LIFE BALANCE
IMPORTANCE & APPROACH
SHRUTI MEHROTRA, ASHLEE MILLER, RAGHU NAYANI,
KEVIN NEWELL, ORLANDO O’NEILL, CLIFF ORR, DREW PALIN

Agenda – Life Balance
q Importance of life balance
• To companies
• To individuals
q Company actions to implement
employee balance
q What you can do to achieve
balance

Balanced leaders are better performers…
q Onaverage, more effective leaders
received 16% higher scores on
“balance” questions
q Leaderswho exercise regularly were
rated significantly higher on their
leadership effectiveness by their
bosses, peers and direct reports
Source: Center for Creative Leadership

. . . companies are beginning to realize the
productivity benefits of life balance…
Link between Increased return Companies with highly
employee satisfaction on capital committed employees
and profit had a 22% higher 3
year stock return
Flexible work 86% of employees Users of flexible work
arrangements have satisfied with life arrangements reported
a positive impact balance stay with lower stress levels and
on productivity the company had more energy

. . . along with employees, who are pushing for new
ways of working
q 84% prefer jobs that let them realize
their professional aspirations while
having more time outside of work
q 55% are willing to sacrifice their
income
q 73% believe senior management
jobs can be restructured to increase
productivity and balance
Source: Miller & Miller

Recognizing its benefits, companies are
systematically facilitating employee balance
q Corporate Lattice, Not Ladder
• Deloitte, Cisco, Thomson Reuters
q Time is the New Currency
• Brunner Advertising
q Predictability, Teaming and
Openness
• The Boston Consulting Group
q Telecommuting
• Capital One, Virgin and many
others
q Vacations
• Virgin

Companies can assist in achieving balance, but
employees must also be proactive and responsible
Every Kellogg student should understand
that this will become an issue in mid 30s
and beyond. I never anticipated it, and
am not sure I would have done things
differently, but it might have been easier
if it hadn't been so surprising.
- Kellogg Alum, on maintaining life
balance
Proactive Reactive
q Take responsibility for q Let their life be dictated by
everything in their life circumstances, others
q Control situations that arise q Let situations control them
q Cause things to happen q Respond to whatever happens
q Anticipate and prepare q Wait, rely on impulse

From primary and secondary research, four themes
emerge for managing life balance
q Interviews
• Seven professionals on
different career tracks Prioritizing
q Alumni survey - LinkedIn
• 235 responses Planning
• Across various life stages
and industries
q Prior books and articles Flexibility
• CEO Road Rules
• Just Enough
• NY Times Corner Office
• Inc.com articles Boundaries

Prioritizing
“Set priorities and stick to them.” – Kellogg Alum
q Need to periodically reassess
and adjust priorities as
necessary
q 35%1 of survey respondents
prioritize to determine how to
spend their time, both at home
and at work
1. Life balance management methods utilized by respondents often incorporated
multiple themes, so percentages do not sum to 100%

Planning
“I follow a daily schedule with priorities aligned to my personal balance.” – Kellogg Alum
q Significance Plan: your dreams,
vision and goals as determined by
what is significant to you
q Just Enough: Ask What’s enough for
me? when setting goals in four
areas of your life:
1. Happiness
2. Achievement
3. Significance
4. Legacy
q 42%1 of survey respondents use
planning to manage life balance
1. Life balance management methods utilized by respondents often incorporated
multiple themes, so percentages do not sum to 100%

Flexibility
“I go into work early so that I can be home for dinner with my family.” – Kellogg Alum
q Flexibility is about retaining and
exercising options
• How/when/where you work
• Industry
• Job
q 35%1 of survey respondents rely
on flexibility to manage life
balance
q Take advantage of flexibility at
home and at work
1. Life balance management methods utilized by respondents often incorporated
multiple themes, so percentages do not sum to 100%

Boundary Management
“I make a daily commitment. Pencils down at 6:30pm.” – Kellogg Alum
q Boundary management:
establishing and following rules,
based on your plans and priorities,
to manage life balance
q 26%1 of survey responses
q Five key steps to boundary
management:
1. Establish values-based priorities
2. Determine tactical boundaries
3. Communicate expectations to
managers and employees
4. Discipline yourself to follow
5. Re-evaluate periodically
1. Life balance management methods utilized by respondents often incorporated
multiple themes, so percentages do not sum to 100%

Takeaways to Achieve Life Balance
1. Career productivity/success and
balance are reinforcing, not mutually
exclusive
2. You are chiefly responsible for
achieving your own balance
3. Prioritize and plan, but most
importantly, implement – consistent,
daily execution is the key to managing
life balance

THANK YOU

APPENDIX

Takeaways to Achieve Life Balance
Prioritizing: Each week, take an hour to think
about what your priorities are for the week.
And each day, take 10 minutes to think how you
are going to use tomorrow to achieve this
week's priorities.
- Wendy Kopp, Teach for America

Takeaways to Achieve Life Balance
Setting Boundaries: Need to have guidelines in
your life. Be sure to implement those guidelines,
but be open to adapting. Don’t compromise the
values/guidelines that are most important to
your priorities.
-Lydia Fisher, Author/Entrepreneur

Takeaways to Achieve Life Balance
Systematic effort: Regardless of if you have the drive
and passion to work 24/7, realize that others around
you likely do not. Most people need time off, and as a
leader you should seek to provide your team with
balance by striving to limit the workweek to 5 days in
order to keep your team fresh and prevent burnout.
-Jeffrey Katzenburg, Dreamworks Animation.

