Why I Treat Personal Appointments with the Same Urgency as Work Meetings
Work and “life” are often intertwined. We’re almost always connected. And I’ve always been so passionate about my career that it usually doesn’t feel like “work.”
Yet, early on, a more experienced colleague encouraged me to keep my personal commitments, just as I keep my professional ones. I’ve talked about this before: You’d leave a meeting on time to attend the next meeting on time — so you should do the same for personal activities or responsibilities.
I never forgot the advice, and while I can’t say I attend 100 percent of my children’s sporting events, my attendance percentage is pretty high! I do my best — and encourage my team to do the same.
Nothing recharges me more than spending time with my family. It’s important that I show up to cheer on my children, whether it was my son’s hockey games or my daughter’s soccer games. These are opportunities to spend time with my husband, and to connect with my children and their friends’ families.
Outside of my time at the office or with family, I enjoy contributing to the community — whether it’s meeting with GM volunteers involved in Student Corps or serving on the boards of trustees of my children’s high school and my alma mater, Stanford.
Not only are these activities rewarding, but they’re a way to show how grateful I am for all the opportunities I’ve enjoyed.
I was the first child in my family to go to college, and the joy of learning my parents instilled remains with me today. In 2014, Nobel Peace Prize recipient Malala Yousafzai said, “One child, one teacher, one book, and one pen, can change the world.” I believe this is true. Education paves the road to our future — in Detroit, Silicon Valley, Pune, Shanghai or anywhere else around the globe.
Connectivity has made our world smaller. It’s easier to stay in touch and work with colleagues many time zones away. However, this 24/7 ability to connect also means that for many of us, our professional and personal lives invariably overlap. So, it’s important to carve out time for your needs and be diligent about meeting commitments — both professional and personal. One will enrich the other.
Author: Mary Barra
CEO, General Motors Company
