Q & A with Jim Banting
Author of Get a Dog, Don’t Work Like One

Q - What inspired you to write the book and why do you think its ideas are so relevant now?

Jim – Our working lives have fundamentally changed in a very short period of time, placing greater demands on us as individuals, while providing less tangible reward and self-fulfillment. We are now supposedly far more successful in our careers but feel increasingly like rabbits in the headlights. Many modern-day entrepreneurs are taking a different stance, looking at success in terms of work-life balance. They have grasped control of their career and are now energized by the challenge, both physically and mentally. If the rest of us are slow to adopt this fundamental change in mindset, we will be neither successful nor happy, having been unable to re-dress the fundamental balance in our life.

Q - In Get a Dog, Don’t Work Like One you advocate a new way of thinking about work-life, balance. How do people need to change?

Jim – Most of us end up in a career almost by accident, rarely by design. Our working life now has a even greater impact on every part of us and key decisions now need to made with work-life balance being the focus. Part of this change of mindset is being able to stand-back and reassess what is really important to us, something that the amazing pace of our working existence makes more difficult. Without finding a personal equilibrium, we will find neither success nor happiness.

Q - You also analyse the impact of technology on our lives, looking at how it’s as much as a hindrance as a help. What are your tips for making technology work for you?

Jim – The massive technological advances have raised people's expectation of when we should be available and how fast we have to make key decisions. Computers, mobile devices, etc. are dictating the pace of our daily workload and this trend is not going to slow down. Being disciplined and applying good management to using technology is now critical to achieving balance in our life and something worthwhile. It's time to make our own rules. One entrepreneur I interviewed for the book turns his mobile to silent every evening from 6pm. He tells colleagues to text him if an important issue arises and he will get back to them when he is able. That means he doesn’t get distracted from being with his family and friends or just relaxing. He then calls back when he wants and has taken control of something that was having an adverse impact on his life. Anyone who thinks we have seen the most significant impact of technology on our working lives, needs to hold on to their hat.

Q - In the book you identify new environmental thinking – the ‘green revolution’ – as a philosophy that has ‘life beyond the wage’ at its centre. Do you think consuming less is one of the secrets to achieving a more balanced lifestyle?

Jim – We are surrounded by media trying to change our attitude to products, services and aspects of a complete lifestyle. We are being tempted to consume things that give us an immediate buzz but rarely do anything else and add to the confusion about what is really important to us. Having plenty of personal interaction with those people close to us, doing things that provide purpose or quality time to think, can easily get relegated into life’s second division. Materialism also comes at as price – we often have to work longer to earn more. I advocate that achieving work-life balance should be the consumerism of the twenty-first century.

Q - The book has a fresh, conversational style and is very accessible. Was that an important choice for you in writing a business book and if so, why?

Jim – I am a down-to-earth businessman who believes things don’t have to be complicated to have an impact. Most of the people I admire most in business understand the need to get issues into the open and look at them from many different perspectives to find the best solution. Getting on the right track in our career will need us to accept change as a fundamental requirement for both success and happiness. Getting back in control and having momentum is the right direction, are vital cornerstones.

Q - Although you’ve worked at a senior level for many major corporations, you’re now a successful entrepreneur: can you tell us more about that journey?

Jim – Like many others I have interviewed for this book, I wasn't really sure where I wanted my career to go or what I wanted from work. In my mid thirties, I realised my working life was becoming impersonal, as if following a path that others had set out. I needed to find a way of working that was closer to the way I wanted to do business and started my own company. It became clearer to me that variety and diversity in my business dealings would provide greater fulfillment and reward. Trying to get good at one discipline wasn’t enjoyable and was leading to a reward cul-de-sac. Getting involved with very different people and a broad range of business situations gave me more mental stimulation and transferable skills.

Q - It’s interesting that as an entrepreneur you’re writing a book on work-life balance – in that most people think that entrepreneurs live, breath and sleep work. Do you think that’s the case – or do they experience similar challenges to people who work for organisations?