Takeaways to Achieve Life Balance
Stay Disciplined: Use "forcers" to stay disciplined. If
you want to focus on improving your health, commit to
an ironman or a marathon, this will force you to stay
dedicated. There is a more visible consequence-
failure- if you get lax and think about ignoring this
focus.
-Jana Eggers, Spreadshirt

Interview – Lydia Fisher
Kellogg Class of ‘80, Author/Entrepreneur, www.cinderellaofwallstreet.com
¨ How important is work/life balance to you?
Very important. Parents were immigrants, and they instilled a strong sense of balance between
education and family. Furthermore, her mom always pushed her to pursue her own career. She credits
3 items with her emphasis on life balance:
1) Upbringing/values
2) Vocation
3) Belief that life satisfaction comes from being balanced and self-reliant
In her career, she has seen that being balanced leads to happier, more creative employees.
¨ Has work/life balance become harder to achieve as you have moved up in your
career?
Her priorities changed as time moved on. Early on, she focused on spending time with her children.
She found a job at Bear Stearns that allowed for flexibility, openly communicated priorities with her
team, and set expectations. Later in her career, after her kids were in college, she was able to put
more hours into her work, which she loved, so she didn’t mind.
Nonetheless, she looked for other activities to fill some of the time she had previously spent with her
children. Thinks it is very important to do things outside of work because it provides perspective.

Interview – Lydia Fisher
Kellogg Class of ‘80, Author/Entrepreneur, www.cinderellaofwallstreet.com
¨ Do you have a work/life balance “philosophy” or work/life balance rules? How
do you maintain work/life balance?
Need to have guidelines in your life. Be sure to implement those guidelines, but be open to adapting.
Don’t compromise the values/guidelines that are most important to your priorities.
Don’t compromise yourself for your work. She was devoted to Bear Stearns, but it was not the center
of her universe. So when it was taken over, while painful, Lydia was able to reinvent in another
direction. Putting too much emphasis on 1 thing distorts your perspective.
Remember, can’t undo your decisions. She laid out a plan for her life, with specific goals for 5, 10, 25
years, etc. She looked at her career as a vocation, and paced herself. Didn’t have to get everything
done in 10 years. Thinks it’s important to know what your goals are and where you are going.
¨ How do you spend your work and free time?
Before, she used her free time for her kids. Now, she is engaged in philanthropic activities, including
mentoring.

Interview – Lydia Fisher
Kellogg Class of ‘80, Author/Entrepreneur, www.cinderellaofwallstreet.com
¨ How did you and do you establish boundaries at work for work/life balance?
Which methods do you feel are most successful?
She lived by her values and communicated them to her team and employer when appropriate. Thinks
it is crucial to live by the values, or else it becomes just talk.
¨ What kind of career trade-offs have you made in the past to preserve your
work/life balance?
Lydia chose her career with work/life balance goals in mind. She wanted to work in investment
banking, but knew she couldn’t be a banker due to the long hours and travel. She needed to have
flexibility and independence, especially given that her family had random time requirements.
Although Bear Stearns was a smaller firm when she joined, her position in the commission-based sales
and trading side had more defined hours and no travel requirements, so it gave her the flexibility
needed to spend time with her children.
Initially focused more on her children, but as the kids grew older she began ramping up her work
hours appropriately. It’s important to love the work you are in because you are going to spend so
much time at work. Make sure you are getting something out of it (personal satisfaction).
Need to have a long-term, sustainable career outlook. Don’t burn yourself out early on, because it’s
not a sprint into the c-suite.

Interview – Lydia Fisher
Kellogg Class of ‘80, Author/Entrepreneur, www.cinderellaofwallstreet.com
¨ What kinds of lifestyle trade-offs have you made in the past to preserve your
career trajectory?
Had to make trade-offs throughout her career.
¤ Prioritized the most important things and put the time into those things
¤ Sacrificed her social life early on to focus on career and family, so she wasn’t able to network as
much
¤ Gave up on some of her personal interests while finding ways to integrate the others into her
larger scheme of priorities. For example, she bought a step machine so that she could do exercise
while her children did homework
¤ Accepted slower career advancement initially, but she was still able to eventually reach the top
spot of Senior Managing Director and become one of the top producers in the Private Client
Services Division at Bear Stearns
Need to be incredibly efficient in your life. Cut the fluff out, because if you don’t invest in the things
that matter most to you, you won’t get the desired returns.
¨ What would be your main takeaways for graduating MBA students?
¤ Know yourself and your priorities, your strengths and weaknesses, and then find the right venue
through which to flourish
¤ Prepare a blueprint for your whole life; need to look at both short and long term
¤ Try to have a targeted number of different goals consistent within one’s overall life plan, and go
for it
¤ Don’t forget to live

Interview – Lydia Fisher
Kellogg Class of ‘80, Author/Entrepreneur, www.cinderellaofwallstreet.com
Lydia spent near three decades on Wall Street, the last two as a
Senior Managing Director at Bear Stearns. She built one of the
largest producing teams within the Private Client Services Division
investing for corporations, families and executives.
Lydia graduated with a BA in English Literature from the University of
Notre Dame and an MBA from the JL Kellogg Graduate School of
Business. She is the Founder and President of Galyda Media and,
publisher/author of “Cinderella of Wall Street.”
www.cinderellaofwallstreet.com
Lydia participates in multiple professional and philanthropic
organizations. She is a member of the Chicago Finance Exchange (a
Chicago-based women’s network of top finance professionals) and a
member of 85 Broads (a New York-based global women’s network).
Lydia has been invited to host an event for the Kellogg Women’s
Business Alumni in Finance and is a member of KAMP (Kellogg Alumni
Mentorship Program). Lydia is an Honorary Member of the Center for
The Study of The Great Ideas. She is a long-time member of the
Joffrey Ballet Women’s Board and a former Governing Member of
the Chicago Symphony. Lydia is the mother of two sons and a pianist.

