A perspective on balance
Seeking alignment to drive innovation, collaboration, and growth
We’re taking a short break from regular programming for “from Our Perspectives” – essays from internal team members that share a personal perspective on internal project management. This week, we’re featuring a perspective from Scott on finding balance in and out of the office.
Balance is something we all strive for, yet its definition often shifts depending on context, priorities, and timing. It is not a fixed state - it’s a dynamic process shaped by individual, team, and organizational needs.
In startups, where priorities evolve rapidly, balance takes on unique challenges. It’s about more than managing competing demands - it’s about finding harmony between them. It’s about navigating the tension between doing the work and ensuring that work is meaningful and sustainable. For a founder that can be the difference between working on your business and working in your business. For generalists in particular, whose roles often bridge gaps between teams, processes, and priorities, balance is both an essential skill and a constant challenge.
It’s easy to underestimate the impact of a request - but the difference between an effective and ineffective ask can ripple through an organization. An effective request is specific, intentional, and respectful of the recipient’s competency. Ineffective requests, by contrast, are vague, overly broad, or misaligned. Balance is key: crafting requests that provide enough clarity to guide action while leaving room for creativity and problem-solving ensures that both the task and the individual’s strengths are fully realized.
Something we’ve been reflecting on at oAT recently: When coordinating a project with a colleague, how do you determine whose competency takes precedence -yours or theirs? The answer often lies in balance. Effective collaboration depends on recognizing and leveraging each person’s strengths. This requires self-awareness, humility, and a clear understanding of the objective. It’s about creating space for others to bring their best while contributing your own expertise in ways that complement theirs to achieve a shared goal.
Collaboration hinges on trust, and trust is built through promises - the commitments we make to one another, whether explicit or implicit. Promises -whether formal, such as meeting deadlines, or informal, like coming prepared to a discussion, form the foundation of reliable relationships, both in our work and in our lives. When kept, they reinforce respect and accountability; when broken, they erode morale and trust. Balance is about making promises thoughtfully -ensuring they are meaningful and achievable while also allowing room for flexibility when circumstances shift. This thoughtful approach strengthens trust and creates an environment where collaboration can thrive, even amid uncertainty.
Tools play a similarly pivotal role in achieving balance. Startups are constantly experimenting, seeking the latest technology to chase efficiency and productivity. But, as highlighted in an earlier issue, the right tools should do more than increase output - they should enhance the quality of work and deepen its connection to your mission. Tools that simplify processes, encourage collaboration, or protect time for deep work can be transformative. By contrast, tools that add complexity or demand constant attention can detract from the meaningful work that drives innovation.
Deep work - the focused, uninterrupted effort that produces our best ideas and results - is another area where balance is critical. In startup culture, it’s easy to sacrifice deep work in favor of endless meetings, quick check-ins, and endless task lists. But this can come at a cost - shallow work dominates, and the creative, mission-driven efforts that truly matter are pushed to the margins. Protecting time for deep work requires discipline, but it also requires organizational buy-in. As highlighted recently, leaders can support this balance by rethinking how meetings are structured, limiting recurring gatherings, and fostering a culture that values focus as much as responsiveness. The best meetings are purposeful, intentional, and outcome-driven. They align teams, solve problems, and provide clarity. The worst meetings feel like obligations - recurring blocks on a calendar that exist out of habit rather than need. Striking the right balance means reimagining meetings as tools for collaboration rather than constraints on productivity.
Finally, the topic of balance isn’t complete without discussing work-life balance. In startups, especially for founders where the lines between work and life often blur, achieving this balance can feel elusive. Yet it’s essential to sustainable success. True balance isn’t about rigidly separating work from life - it’s about integrating the two in a way that honors both. Rest and recovery aren’t luxuries - they’re necessities for creativity, resilience, and long-term growth. Similarly, aligning daily tasks with a larger mission provides a sense of purpose that sustains teams through the inevitable challenges of startup life.
At its core, balance is about creating harmony between seemingly opposing forces: innovation and stability, focus and collaboration, work and rest. It’s not a static goal but a dynamic process, one that requires constant reflection and adjustment. For generalists, balance is deeply ingrained in our work, as we navigate the tensions between competing priorities and connect the dots across teams, tools, and goals.
Achieving balance isn’t about perfection. It’s about cultivating a rhythm that allows you and your team to thrive. When we prioritize balance, we unlock the potential to do work that is not only productive but also deeply meaningful, mission-driven, and sustainable.
As we embrace the spirit of balance, the oAT team will be taking next week off to celebrate Thanksgiving, but we’ll be back in your inbox on December 5th. Happy Thanksgiving!
Writer: Scott