The Berlin Glass

A long time ago, Vikings in Scandinavian countries used to live in mud huts where they struggled to get both light and heat. If they punched a hole in the wall to let the bright daylight come in, the hut would go freezing cold. But if they blocked the opening to stay warm, they had to sit in the dark. The advent of industrial revolution solved the problem. ‘Glass’ was invented that made it possible to have both brightness and warmth.  Unfortunately, over the centuries, the industrial revolution also ended up triggering bigger problems than the ones faced by Vikings. Today, people work more, live less. The digital age industry has strived to address the ‘physical’ work-life balance problem with somewhat flexible hours and five-day work weeks. But still, the fiercely competitive world of survival makes it very difficult for professionals to keep ‘mentally’ switching on and off between work place and home.

Result, nature is back with a deadlier version of the light and heat problem! The intellectual stimulation at work ushers brightness, but the professional relationships are generally cold.  Home, on the other hand, carries warmth of the close ones—but let’s face it—after energy being sapped out at work, how many of us are able to enthuse excitement at home?! So, now, which invention shall we await that can bring both brightness and warmth together again??

Well I am no inventor, but CEO’s job does expose one to some diagnostic tools.  Logic dictates that one should drill down to the roots. Since the whole mess seems to have been triggered by the invention of ‘Glass’, the solution, therefore, also must lie in getting rid of it! The ‘mental’ glass wall that separates the two worlds—professional and personal—needs to be hammered down like the Berlin Wall!

Once the glass obstacle collapses, it’s possible for an individual to accomplish a seamless flow of lifestyles between the twin worlds. In a borderless world, professionals would bring home the ‘intellectual’ stimulation from work place and share it with their family members, thereby brightening the dull home environment. Then the same professionals would leave their homes with a box of ‘warm spirit’ for cheerful spreading and nurturing of closer relationships at work place.

And when the dividing line itself between the twin worlds vanishes, where is the question of work-life balance? Sure, bringing down the glass wall separating brightness and warmth is a lot of effort; centuries-old fortified structures don’t come down that easily for an ordinary professional. Fortunately for us, the readers here are no ordinary professionals, are we?