Interview – V.J. Singal
Kellogg Class of ‘79, Communication Consultant/Speaker, www.verbalenergy.com
¨ How important is work/life balance to you?
Very important. There are 3 key events that drove home the importance of life balance to V.J. in the
early 1990s.
1. He read an article in Fortune magazine where the author mentioned he has done countless
interviews where Fortune 500 CEOs have wept, expressing regret for not having spent enough
time with their families when their children were young. V.J. also highlighted two movies, Harvey
(1950) and Lost Horizon (1937), that teach that anyone can create a peaceful place in their mind.
It is a lesson that he thinks helps when you suffer setbacks.
2. His best friend died suddenly at age 42. He had witnessed the same thing at Texas Instruments,
when his mentor, a Kellogg alum, contracted cancer in her mid-thirties and died 6 weeks later. It
taught him that there are no guarantees in life, so you can’t keep deferring your priorities.
3. He came across a presentation by Stephen Covey (author of “The Seven Habits of Highly
Effective People”) that extolled the need to take care of the important items (priorities) first:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VDxKLSyksI. He came away with the lesson that you can and
should schedule 3-4 major items, like vacations, every year to nourish your life while still
managing all of the day-to-day demands.

Interview – V.J. Singal
Kellogg Class of ‘79, Communication Consultant/Speaker, www.verbalenergy.com
¨ How do you maintain work/life balance?
1. Planning and scheduling activities in advance. If he didn’t preplan vacations, using
nonrefundable tickets, he would most likely not take them, opting to work instead. Fortunately, he
has learned that once you schedule the things that are critical to ensuring a work/life balance,
you can still somehow fit all the day-to-day work-related activities in the remaining space.
2. Making public commitments, either in writing or verbally, to hold himself to his priorities. Once he
has “thrown his hat into the ring,” he will definitely pursue or work on those items, such as taking
the time to go to a nature preserve at least one weekend every month with his wife.
3. Using rational fear as motivation to maintain certain activities, such as exercise, that he might
otherwise not keep up with. For example, he has gone jogging every day for the past 22 years.
When he first started doing so, it wasn’t because he was naturally athletic; in fact, he thinks that
he is probably more inclined to not doing exercise. But, he was able to motivate himself to do it
because of his fear that he is more prone to illness (due to hereditary factors). He has learned
to embody some fears through specific events, like the death of his best friend, to make them
more effective motivators.

Interview – V.J. Singal
Kellogg Class of ‘79, Communication Consultant/Speaker, www.verbalenergy.com
V. J. Singal is a Houston-based communication consultant, coach,
trainer, and speaker, and the author of The Articulate® Professional
(3rd Edition, 2008). His recently launched blog Juicy and readily
applicable communication tips on how to communicate with impact can
be viewed at www.thearticulateprofessional.blogspot.com.
Educated at Welham Preparatory School and The Doon School, he
has a B.Tech. in civil engineering from the Indian Institute of
Technology, Delhi, and an MBA with Distinction from Northwestern
University's Kellogg School of Management. His opinions have been
published in The Wall Street Journal and The Economist, and aired
on the BBC, CNN Headline News, and KTRK-TV (Houston's ABC
affiliate).
V. J. spent over 20 years with Fortune 100 corporations, most recently
with Texas Instruments. He has presented workshops on How to
Emphasize Your Point in Just Three Sentences, The Five Techniques of
Highly Effective Communicators, Advanced Public Speaking, and related
topics to, among others, ExxonMobil, Shell, City of Houston, and
students at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management.

Interview – Mike Brunner
Entrepreneur and CEO of Advertising Agency, www.brunnerworks.com
¨ Can you describe your perspective on work/life balance? Has your perspective
evolved over time?
I see work and “life” as almost interchangeable, as business is fulfilling for me. I don’t define myself
by “work” and “life” and totally agree with the “life balance” concept versus a “work/life balance”
concept. As an entrepreneur, I had to make sacrifices to build the business. You have to have critical
mass, or your firm won’t make it. I was OK with the trade-offs in the early part of my career, but I
was realistic about them.
¨ Do you have a work/life balance “philosophy” or work life balance rules? How
do you maintain work/life balance?
My life balance philosophy has evolved over time. I’m not a big rules guy. I believe that for every
law you have, you have an outlaw. My goals were to build the company and have fun along the
way.
¨ How did you and do you establish boundaries at work for work/life balance?
Which methods do you feel are most successful?
Listen to your body, it’s like an athlete. You can’t run yourself into the ground. Most folks that are
fairly driven must watch out and put “gas in your tank”. The holidays, especially around the New
Year, help me to recharge. I’m a big believer in fitness and try to get in 4 work outs a week. It’s a
great stress reducer and helps me to clear my head.

Interview – Mike Brunner
Entrepreneur and CEO of Advertising Agency, www.brunnerworks.com
¨ How do you set expectations about your work schedule at home or with
friends?
This is really all about setting expectations with your loved ones and having open communication.
You must put your choices in context and perspective and realize that (1) you are going to have
peaks and valleys at work and (2) you have to realize it’s not just about your career.
¨ Any thoughts about life balance as an employer?
An important component here is that, as an employer, the game has changed entirely. Time is
absolutely the new currency. If I want to make staff happy, I must give them time. It’s equal to or
better than anything else I can do. I need to pay people well, but they are most interested in time
off, flexible hours and have shorter summer hours. I shut down the office between Christmas and
New Years. Flex time is also a great thing as it allows people to work different parts of the week
from home. The work economy has completely changed and employers need to do these things now.

Interview – Mike Brunner
Entrepreneur and CEO of Advertising Agency, www.brunnerworks.com
Michael Brunner is the driving force behind Brunner’s
growth to $200 million since the brand launched in
1989. Earlier than most of the competitors, he foresaw
the importance of differentiation in the ultra-
competitive advertising arena and led the company
with his unique perspective. He has developed an
original business model founded on two key
components: Number 1. People first. And number 2.
Diversified strategic growth.
Michael’s accomplishments have not gone unnoticed in the industry. He served on the national board of
the American Association of Advertising Agencies and was an active member of the American Marketing
Association and Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Entrepreneurship. He also served as president of
the American Advertising Federation’s Pittsburgh Ad Club and was on its board for six years.
Michael is well known in Pittsburgh for his untiring efforts to serve the community and is a strong
advocate of community service especially when it comes to creating opportunities for young people
entering the marketing and advertising business. He earned a bachelor of arts at Bowling Green
University and a master’s degree at the University of Pittsburgh.
Michael and his wife Marita reside in Peter’s Township. He is an avid golfer and wine enthusiast.

