How the Segen Chairman maintains a work-life balance

With the average CEO working around 62 hours per week, it comes as no surprise that one of the biggest challenges for an organisation’s leader is maintaining a work-life balance. Not only do they manage the overall operations and resources of a company while being the public face of that company, they must also find time for personal interests, family, social and leisurely activities, it’s a wonder whether a CEO can spare a moment at all.

Jerome Joseph is a Master of the juggling act. A self-proclaimed multi-tasker, when he is not advising us here at Segen, a specialist recruitment agency dedicated to discovering organisational purpose and culture to align talented people, The Chairman splits his time between his many ventures. Jerome is the Director of Yarra Valley Hilltop – an Australian food & beverage brand dedicated to developing and supporting the growth of first-class quality food products. Alongside this, Jerome built the Foodservice Partners Advisory, a sales and consulting business  formed to launch, rebrand, restructure or market food brands, connecting them to the foodservice sector.

But it doesn’t just stop there. He’s the President and Chairman of ShareTree – an organisation developed to educate, engage and empower organisations to integrate purpose and passion into our everyday work. However, the one he aligns with most ardently is his position as a Board Member of St Vincent’s Health Australia Foundation. A role he has held for 5 years.

So how does he manage to balance it all, and set aside time for his family and himself? Cultivating the ideal work-life balance wasn’t something that came easily for Jerome. In fact, he experienced quite the opposite. It wasn’t until he was living and working alone in Greater China for 3.5 years that he realised his family life was being sacrificed for his corporate career.

“For me to work 12 hour days, jump on planes, arrive at hotels late in the night and then start again early the next day and do this again was common practice.”

Jerome’s day as a CEO, Board Member and Chairman looks very different now. He makes a daily effort to balance working, living, socialising and playing evenly throughout his busy day.

“My daughter is on work experience at the moment. I needed to be at the Segen office today, but I had to leave by 2.30 to ensure I could pick up my daughter by 3.30. I’ve spent the last couple of hours at home just following up on work until my son returns from his sports activities and my wife returns home from work. Each day is different,” Jerome says. “I try to do things whenever I can and without distraction from other parts of my schedule. So, if I need to have a phone meeting for 20 minutes in my driveway, that’s where it needs to be.” 

Jerome and his family sit down together for dinner every night. Despite the fact that his workload will increase, family dinner won’t change. In order to prioritise his family, Jerome ensures that colleagues and stakeholders are aware of the time and commitment he can give.

 “I’m really focused on being there for my children, so my colleagues understand why I need to leave at 2.30 as an example. They know I’ll respond accordingly later at 5, 6 or 7 in the evening.” According to Jerome, the working environment is changing. Good leaders are no longer focusing on the number of hour’s employee’s work each day– it’s about the quality of work in those hours.

“Any organisation that looks at how much time you dedicate to the business will fail. Life is becoming much more demanding and I’m a big believer that it’s not about the hours you spend on work – it’s about the competencies you bring to the business. Today, it’s about supporting diversity, gender engagement and or work-life balance. This is what will motivate people to be there in the business for the long-term,” he says.

Jerome also works hard to prioritise his own mental and physical health. He meditates every morning by simply spending 15 minutes listening to his breathing. He believes it clears his head and allows him to start the day. His family follows a healthy, nutritious diet too, as they believe it’s an important driver of mental health and motivation.

He also merges a healthy exercise routine with his kids’ sporting activities – he plays tennis with his son and walks the dog with his daughter as simple examples of driving some form of exercise each week.

“I also do a lot of reading. I listen to podcasts occasionally in the car, and I also spend time with my friends. Last Saturday, I dropped my son off at rowing training at 8am then I met with two other fathers for breakfast. I think it’s important to maintain a friendship group you can rely on and who share the same values as you,” Jerome says.

In the last four years, this shift in priorities has allowed Jerome to feel a sense of peace with his high-demanding life. “I feel like I sort of know exactly where I am, where my family is, and know that I have less stress on my working life,” he says.

Jerome says he learnt the hard way that his children are growing up fast. Being aware of this is something he can’t stress enough. “I know everybody says this, but you really don’t realise how quickly your children grow up around you. Sonia and I have been realising this for a little while, but it’s sort of slamming us in the face now,” he says. “I don’t want to be one of those parents whose children say their dad wasn’t really around too often or we couldn’t afford to do things, or that dad was stressed or mum and dad were fighting all the time. I want my children to enjoy their lives and I want them to realise that as a father, I’m always there.”

Finding a work-life balance in this day and age can be challenging. People are constantly faced with distractions as work emails, reminders, social media and news updates from our pockets mean our workdays barely end.

By incorporating time to unplug, rewind, meditate, eat well and exercise can allow you to be more present with your family and friends, as well as increase your productivity during your work hours.

Find your priorities, your values and commitments and don’t be afraid to discuss them with your workplace. It’s best to start small and build from there.