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By Dave Anderson
It
was Friday night at the International Convention Center Conference in
Boston and I was making my way through the beautiful Boston Convention
Center, heading toward the reception area, when my cell phone rang.
It was my wife, Nadean, asking if I could talk, as she
had something important to tell me. As I pulled away from the line of
people heading up the escalator to the reception, I suddenly felt sick
to my stomach as my wife’s voice sounded as if the news she was about to
deliver was not good. She hesitated for a moment and then proceeded to
tell me that the wife of some very close friends of ours passed away
while they vacationed with their kids and grandkids in Hawaii.
In an instant I went from thinking about all the
industry friends I was about to catch up with at the reception to
wondering how I would console a close friend who had just lost his wife
and best friend. Anytime you receive news about losing a close friend or
relative, it hurts, but losing someone that was still in the prime of
her life was extremely difficult for me to accept, much less understand.
My wife and I had met Bob and Nancy Hutchinson in
Portland, Ore., when we happened to sit next to them at a Portland
Trailer Blazer benefit basketball game that occurred outside under the
stars at the old Civic Stadium. Our family business, West Coast
Productions, had supplied the tents for the evening’s festivities, so we
decided to buy two tickets and attend this very unique event.
From the first moment we started talking with Bob and
Nancy that night, we hit it off. We paid no attention to the fact that
they were old enough to be our parents because they were busy drinking
us under the table that first night and treating us like lifelong
friends. But what impressed me the most over the 15-year friendship we
ended up having with them was the fact that Bob and Nancy worked very
hard in their professional careers, but they always found — or should I
say, dedicated — time for their family, friends and, most of all,
themselves.
What Really
Matters
Why talk about Bob and Nancy in a facility management magazine, you ask?
Well, to me, Bob and Nancy’s life represents the goal many people
struggle to achieve in business and specifically this crazy industry —
that goal of balancing the requirements of being successful in your
career with those requirements needed to be successful in life; success
in life as it relates to being happy with your achievements outside the
workplace.
This type of success, though, is often sacrificed to
achieve the first goal. The industry (facility management) we have
chosen to work in requires us to go above and beyond the call of duty
just about every day to provide the level of service our clients expect.
Many times these efforts require 18- hour days, weekend after weekend,
nights, and of course making it through the “season.”
The time of year may be different depending on what
facility you have and where you manage it, but to all of us, the word
season means a time when we frequently repeat the phrase, “I have no
life.” But those of us who love this industry keep our heads down and do
it year after year, rarely thinking about our personal happiness because
we are all so damn busy. I’m a prime example of just such a beast.
But the passing of our friend Nancy and some other
alarming issues in my life — such as my 10-year-old daughter telling me
recently that, “Mom just bought me my first bra” — have made me stop and
think about how fast life is moving. The next thing you know I will be
telling Seth (my daughter’s future boyfriend) that if he doesn’t have my
daughter home by 10 p.m. I’m going to … Those of you that have been
through this already, please finish the sentence and e-mail me
suggestions so I’m prepared.
What’s the Cost?
In my short 10-year career in this industry, I have met and worked with
so many wonderful people who routinely sacrifice much of their personal
life to assure satisfaction to all those that attend an event in their
facility. Every story is different but the common theme is sacrificing
personal satisfaction for professional success. I believe that this type
of customer is always right mentality is important, but at what cost to
our personal goals?
With the limited amount of space I have left here, I
would like to offer some friendly advice to all of you that share my
plight. During this time of year, when New Year’s resolutions abound
(most having to do with losing weight), find the time to make a
resolution that includes working just as hard to achieve your goals
outside of work as in it. There will always be emergencies at work and
last-minute issues to deal with, as it is inherent in this business.
Make sure your resolution includes delegating authority at work on those
days or moments when you are trying to pursue your personal goals so you
don’t end up back at work.
And to those of you who have tried to get me to see the
light over the years, (wife, parents, friends, co-workers), thanks. I
should have been a better listener. Finally, thank you, Nancy, for
showing me during your life that it is possible to achieve both
professional and personal satisfaction. I look forward to doing the same
in the months ahead and in the very near future.
fm
Dave Anderson
is general manager of the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West
Palm Beach, Fla.
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