Interview
MBA Graduate, Former Retail Executive
¨ Can you describe your perspective on work/life balance?
Always need to be conscious of the balance, while understanding that you aren’t going to have a lot
of choices early on. Furthermore, your current life status (single, married, married with children, etc.)
matters.
Their advice:
¤ Be conscious of your balance
¤ Ask yourself if the work hours are worth it
¤ Answer the question honestly, and modulate your expectations
¨ Has your perspective evolved over time?
First 10 years of their career were very imbalanced. Were managing their career through the
philosophy of “whatever it takes.” Need to have a good partner or be a “strong” individual if you
are on your own to make this work.
In the latter part of their career, they worked just as much as before, but now they had more
flexibility, resources, and experiences, so they were able to manage their balance a lot better. This
rebalancing occurred naturally as they progressed up the ladder. Found that priorities shift naturally
as you grow older and become more mature.

Interview
MBA Graduate, Former Retail Executive
¨ How actively would you say that you manage your work/life balance?
There is a period of management, but then it becomes a natural part of how you live. It also
depends on what you consider work and fun. Some things that might be considered work for others
are fun for them, so they don’t mind putting the hours into those activities.
¨ Please describe your primary methods for managing work/life balance?
¤ Personal assistant: someone that helps you organize your life
¤ Delegation: knowing what to do and what to delegate out
¤ Prioritization: knowing what is and what isn’t important. “Will it move the needle or not?”
¤ Being organized
¤ Using time creatively: take advantage of dead time. Would hold phone meetings with different
locations on the drives in and out of work
Thinks that your ability to manage work/life balance depends on:
¤ Where you are in your career
¤ What your priorities are: have your own personal Maslow Matrix
¤ What industry/profession you are in

Interview
MBA Graduate, Former Retail Executive
¨ Were you able to manage your work/life balance as effectively when you first
started working?
Not as much. Found that it was much harder to focus on this early on in their career. As you move up,
you get more flexibility, such as being able to set your own hours. Can also make tradeoffs that you
didn’t have early on.
There are professions where you can manage the balance better, but you can’t expect to have a lot
of balance early on.

Survey Data
Administered to Kellogg alumni in different life stages
Respondents by Kellogg Graduation Date
235 73
50
37
30
45
Total <5yrs 5-10yrs 11-15yrs 16-20yrs 21+ yrs

Survey Data
Administered to Kellogg alumni in different life stages
All Respondents
Importance of Life Balance Level of Life Balance Management
98
100 100
83
80 80
69 66
60 60 51
40 35 40 31
20 20 11
9
4 5 2 5
1
0 0
Not Important at All Very Important Not active at all Very Active

Survey Data
Administered to Kellogg alumni in different life stages
< 5 Years Post MBA
Importance of Life Balance Level of Life Balance Management
30 30
25 25 26
24 24
18 18 15
14
12 12
12 12
7
6 4 3 6
2 1
0 0
Not Important at All Very Important Not active at all Very Active

Survey Data
Administered to Kellogg alumni in different life stages
5-10 Years Post MBA
Importance of Life Balance Level of Life Balance Management
30 30
25
24 24
19
18 18 15
12 11
12 12
8
6 3 6
1 2 1 2 1
0 0
Not Important at All Very Important Not active at all Very Active

Survey Data
Administered to Kellogg alumni in different life stages
11-15 Years Post MBA
Importance of Life Balance Level of Life Balance Management
30 30
24 24
18 15 18
13
12 12 10 11
9 9
6
6 6
1
0 0
Not Important at All Very Important Not active at all Very Active

Survey Data
Administered to Kellogg alumni in different life stages
16-20 Years Post MBA
Importance of Life Balance Level of Life Balance Management
30 30
24 24
18 15 18
12 13
12 12
8
6
6 3 6
1 2
0 0
Not Important at All Very Important Not active at all Very Active

Survey Data
Administered to Kellogg alumni in different life stages
21+ Years Post MBA
Importance of Life Balance Level of Life Balance Management
30 30
24 24
18 17
18 18
14
12 12 10 11
6
6 4 6 3
1 1 1 1 1 2
0 0
Not Important at All Very Important Not active at all Very Active

Survey Data
MBA Grad Importance of Level of
Date Industry/Role balance1 Management2 Primary Method for Managing Balance
Under 5 years Consulting 5 4 Setting boundaries for myself. For example: try to not work over the weekends.
Under 5 years marketing consulting 3 3
Under 5 years Consulting 5 5
Under 5 years Consulting 2 4 Starting a new work-out routine every Monday. And giving up on Tuesday.
Under 5 years med device 5 4 don't have any specific 'methods'
working from home in the evenings rather than staying in the office unnecessarily;
Under 5 years Consulting 3 3
communicating openly with my teams about project norms around work/life balance
Foodservice/
Under 5 years 6 6 Block my entire calendar for work, school and family
Hospitality
setting clear expectations at beginning of each project with team members (9am-6pm core
Under 5 years 6 6
hours, then work from home, no weekend work)
5-10 years Pharmaceutical 6 5 Setting limits on the hours I spend in the office and pushing back on work requests
self employed - putting life and activities first and then choosing a career/job that compliments those
16-20 years 6 6
corporate finance activities
16-20 years it 7 7 work extra when needed to permit scheduling of family events
Financial, federa Disengaging from work when I am at home and making sure scheduling doesn't cross over
Under 5 years 7 7
credit union. between the work and personal.
21+ years 7 7 use e-calendar for all appts, including working out, kids events
21+ years Government 6 5 Try to adhere to specific down periods devoted to family
Under 5 years Finance 5 5
11-15 years Attorney 6 5 Work less
21+ years 6 6 flexible working hours and days
21+ years market research 7 6
I go into work early so I can be home for dinner with my family. I work out at lunch so I can
5-10 years 6 6 get my daily exercise. Finally, I bring my laptop home so I can answer e-mails and finish
other work after I put my kids to bed.
5-10 years 7 5
1. Survey question: How important is work-life balance to you at this point in your career? (1=not important at all, 7=very important)
2. Survey question: How active are you in managing your work-life balance? (1=not active at all, 7=very active)