Jim – Being an entrepreneur is more about mindset than the number of hours spent toiling away. There is also a new breed of twenty-first century entrepreneur who are very different from the Thatcherite variety, in that work-life balance is seen as success and not status or money. Many do work hard but have greater control over the content of their working life and the direction. Today’s challenge is about the desire for free thinking, searching for opportunities when others have long since stopped and doing things in a way that is personal. How hard we work is a decision we all wrestle with, but if we are doing something really worthwhile to us, the time it takes is less of a factor.

Q - Is achieving happiness at work a realistic goal in the recession – where people are frightened of losing their jobs and incomes?

Jim - Many entrepreneurs believe the time for change is in tough economic times. While others are downsizing, reducing marketing budgets and shedding staff, gaps is the market appear. Customers often challenge existing relationships and are more open to a new angle or approach. The basis of any career is getting a proper understanding of a job and then doing it well, building a pool of transferable skills to be able to adapt to change. The winners from the ashes of every recession or economic slowdown are those that see what is happening and move their business to welcome the transformation.

Q - What do you say to people who might argue that work is something we have to do to feed the family and pay the mortgage and that we can’t all follow our dreams?

Jim – Work does fulfill many roles and paying the mortgage is one of them. If our outlook, however, is purely financial we will never find true fulfillment or happiness. The key to success at work is finding something that provides enjoyable purpose, stimulation and reward. Work is such a significant part of our life that doing something which isn’t motivating puts a lot of pressure on the other parts. Most successful business people I have met aim to combine basic financial needs with richer personal rewards, to achieve a lifestyle harmony.

Q - Staff turnover is an important issue for organisations: with less to invest in training and salaries, what can companies do to keep the talent on board?

Jim - Keeping good people is not about the odd training day or a paint-balling session in the country, it is to do with creating a flexible environment to get things done in the best way and proper reward for pushing back the boundaries. Key people can act as magnets, with incentives to continually challenge for improvement and advance into new areas of business. Creating an open and progressiove atmosphere might be as simple as showing plans to everyone in the company, not just senior managers.

Q - You cite a wide range of figures throughout the book, from JFK to Colin Powell, Bertrand Russell and Bill Gates. Who are your role models when it comes to work-life balance?

Jim - There are many people I admire but the ones that I respect the most have never accepted the status quo, continually looking at problems from different angles and perspectives. They have wanted to break new ground and in a way which is very personal to them. Being able to motivate is a vital skill as meaningful progress in business can only be achieved with the help and support of others. How we communicate our thoughts, actions and desires, is therefore just as important as the basic vision itself.

Q - Your book covers practical techniques on how to view your career and life choices objectively. This sounds simple, but surely it’s tricky to see yourself this way when there are so many demands on our time and thinking?

Jim - Our lives are full, fast-paced, complex and inter-twined with many others, all making the work-life equilibrium a real challenge and one which is constantly evolving. The key is to get back in control and often the easiest way to do this is to enlist the help of others who can provide constructive insight and advice. Many entrepreneurs I have interviewed for the book have described the feeling of getting stuck in a rut and not being able to see over the horizon. This is all about mindset, being able to do things well but also keeping the head up, absorbing everything that is happening in the commercial world around us. Anyway, if it was easy, it would be no fun!

Q - Do you think it makes a difference being right or left-brained? Are psychological metrics like Myers-Briggs relevant for individuals who want to achieve better balance?

Jim – We all think and react differently and there is no single right way to approach our career and business life. Understanding our preferences, however, is one of the essential building blocks in establishing work-life balance. Being self-aware in business has come high on the list of requirements for many top business people. This is not just knowing what our strengths and weaknesses are, it’s about understanding our reactions and how others perceive us. Getting people 'on-side' is not always easy, especially if they have very different traits, but every strong business needs people with different skills, motivations and perspectives.

Q - If you could change one thing about the way people think about work, what would it be?

Jim – The easiest thing we can all affect and that has an immediate impact on our working life, is our business relationships. The 10 key people we interact with, often on a daily basis, affect what we achieve and where our career path is heading. They influence how quickly we can get things done and our very outlook to key problems or commercial issues. Improving the quality of these relationships, perhaps even replacing some that are not productive, will provide a clearer picture of what each of us needs to do to be more successful and happier.