Too Much Work-Life Balance? New Zealand Thinks So

According to a recent Inc. article, The Trouble With Lifestyle Entrepreneurs, New Zealand is facing a national crisis because too many of their entrepreneurs simply aren't ambitious enough, and are not creating the high-growth companies needed to support the economy. While the entrepreneurs themselves may be doing well, they're not creating jobs for their fellow New Zealanders, and as a result, the standard of living is falling behind that of other developed nations.

The problem is that many of these lifestyle entrepreneurs work just enough to buy a second home and a boat and to send their kids to school; for the lucky ones that achieve those things, the incentive to keep enhancing their personal fortune seems to vanish. Experts say that an annual income that is the equivalent of just $70,000 in the U.S. is considered the pinnacle of economic achievement in New Zealand. As a result, few businesses have American-style expansion plans.

The article goes on to warn Americans to "be careful what you wish for", and proceeds to somewhat idolize the long work hours common among American (and other) entrepreneurs. The author tries to leave it with a balanced view:

Bottom line: New Zealand company builders like the Burkes have trouble getting off their boat to rev up sales, and American entrepreneurs have trouble getting out of the office and onto a boat in the first place. It seems each culture could take some lessons from the other.

As for me, I'm thinking New Zealand is sounding pretty good. :-)

I understand why this is a problem, but I'm not convinced that getting New Zealand entrepreneurs to work longer hours is the solution. Seems to me what New Zealand needs is to stimulate even more entrepreneurship among those people who would otherwise be working for those high-growth companies. Why is it up to the existing entrepreneurs to create jobs for everyone else? Creating larger corporations isn't the only solution. Networks of smaller companies and independent professionals can often function as well or better than a single large organization.

If you can get to the point of officing from your sailboat or working thirty hour weeks, and that's what motivates you, please don't feel responsible for your national economy. Enjoy our success, and feel free to be a role model rather than an employer.