A634.3.5.RB_SienkiewiczRaymond

Completing a read of Kramer's article, The Harder They Fall, the first thing that comes to mind when considering the thought of dilemmas in work, society, and life is the overall notion of the "work-life" balance that many people seem to struggle with, to the point that the subject finds its ways into news stories and is even a point touched upon during military performance reviews. Even a matter of days ago, Forbes published an article centered around four tips on how to manage workloads so as not to displace one's personal life (Nuth, 2014).

Kramer, in conducting his study that formed some of the basis of his article, had noted several characteristics of those who get in trouble, some of which include getting caught up in some of the high-life that comes with success, not maintaining humility, or losing their sense of self-awareness (Kramer, 2003). Much of his vignettes also seemed to highlight well his idea of good people getting caught up in their rise to power and becoming reckless, or even taking an "at any cost" approach to being the winner of a given situation. I thought Kramer had an especially good point in his analysis of there being a "winner take all" market...many people are gunning for the same slice of the American Dream or high achievement, and although there are genuinely great people, much emphasis is placed upon the coveted positive of "number one" given to whoever edges out all others in some manner or another (Kramer, 2003). This drive to succeed, it seems, not only drives people to achieve the end goal of being on top, but as Kramer shared in another vignette of a woman leaving her family, cause people to potentially make extreme sacrifices of their family in order to "keep up". 

It is indeed unfortunate that even years after the publication of Kramer's article, a dilemma continues between individuals and their work. An October article from Time's website highlighted a recent study that found 70% of worker suffer from work-family tension (Fondas, 2014). Society seems to have a way of amplifying expectations for productivity in spite of attempts to save working hours and manpower, thus leaving no relief in sight for the individual as progress moves forward. Although it is good that the problem has been recognized, the fact that it has become a part of the national conversation indicates that it has become very deeply seated. There is truly an ongoing push and pull between the individual and the major influencers of their life, to include work, family, and meeting other aspirations of higher education and service to their communities. Effective function without excess sacrifice to any single aspect requires a strong measure of time management, discipline, and as highlighted by Kramer, not sacrificing oneself and their values for the sake of the power game.

Fondas, N. (2014, October 11). Work-Life Balance is Having a Moment - But for the Wrong Reasons. In Time. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
Kramer, R. M. (2003). The Harder They Fall. (cover story). Harvard Business Review, 81(10), 58-66.

Nuth, A. (2014, November 4). 4 Work-Life Balance Tips. In Forbes. Retrieved November 6, 2014.