Survey Data
MBA Grad Importance of Level of
Date Industry/Role balance1 Management2 Primary Method for Managing Balance
Under 5 years Telecommunications 7 5
Individual investor
11-15 years 7 7 Define your personal core values and make decisions that align with such values
and entrepreneur
Under 5 years student 4 4 exercise, spend time with my family
Consulting and Stay in control: started my own consulting business & am also co-founder of a
16-20 years 7 7
pharmaceuticals pharmaceutical startup.
11-15 years IT [Software] 7 4 try to prioritize between big buckets
5-10 years Automotive 7 5 Be in The schedule
21+ years manufacturing 5 6 making sure I’m involved in many activities outside of work
Under 5 years Software 5 4 Using Outlook Calendar to understand home time vs. time on the road.
Under 5 years 6 6
Under 5 years 7 4 vacation, adjusting our work schedules (start the day early), work from home options
21+ years 5 3 Prioritization of work and home activities.
Management None - I make $1.2million a year and have no expectations of work life balance
5-10 years 2 1
Consulting whatsoever
11-15 years 5 4 work from home
I try to have really meaningful vacations (trips, beach, etc.). Things that my family will never
Under 5 years 6 4
forget.
I don't have a choice. My wife also works full-time and we have 2 young children, so we
5-10 years Consumer Goods 7 5 share pick up and drop off duties. This forces me to make time for my family whenever I
am not traveling for work.
21+ years 7 7
Work long days during the week to keep free time available on the weekends. Take my
21+ years Telecommunications 5 5
earned vacation time off (didn't use to do that)
11-15 years 6 5 taking a day off and ignoring the PDA
picking a job without travel requirements, choosing to work within a 30 minute drive (each
5-10 years healthcare 7 5
way) from home
self-employed
5-10 years 7 6 Systems, like Getting Things Done by David Allen.
consultant
1. Survey question: How important is work-life balance to you at this point in your career? (1=not important at all, 7=very important)
2. Survey question: How active are you in managing your work-life balance? (1=not active at all, 7=very active)

Survey Data
MBA Grad Importance of Level of
Date Industry/Role balance1 Management2 Primary Method for Managing Balance
Have negotiated for half day Fridays for three seasons and Fridays off in summer. Also
11-15 years Advertising 6 6
aggressively manage my workload by saying "no." to things and ruthlessly prioritizing
5-10 years Consulting 4 4 Maintain open communication with my wife.
strategic innovation/ For me, it's about being disciplined -- getting exercise every day, visiting with family,
5-10 years 6 6
research getting together regularly with friends, staying on top of personal finances, etc.
16-20 years Outsourcing service 6 5 Having remote access so that I can work from home or any location with good wi-fi.
16-20 years 5 6
11-15 years Technology - software 7 6
Under 5 years 7 7 Prioritization and focus.
Under 5 years Finance 7 7 Calendar management
Under 5 years 5 5 Stay away from work related stuff on the weekends.
11-15 years 6 5 You have to say "no" to work.
Use adaptive scheduling (synchronized with family) and also use a coach to assist in goal
5-10 years 5 5
setting & execution.
Marketing, especially Working as a freelance consultant rather than for a corporation; it allows me more
21+ years 7 6
for non-profits flexibility in scheduling and residence
5-10 years 6 5 Managing work commitments, working from home
managing upwards to be proactive on deadlines and then leaving work to spend time on
16-20 years engineering services 6 6
other priorities in the evening
Under 5 years Technology Sales 6 7 Schedule out my day beforehand (as much as possible)
more effective usage of resources and deligate work, using calendar, prioritizing work and
Under 5 years consulting 7 7
ask for help from others.
Under 5 years Retail - Law 7 7 School (Kellogg and children (14 and 17) are all demanding
Under 5 years Pharmaceutical 5 5 Scheduling life time
11-15 years 6 6
communications /
5-10 years 4 4 Discipline.
public affairs
1. Survey question: How important is work-life balance to you at this point in your career? (1=not important at all, 7=very important)
2. Survey question: How active are you in managing your work-life balance? (1=not active at all, 7=very active)

