Scotiabank T&T Ltd managing director Richard P Young delivered a feature address with a difference to senior banking sector staffers yesterday, when he focused on the concept of work life balance. Young, 60, a chartered accountant with 35 years' experience in the financial services sector, delivered the feature address at the Institute of Banking and Finance of Trinidad and Tobago 2010 graduation ceremony at the Bureau of Standards headquarters, Macoya, Tunapuna. To the 80-plus graduates, the majority of whom qualified with certificates as financial advisers, he said in today's modern world it was foolhardy to expect that life would be an even 50-50 balance between work and recreation.
He said it was no longer the case of the wife remaining at home carrying out domestic duties, like cooking and doing the laundry, while the husband went out to earn an income for the family. Young said today, both husband and wife were employed in the world of work, though the woman was still saddled with the lion's share of the domestic duties. He said working couples had to practise communicating with each other to ensure that advantage was taken of neither in terms of home duties. Management of time was essential, he stressed. From his home, Young said, he employed computer technology to the hilt to communicate with his office, monitor the latest news on the global scene, and answer his e-mails.
He advised that workers today, such as the graduates, who naturally wanted to get ahead in the banking sector, did not try to excel at everything they did. "That would be an exercise in futility," declared Young. The idea, he said, was to pigeon-hole activities not by the day, such as exercise in the gym or keeping in touch with the Parent Teacher Association, not by the day, but by the week, or by the month. Employers also had a responsibility to assist their employees by motivating them to greater productivity. This could be by providing day care facilities, offering flexi time, or even allowing them to work out of their homes, although there were disadvantages to the latter idea, declared Young. He ended by quoting Albert Einstein, who advised that life was like a bicycle: you have to keep your balance while riding.
He also quoted an unknown author who advised: work hard, play hard, but don't confuse the two. Institute president, Josef Baptiste, said every effort was being made to improve the institute's programmes, and Dr Alvin Ashton had been contracted to smoothen the path to have the courses accredited. Fellowship awards were given by the institute to three awardees, including Deputy Central Bank Governor Joan John, for her contribution to the development of the T&T financial services industry. Errol Simms and Ronald Carmino got fellowship awards for their contribution to the institute.