lives.
Mix business and pleasure: Part of every athletic administrator’s job is to attend many athletic and social events. Whenever possible, I take my family with me. Whether it’s a swim meet or a banquet, my family is usually welcome, and it gives me time to be with them, even if I am also watching the action or talking with alumni. If it’s a function that doesn’t involve kids, we find a babysitter and my wife joins me as I socialize with supporters or administrators.
If I can make it work, I also bring my family along on business trips. Earlier this winter, we enjoyed going to Tampa together. Although I worked during the days and it wasn’t a total "quality alone-time experience," it did create a feeling of togetherness. My family might not always want to come along to a work-related function, but just asking them shows I want to include them in all aspects of my life.
Recognize the peaks and valleys: In every business there are busier and less busy times. When I hit a valley, I spend more time with my family. Simple ways include: eating breakfast with them instead of rushing off to work at the crack of dawn; picking up my stepdaughter from school a couple days a week; and leaving work early on a Friday for a weekend getaway. Spending time at home when I have the time makes the busy periods bearable for both my family and me.
Find common interests: During the slow times, it was easy to spend my free time doing the things that I like to do. While this worked out for me, my activities often didn’t include my wife and stepdaughter. At the same time, the rest of my family’s activities didn’t always include me. So we made a conscious decision to sit down and find common interests. For example, my stepdaughter and I have realized that we both have an interest in reading adventure books. We are currently reading The Chronicles of Narnia out loud to each other for 15 to 30 minutes before she goes to bed a couple nights a week. My wife and I have gotten into finding and listening to R&B music from the 80’s and 90’s, including talking about which songs have the best lyrics.
Don’t get me wrong, I still need downtime to recharge my batteries for the busy times that are around the corner. However, I’ve realized I can adjust my activities to serve two purposes—recharging and spending time with my family. More importantly, I’ve discovered that the more interest I’ve taken in their activities, the more interest they’ve taken in mine.
Communicate the plan: Even during peak times, most events and business trips are planned well in advance. Communicating a plan ahead of time for travel, events, and late nights at the office has been a key part of managing my personal and professional lives.
At the beginning of the year I gave my family a list of all activities that I’d have to attend for the year. As new events come up, I revise my plan, and while my wife doesn’t always like the changes, she appreciates that I’m keeping her informed.
Exercise restraint: It’s natural to want to go to every athletic event and business meeting that comes up. But it’s better to take a little time and analyze exactly which events are important to attend and which are not. For example, if there are field hockey and volleyball matches on the same day, I’ll often make the decision to attend only one of those events. While some business trips provide continuing education and networking contacts that benefit your athletic program, others aren’t as productive—I’ve learned to schedule only trips that will truly be beneficial.
Reassess values: Like most other athletic administrators, I have created goals for my career that are important to me. One day I would like to reach the top of my profession and direct a high-profile program. But this past year, I’ve also realized that if I concentrate only on that one goal, I will be making too many sacrifices in my family life.
The more time I spend with my stepdaughter, the more I can see her love and respect for me grow. She has gone from waving goodbye to me to giving me hugs. The other day, for the first time, she told me she was glad we all moved together to New York.
A year ago, I needed to reassess my values. And I’ve come to understand that sometimes you need to change direction to get everything you want out of life. I made a professional move that some would deem risky, but it allowed me to get out of a rut. It allowed me to be a better husband and father, which is part of my value system.
And I’m finding it is also helping me be a better administrator. Being happy at home has made me more positive at work.
Some people say it’s important to separate work and family. But I’ve come to realize the opposite is true. In the world of athletic administration, work and family must be intertwined, balanced, and supportive of each other.