Survey Data
MBA Grad Importance of Level of
Date Industry/Role balance1 Management2 Primary Method for Managing Balance
My primary method is focused around limiting my overnight travel. Trying to only go on
mandatory business trips. In addition, I am now not scheduling every minute of every day
5-10 years 7 4
with non-stop conference calls. Leaving blank areas in the calendar is difficult but seems to
be working.
looking at the schedule a day at a time to balance children's activities between me and my
5-10 years Utilities 7 4
spouse
I've begun consulting to allow flexibility in taking care of family obligations and taking
21+ years 7 7
advantage of some personal enrichment
21+ years Marketing research 6 6 Made a career change to bring greater flexibility into my job
5-10 years Insurance marketing 6 2 Exercise and time away from work
11-15 years Retail 7 7 Eliminating travel, not checking blackberry or emailing others after "hours",
private aviation
16-20 years 5 5 Try to manage schedule as best as I can and use weekends wisely
industry
Balance is not the term, I pick the things that are most important and go full bore at them-
5-10 years 5 5
sometimes sacrificing family sometimes sacrificing work
16-20 years 6 6 working out during the day and not working late
21+ years 4 6
11-15 years Financial Services 7 7 I have a flexible schedule with reduced hours.
it requires active thought and participation by you and all interested parties (home/work/
21+ years 6 6
other activities)
Nothing is more important than family. That goes for me and my employees. If that is in
good shape, the work people produce will be that much better. You may run across the
16-20 years Education 7 6
ocassional person who takes unfair advantage of that philosophy and that is the person you
call out to "shape up or ship out".
real estate
Under 5 years 6 5
development
In a transition mode right now - I just got pregnant and all of the sudden what once wasn't
that important is now extremely important! I am not sure how to proceed but have started
Under 5 years 6 4
letting the managers in my company know that achieving work life balance is going to be
very important.
1. Survey question: How important is work-life balance to you at this point in your career? (1=not important at all, 7=very important)
2. Survey question: How active are you in managing your work-life balance? (1=not active at all, 7=very active)

Survey Data
MBA Grad Importance of Level of
Date Industry/Role balance1 Management2 Primary Method for Managing Balance
21+ years Financial Services 6 6 Setting up priorities
16-20 years Non-profit 7 6 Doing work at home, on train, etc. outside of work hours.
21+ years Minerals 7 7 Setting and keeping to a schedule
I provide a work schedule to my wife at the outset of each week to let her know when I'll
Under 5 years Institutional Trading 7 6
be around so we can maximize the limited amount of time we have together.
21+ years 5 5
association
21+ years 7 5 working in an environment that respects family and compensatory time off
management
Under 5 years Computer Technology 7 5 prioritize often and compartmentalize my projects across all functions of my life.
Office furniture Job selection - less travel, less stress, more flexible hours. The cost is lower challenge; less
16-20 years 6 6
dealer intellectually satisfying work
11-15 years 5 5 Being an entrepreneur
Under 5 years Consumer products 4 4 setting a daily finish time for work activities
independent
16-20 years 6 6 trying hard not to work on weekends
marketing consultant
I've taken myself off of a "career track" and only work on a contract basis in consulting; I
11-15 years 7 6 pick and choose when/what projects I can or will work on. Also do a lot of work from
home.
Under 5 years Packaging Services 5 5 Leaving work on time as much as possible.
I try to spend time at home on the weekends, and find ways to fly home early, or out late. I
Under 5 years 6 7
struggle a great deal with this.
Planning in advance, blocking out time on my calendar for "catch up time" which can be
5-10 years Tax Accounting 7 6 used for anything but is reserved only for me (no one @ work can pre-book that time on
my calendar)
Under 5 years 6 5 Calendar
16-20 years 5 4
Under 5 years Retail 7 5
16-20 years 7 3 Trying to schedule business trips around important family dates, but it is very difficult.
5-10 years Airlines 6 5 No work on weekends, push back on work that I cannot do in work time
1. Survey question: How important is work-life balance to you at this point in your career? (1=not important at all, 7=very important)
2. Survey question: How active are you in managing your work-life balance? (1=not active at all, 7=very active)

Survey Data
MBA Grad Importance of Level of
Date Industry/Role balance1 Management2 Primary Method for Managing Balance
21+ years 3 5 Use a more scheduled timeframes for work and plan both work and personal
Under 5 years 6 5
Information Working from home and using a Blackberry allow me to be productive even when not in an
21+ years 6 6
Technology office
Managing my in office time wisely to maximize output and allow myself to be at home
Under 5 years 7 5
more. Also managing travel, combining meetings to reduce trips out of town.
16-20 years 6 6 Planning activities, limiting on line activity after 7pm.
Commercial Real listening to my wife and children. looking for opportunities to participate in their lives and
16-20 years 7 7
Estate providing new activities for them.
11-15 years High tech -- software 7 6 Time shifting, working from home, selective travel, on line meetings
21+ years 6 5 allocating time off
5-10 years 6 6 I have chosen work at a less demanding travel role while my kids are young
21+ years 4 3 Personal control over scheduling
Under 5 years Legal 7 5 Trying to create boundaries and limits to my work
11-15 years 6 5
Ensure that expectations at work of deliverables are realistic. Ensure that boundaries are
5-10 years Software 6 6
known and understood by colleagues.
5-10 years Software 6 5
When I was downsized from Corporate I started investigating other business opportunities
5-10 years 7 7 that would allow me to pro-actively manage my w-l balance, namely going into business for
myself.
I try to keep a standard work schedule. We scheduled time to do things together as a
5-10 years Non-profit publishing 7 6
family.
Under 5 years 3 4
11-15 years distribution 5 4 turning off blackberry
Primary, although not very proactive way is dedicating time when I need to take care of
Under 5 years consulting 6 2
personal commitments and family time and making it up later in the evenings.
11-15 years 5 5 managing my schedule efficiently, being clear on prioritization of tasks
1. Survey question: How important is work-life balance to you at this point in your career? (1=not important at all, 7=very important)
2. Survey question: How active are you in managing your work-life balance? (1=not active at all, 7=very active)

