EDITORIAL

Fight to achieve balance continues

Maintaining balance is key. It is the key to work, family, life, even the universe requires balance. Anything that does not achieve balance is usually short-lived.
With regard to the economy, a lack of balance in international economies resulted in a world wide recession a few years ago, caused in part by executives mismanaging huge sums. Since then Barbados and other small countries have had to re-examine their ways of operation. Locally, challenges to the economy include a burdensome wage bill, high debt and low foreign reserves. These past years the previous government had been fighting to rein in its expenditure while implementing a fiscal adjustment programme in an effort to bring the economy back in line. The current government is setting its own programme to address economic woes by first seeking assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Meanwhile Barbadians are playing a game of wait-and-see as the Social Partnership actively works together to stabalise the economy. The fight to achieve balance continues.

As with the economy, businesses frequently need to perform an internal assessment and undergo reform to maintain a successful, profitable balance. In a recent editorial discussing the strategies for increased productivity, it was noted that a balance must be achieved between the workforce and the employer.
Employers must provide the necessary tools with which staff can produce increased quality output. If all of a company’s profit goes towards its majority shareholders and funds are not allotted towards equipment, the facility, or even towards incentives for the staff, then that profitability will soon decrease. You cannot get blood from a stone. Likewise, employees who “show up at work” and not “show up to work”, despite excellent conditions and incentives, will soon find themselves on the breadline after getting dismissed or after the company goes under, since that type of attitude can only lead to poor productivity and act to destabalise a business. There is a need for balance to achieve the perfect working environment.

In terms of the individual, there must be a balance between all the areas of one’s life. A person who is too consumed by work will soon see a breakdown in family life, likewise a person who in entangled in family ties but does not work will suffer financially; as the Bible says, “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food.” Also, people who give of themselves at work and in the family, but do not hold themselves as a priority will also have challenges in terms of poor health or mental or emotional problems.

Therefore, it is evident that balance is needed in every aspect of life and one very important aspect is spiritual balance. This spiritual balance does not refer only to organised religion – though more traditional churches are the easiest method – but more of an acknowledgement of a higher power and a reliance on meditation and counselling to overcome life’s challenges and identify ways to flourish. Achieving a spiritual balance also helps with all the other areas of your life.

We urge everyone to reflect on their lives and seek to achieve a balance. Maintaining balance is key. It is the key to work, family, life, even the universe requires balance. Anything that does not achieve balance is usually short-lived.

With regard to the economy, a lack of balance in international economies resulted in a world wide recession a few years ago, caused in part by executives mismanaging huge sums. Since then Barbados and other small countries have had to re-examine their ways of operation. Locally, challenges to the economy include a burdensome wage bill, high debt and low foreign reserves. These past years the previous government had been fighting to rein in its expenditure while implementing a fiscal adjustment programme in an effort to bring the economy back in line. The current government is setting its own programme to address economic woes by first seeking assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Meanwhile Barbadians are playing a game of wait-and-see as the Social Partnership actively works together to stabalise the economy. The fight to achieve balance continues.

As with the economy, businesses frequently need to perform an internal assessment and undergo reform to maintain a successful, profitable balance. In a recent editorial discussing the strategies for increased productivity, it was noted that a balance must be achieved between the workforce and the employer. Employers must provide the necessary tools with which staff can produce increased quality output. If all of a company’s profit goes towards its majority shareholders and funds are not allotted towards equipment, the facility, or even towards incentives for the staff, then that profitability will soon decrease. You cannot get blood from a stone. Likewise, employees who “show up at work” and not “show up to work”, despite excellent conditions and incentives, will soon find themselves on the breadline after getting dismissed or after the company goes under, since that type of attitude can only lead to poor productivity and act to destabalise a business. There is a need for balance to achieve the perfect working environment.

In terms of the individual, there must be a balance between all the areas of one’s life. A person who is too consumed by work will soon see a breakdown in family life, likewise a person who in entangled in family ties but does not work will suffer financially; as the Bible says, “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food.” Also, people who give of themselves at work and in the family, but do not hold themselves as a priority will also have challenges in terms of poor health or mental or emotional problems.

Therefore, it is evident that balance is needed in every aspect of life and one very important aspect is spiritual balance. This spiritual balance does not refer only to organised religion – though more traditional churches are the easiest method – but more of an acknowledgement of a higher power and a reliance on meditation and counselling to overcome life’s challenges and identify ways to flourish. Achieving a spiritual balance also helps with all the other areas of your life.

We urge everyone to reflect on their lives and seek to achieve a balance.

Barbados Advocate

Mailing Address:
Advocate Publishers (2000) Inc
Fontabelle, St. Michael, Barbados

Phone: (246) 467-2000
Fax: (246) 434-2020 / (246) 434-1000