We spend most of our lives trying to maximize the returns on our energy:
The energy we expend on work is repaid in the form of income and status.
The energy we expend on education is repaid in the form of knowledge and confidence.
The energy we expend on family is repaid in the form of love and gratitude.
The energy we expend on personal interests is repaid in the form of pleasure and joy.
The energy we expend on charitable ventures is repaid in the form of fulfillment.
The challenge we often face is a tendency to focus too much energy on one aspect of life, to the detriment of others. It's a balancing act—if we overwork, we may gain more income and status, but risk missing out on knowledge, love, joy, and fulfillment. Conversely, if we don't work enough, we may struggle to support our families, pursue education and interests, or contribute to charitable causes.
Balance is ideal but difficult to achieve because we spend much time working, and most employers want our energy to be expended solely on work, not on education, family, or other interests.
But what if an employer provided you with sufficient time to pursue all these things?
I spent over a decade working for large consulting firms before where I was measured by my utilization (percentage of billable hours to total hours worked). I believe that most consulting firms (or companies in general) operate in this manner. As such, they do not value time spent by their employees pursuing work that is not billable, or directly translating to value for owners, shareholders or investors.
THAMPICO espouses a new model.
Firstly, we believe that our time is best spent gaining knowledge, which we can then turn into value for our clients. Gaining knowledge is not inherently something that we can charge our clients for; thus, time spent in the pursuit of knowledge is considered a worthy investment by the firm into our productive capacity and capability. We gain knowledge by reading, sharing and discussing publications; attending conferences; and regularly speaking with our strategic advisors and other experts.
Secondly, while we expect our consultants to expend their energy on behalf of our clients—and by extension, the company—we commit to using our returns on profit sharing, professional development, donations to worthy causes, community volunteerism, and giving back time to spend with family and personal interests.
The practical application of these concepts is evident in our Four Fridays principle, in which each Friday of the month is dedicated to a different purpose:
The first Friday is a working day, as we want to start out the month on a productive note
The second Friday is for volunteering, as service to others strengthens our sense of purpose
The third Friday is for professional development, as we need knowledge in order to create value
The fourth Friday is for mental health, to recharge so that we can prepare for the journey ahead
We believe that our model offers a refreshing alternative for the modern work-life concept. It challenges the notion that work and personal life must exist in separate silos. Instead, we propose that personal growth, family, community, and work can coexist and flourish together. We share this concept with the hope that other employers will also consider providing their staff with avenues to attain a more balanced and purposeful life. Join us in this journey towards a more fulfilling, harmonious way of living and working.
This post was written by Sirous Thampi, the founder of THAMPICO LLC, a consulting firm that provides program and project management support for utilities and cooperatives. We help our clients align people, process, and technology to produce optimal outcomes for energy project development. Our goal is to help our clients deliver more reliable, affordable, and clean energy, which is what the world wants and needs.
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