Survey Data
MBA Grad Importance of Level of
Date Industry/Role balance1 Management2 Primary Method for Managing Balance
Aerospace and
21+ years 4 4 Calendar - certain times reserved for family and outside work activities
defense
Under 5 years retail 7 5
I traveled internationally 38 weeks a year. I have 5 kids and wasn't involved in their lives.
Under 5 years CPG 7 7 I earned my MBA from Kellogg in June of 2010 in order to move positions within my
organization. This move has enabled me to take control of my work-life "blend"
Under 5 years Own company 6 6 Shut down the work part when necessary. People can wait for me.
Management
Am I forgetting important dates, events, relatives' well-being not related to work? I monitor
21+ years Consulting/Executive 7 7
my calendar; sure clue to balance.
and Board Search
5-10 years Ecommerce 7 7 Technology to be able to work at hours and time that are appropriate.
started my own company in 2004 (when I was 35) - this is a GREAT topic and something
11-15 years 7 7
current students need to anticipate
Packaging; consumer
Under 5 years 7 6 Dedicating certain times of the week to both career and non-career activities.
goods (non food)
16-20 years 7 6 Haven’t taken a full time job in 10 years... mostly 15 - 30 hour a week commitments
fully assess work/life/family consequences and get buy in from all (family) before
11-15 years Medical devices 7 7
proceeding
schedule my priorities – if I want to attend a cub scout meeting or soccer practice, I make
11-15 years Military 7 7 an appointment for it in my calendar. I also make it a point to call my wife at lunch as
we're often so beat at the end of the day that the conversation isn't always cheerful!
Under 5 years Banking 5 3 Trying to leave the office and getting myself off of go-nowhere projects.
16-20 years Internet 6 5
5-10 years 6 6 integrated work/family schedule
5-10 years Healthcare 6 5 Adjusting working hours around family commitments,
11-15 years Consulting 6 6 Spend 1 hour with children and at least 30min-1 hour exclusively with spouse every day.
I work diligently to continually assess where I am most needed - and where I most need to
21+ years 6 6
be. Also a very disciplined planner.
picking the job. Have dinner everyday with the family. At least once a week pick up the
5-10 years Medical Device 6 5
kids from school. no working before kids are in bed.
1. Survey question: How important is work-life balance to you at this point in your career? (1=not important at all, 7=very important)
2. Survey question: How active are you in managing your work-life balance? (1=not active at all, 7=very active)

Survey Data
MBA Grad Importance of Level of
Date Industry/Role balance1 Management2 Primary Method for Managing Balance
Setting time goals for non-work activities weekly. I set loose and flexible goals when
Engineering and
Under 5 years 5 5 possible so I can be flexible if something comes up at work but still achieve my goal of
Construction
personal time during the week.
Under 5 years tech (software) 3 3 running my own start-up at the moment so work-life balance is taking a back seat
Under 5 years 6 6
Under 5 years Consulting 6 6 Set priorities and stick to them
5-10 years consumer products 7 7 take control of your calendar, and put important family items on calendar first.
Working consistent hours so I can pick my infant daughter up at daycare the same time
Under 5 years medical devices 6 5
every day since routine is important at her age
21+ years Consulting 6 6
Under 5 years 4 3
Construction /
5-10 years 7 7
Federal Market
16-20 years 6 6 prioritization of work activities to allow sufficient time for outside interests
I keep my family first, and prioritize my work based on what needs to be done
16-20 years Publishing 7 7
immediately vs. later.
Under 5 years Telecommunications 6 4 Scheduling & Work from home
Under 5 years Media 7 6 Prioritizing
11-15 years tech 7 7 flexible scheduling/work from home
5-10 years 6 4
5-10 years 7 6 Managing deliverables in all aspects, taking care not to over commit
Healthcare
Under 5 years 7 7
Manufacturing
16-20 years IT 7 7 finding a professional part-time job, reducing career/money expectations
Coming in early and working through lunches to be home at a reasonable hour. Attempting
5-10 years 7 5
to bunch up meetings at off site locations so that overnight travel can be minimized.
5-10 years Telecommunications 7 4
21+ years Consulting 6 6
1. Survey question: How important is work-life balance to you at this point in your career? (1=not important at all, 7=very important)
2. Survey question: How active are you in managing your work-life balance? (1=not active at all, 7=very active)

Survey Data
MBA Grad Importance of Level of
Date Industry/Role balance1 Management2 Primary Method for Managing Balance
I left "big corporate" (the biggest, actually) to run my own business. Less effort managing
21+ years Retail 7 5
process and politics means more time for me.
I delegate all the issues that could be dealt without my personal participation even if I can
Under 5 years 6 6
do them quicker (but not better)
Under 5 years retail 7 7 setting up a regular schedule to work from home
Under 5 years CPG 5 5
21+ years Higher Education 6 4 Schedule vacations far in advance.
Education
16-20 years 7 5 Choice of employment - trade off pay/responsibility for flexibility
Management
Distributor to building
21+ years 5 6 As an independent entrepreneur, I control my own agenda
contractors
communication
21+ years 7 7 Limiting my work-day objective to six identifiable accomplishments
consulting
16-20 years Hotels. hospitality 7 6 Making time for family events, even if it is during the workday.
Ensuring that each week some time spent in nature preserves, and watching at least one
21+ years Training 7 7
"great" movie, and the like,
SCHEDULING ACTIVITIES THAT HAVE A FEE ASSOCIATED WITH THEM. IF I PAY, I WILL
11-15 years CONSULTING 6 4
MAKE SURE I SHOW UP.
Private Equity/ schedule control: ensuring that I see my kids in the morning each day and before they go to
Under 5 years 6 5
Venture Capital bed
declining career opportunities or assignments that negatively impact the balance and tip
21+ years 7 7
too far toward work
Consumer durables I put family first.... but there are some time-dependent activities (i.e. Annual Sales Meeting)
21+ years 5 5
manufacturing that I must make time for.
Trying to commit to leaving work at a certain time & not working at home while my husband
Under 5 years Manufacturing 6 3
is also at home.
5-10 years cpg 7 7
21+ years finance 1 1 With the chance of job loss so high, work has to come first
1. Survey question: How important is work-life balance to you at this point in your career? (1=not important at all, 7=very important)
2. Survey question: How active are you in managing your work-life balance? (1=not active at all, 7=very active)

