Managing Lives

I've heard it said that managing the needs and activities of a family makes a person qualified to run a company--or at least assume some major managerial position. After all, you spend a great deal of time not only making sure the family members can accomplish all the necessary tasks (homework, eating, hygiene, clean laundry), but also making sure that the structures (metrocards, babysitters, cell phones) are there to facilitate the tasks that require off-site work. And, on the side, you are responsible for making sure all the "employees" are happy (at least most of the time). Are they satisfied with their daily tasks and assignments (i.e., schools and extracurriculars)? Are they receiving enough perks (i.e., fun foods, entertainment) to keep them upbeat? Are they being challenged to do their best (i.e., get good grades and work hard) every day?
 
There are days when I think that the family management skills are just about the details of getting from Point A to Point B. But then I am faced with situations when just getting from A to B is not enough. When I have to make decisions about whether Point B is worth getting to. And whether those who stay at Point A while others go to Point B will be okay on their own. Whether in a family or in a company, management is about more than logistics. It's about the people who live within those logistics, and whether their satisfaction with the logistics makes them productive people and productive members of the company (or family).
 
I may never translate my family management skills to heading a company, but I have certainly learned, and learn more every day, about how much time, thought, and caring go into the decisions of a manager. To build a strong company--or family--you need not just the nuts and bolts to make it run, but also the emotional  investment in the people surrounding you. It is an ongoing challenge. And one I take very seriously. And, on the good days, with as much heart as possible.