Survey Data
MBA Grad Importance of Level of
Date Industry/Role balance1 Management2 Primary Method for Managing Balance
5-10 years Investment Banking 7 7
5-10 years 7 7
Managerial
11-15 years 6 5
Consulting
Under 5 years Bio Tech 6 4
Strong self-discipline with schedule (7 Habits principles) and occasional reminders that I can
16-20 years Retail 7 5
not do everything.....nor do I wan to.
5-10 years Technology 6 6 Work after hours when family is in bed
11-15 years Software 6 7 plan things ahead of time
Aggressive in managing/protecting evening schedule. Willing to sacrifice early AM hours
21+ years pharmaceutical 6 6
to gain family time in the evening
Aerospace and
Under 5 years 6 5 Weekly meeting with my Wife to plan the upcoming week
Defense
Commercial Real Working longer hours and weekends in which I am not time constrained. Then working
Under 5 years 6 6
Estate shorter hours on days that I am time constrained. Also delegate to employees more.
Small business Setting priorities and giving personal priority items the same consideration as work priority
21+ years 7 6
consulting items
21+ years Executive Search 7 7 I follow a daily schedule with priorities aligned to my personal balance
11-15 years 7 7
Avoiding work at home - no blackberry / laptop / email. If I need to check it in the
Under 5 years 6 6
evenings or weekends, I set a specific time range for it.
I set time boundaries for work email and calls. I try not to take the BB or laptop on
Under 5 years Financial Services 7 5
vacations. Always make time to work out.
quit a very good job because I travelled too much. constantly looking at how much time I
16-20 years industrial 7 5 put in at work and jobs I take by reflecting on "when I am 70 and look back on this time,
will I say I made the right decision?"
1. Survey question: How important is work-life balance to you at this point in your career? (1=not important at all, 7=very important)
2. Survey question: How active are you in managing your work-life balance? (1=not active at all, 7=very active)

Survey Data
MBA Grad Importance of Level of
Date Industry/Role balance1 Management2 Primary Method for Managing Balance
Managing work-life balance is a combination of juggling priorities. At work you need to
focus on the strategic initiatives that are critical to the organization's success and at times let
11-15 years Education 5 5 less important initiatives take a back seat. Outside of work I manage balance between,
working out, taking time to connect with friends/family, faith/church, and giving back to
those less fortunate thru my time.
Stop checking blackberry at home as much as possible. Check messages once every few
Under 5 years Retail 5 5
hours on weekends.
getting family schedules as early as possible, constantly discussing possibilities with my
21+ years pharamceuticals 6 7
spouse and children
Healthcare Products Regular prioritization of work, assessment of full organization work load, focus on the
5-10 years 7 7
Manufacturing impactful activity, process improvement
21+ years Investments 7 6 I manage my own calendar and have access to those of my family.
Taking the time off when I need it. Managing my department so it will funciton when I'm not
21+ years Industrial machinery 7 7
there.
Start with family obligations, personal schedule. To the extent possible, fill in business
Packaging and
5-10 years 6 4 obligations around these "pillars". Next reconcile family vs. business priority. Where
Displays
conflicts exist, engage managers/partners to aid in reconciling.
Manufacturing/Sales
21+ years of Construction 4 5
Equipment
Under 5 years Consulting 5 5 Time boxing work activities so they don't take over personal / family activities
Make sure scope and expectations are setup upfront and build in target work-life balance
5-10 years Consulting 7 7
into scope
wireless
11-15 years 6 2 Time management and use allocated time to defined priorities
telecommunications
management
11-15 years 7 7 being self-employed and taking accountability for how much and when I work
consulting
I left McKinsey in Chicago, moved closer to extended family in Atlanta (free babysitting -
Under 5 years Hospitality 7 7
key with 3rd child), found a job with no travel
1. Survey question: How important is work-life balance to you at this point in your career? (1=not important at all, 7=very important)
2. Survey question: How active are you in managing your work-life balance? (1=not active at all, 7=very active)

Survey Data
MBA Grad Importance of Level of
Date Industry/Role balance1 Management2 Primary Method for Managing Balance
5-10 years Human Resources 6 2 Trying not to let work e-mails and calls interfere overwhelm my evenings and weekends
21+ years 7 5 Not checking work e-mail on weekends. Work on weekends only by prior arrangement.
Providing clients with clear, up front communication of my personal commitments and
Management
Under 5 years 7 7 gaining an equally clear understanding of their expectations in advance of beginning a
Consulting
project
Under 5 years For Profit Education 6 5
Management
5-10 years 6 7 Telling my EA to actively manage my appointments and tasks
Consulting
11-15 years Retail Oil & Gas 6 5 Gym 3x per week.
Under 5 years IT 7 5
Changed jobs. Made expectations clear at time of hire. Remind management that I will
11-15 years 6 7
always deliver, but need evenings & weekends for family.
Investment Control my work time and try to follow a disciplined approach to time management to give
Under 5 years 7 5
Management my work and family their fair share of my time.
B2B. Making/selling
Keep focus on family. Participate in my kids school/sports activities and sacrifice work time
5-10 years cleaning products and 6 5
for family time if needed.
equipment.
Corporate finance
21+ years 2 2
advisory
Get in the office early, leave at 6PM, have dinner with my wife and kids. If needed, do e-
16-20 years Equipment 6 5
mail late at night at home. Schedule adult time every week with spouse
5-10 years pharmaceuticals 6 4
Not sure what you mean here, but having one source of truth for a calendar and putting all
5-10 years Health Care 7 7
of my commitments in one place is a good start.
Under 5 years telecommunications 2 3
I am trying a new method of breaking my life into buckets and determining how many hrs a
Under 5 years financial services 7 6 week I should spend in each a week- just went to Kramers 8 bricks of leadership
presentation a week ago
Use vacation and sick days for time off for balance. Use sick time for Doctor’s
16-20 years 7 4
appointments etc.
1. Survey question: How important is work-life balance to you at this point in your career? (1=not important at all, 7=very important)
2. Survey question: How active are you in managing your work-life balance? (1=not active at all, 7=very active)