Media

The life of an Engineer with a focus on work-life balance: Insights from Mervin Britoe

The life of an Engineer, with a focus on work-life balance, unfiltered insights by Mervin Britoe.

Work-life balance has become more than just a buzzword in recent years. As the lines between work and personal life continue to blur, particularly in the tech industry, maintaining this balance has become a key factor for our mental health and overall well-being. We recently sat down with Mervin Britoe, a Senior Software Engineer with nearly two decades of experience, to get his unfiltered perspective on navigating work-life balance in the demanding world of engineering.

Before diving into Mervin’s insights, it’s worth noting that this isn’t your typical polished corporate interview. Instead, you’re about to read raw, honest reflections from someone who has experienced both the highs and lows of balancing a demanding career with personal life.

Meet Mervin

A Johannesburg native with an impressive track record, Mervin’s journey is far from conventional. Starting as a waiter and call-center agent, he has evolved into what he calls “a bit of a nomad in the IT world.” Though he initially planned to become a medical practitioner, life had different plans for him.

Despite facing ongoing debilitating health challenges, Mervin has achieved remarkable success in his field. His qualifications include:

  • BTech in IT (with an impressive average of 92%)
  • BSc in Computer Systems
  • Advanced Diploma in Business Analysis
  • Certified Atlassian Engineer
  • Certified Monday.com Engineer

As a married man and loving uncle to many nieces and nephews, Mervin has managed to build a career focused on making a difference through software engineering, spreading endless cheer and improving processes one company at a time.

Q: What does being an Engineer mean to you, and what are your main responsibilities?

“An Engineer is someone who creates systems and processes that enable teams to do their work,” Mervin explains. As an Atlassian Engineer, he brings a diverse skill set encompassing Business Analysis, Application Support, Testing, Project Management, Integration, and Data Analytics. This broad experience base shapes how he approaches his daily responsibilities.

Q: Walk us through a typical day in your life as an Engineer

“Engineering is both challenging and rewarding: no two days are ever the same,” Mervin shares. His role primarily involves collaborating with different business stakeholders to identify problems and their root causes, defining SMART, system-driven solutions to improve day-to-day operations.

His core responsibilities include:

  • Managing Jira, Confluence, and other Atlassian products
  • Overseeing plugins and integrations
  • Managing Box and Lucidchart systems
  • Handling installation, access management, configurations, migrations
  • Managing commercials and system maintenance

A key aspect of his role involves helping stakeholders define their requirements and supporting them during and beyond implementation.

Q: What are the biggest challenges you face, and how do you overcome them?

Mervin doesn’t hold back when discussing challenges. He identifies unclear requirements as a major obstacle: “A lack of clear requirements or direction is detrimental to the success of any enabling function.” His solution? Wearing a business analysis hat to clarify requirements and devise proper solutions.

He emphasizes the importance of a user-centric thought process: “Having a user-centric thought process helps one have the empathy and capacity to think like a user, to afford them the best possible experience given the resources on hand.”

He also opens up about personal challenges: “Being an introvert is challenging in and of itself, especially with the nature of the work I do – 90% facing different levels of stakeholders in the organization.” His strategy involves partnering with more socially oriented colleagues to manage social anxiety and communicate more effectively.

Q: How do you stay productive while avoiding burnout?

Mervin identifies four main culprits: “People pleasing, perfectionism, procrastination and pride have been the main culprits leading to severe burnout and subsequent health challenges over my not-so-long career.”

On People Pleasing

While acknowledging that being accommodating is valuable in a customer-facing role, Mervin emphasizes the importance of self-regulation: “Altruism is a personality trait you cannot easily learn or unlearn but is something that requires clear interpersonal and professional boundaries. Remember that your job specification supersedes being everyone’s friend.”

On Asking for Help

“Never be too proud or fearful to ask questions until you are clear of the requirements,” Mervin advises. “Most working individuals consider it a weakness to ASK FOR HELP, but you would appear weaker by presenting yourself as someone who knows it all and will look even worse when you miss a deadline while struggling with something that someone could have unblocked for you.”

On Perfectionism and Procrastination

Mervin acknowledges that many analysts, including himself, are “chronic perfectionists and therefore procrastinators.” He notes that this can lead to wanting to improve projects that have already been closed and signed off. His key insight: “Aiming to be perfect is unachievable in my experience as ‘perfect’ is relative and bears little to no tangible results.”

Daily Strategies for Success

To address these challenges, Mervin follows several key practices:

  1. Seek Clarity
    • Never assume anything
    • Ask questions until requirements are crystal clear
    • Avoid analysis paralysis and chronic overthinking
  2. Set Priorities
    • Rank items from highest to lowest priority with stakeholders
    • Use financial and process impacts to inform prioritization
    • Align priorities with organizational direction through leadership
  3. Manage Expectations
    • Use experience to set realistic timelines
    • Add a 20% buffer to all task estimates
    • Communicate openly, even about delays or challenges
    • Focus on honest communication over unrealistic promises
  4. Personal Development
    • Seek help when needed
    • Focus on completion over perfection
    • Celebrate wins and embrace mistakes
    • Consider therapy as a valuable tool
    • Prioritize rest and recovery

“Done is better than perfect” – A mantra Mervin lives by

Q: How do you actually maintain work-life balance?

Mervin shares a particularly relatable challenge: “I often have epiphanies on solutions to complex problems at the most inopportune times, like in social settings or at bedtime.” His solution? Keep a notebook nearby and prioritize rest or social time over immediate action.

He acknowledges a hard truth: “Work never truly stops – nor does the clock. As a known workaholic, this is a hard truth to swallow.” He reflects on past experiences where organizations viewed people as merely “the delivery of [endless] P1 tasks” or “an expense,” disguised as “an important part of the family.”

Mervin's Semi-Flexible Schedule

He employs a structured yet flexible schedule that includes:

  • “Eating the three frogs” (tackling the biggest challenges first)
  • Research and learning time
  • Project delivery
  • Business as usual tasks
  • Team support
  • Decompression time (including tea breaks and lunch)
  • Administrative tasks and planning

Personal Time Priorities

“Personal time is personal time – You cannot replace your loved ones. Your organization can replace you,” he emphasizes. He recommends:

  • Having dinners or watching TV with your significant other
  • Discussing your day with loved ones
  • Bonding with family (or pets, in his case)
  • Managing household tasks
  • Completely switching off from work
  • Taking intentional breaks
  • Making time for self-care and rest

He also stresses the importance of alone time: “ALONE TIME is a must as well. This will help you appreciate those around you and help you recalibrate your thoughts.”

Q: What activities help you maintain balance outside of work?

Mervin maintains several creative outlets and hobbies:

  • Gardening
  • Reading
  • Listening to podcasts
  • Making music (Yes, he’s a singer!)
  • Drawing or painting
  • Walking and training his dogs

He also emphasizes the importance of continuous learning, mentioning that he regularly listens to podcasts on time management, attends therapy sessions, and consults with three mentors for guidance.

Q: What can companies do to promote better work-life balance?

Mervin offers several concrete suggestions for organizations:

  1. Prioritize soft skills training
  2. Implement genuine team building activities
    • Not just team meetings where leadership talks at staff
    • Include sanity days with brief company progress reports
    • Organize fun activities that pair different people together
  3. Offer paid half days in manageable rotation
  4. Provide incentives beyond salary
  5. Create recognition and rewards programs
    • Let staff vote for top performers
    • Keep leadership out of the selection process
  6. Implement wellness days
  7. Focus on delivery monitoring rather than time monitoring
  8. Reconsider hybrid work policies
    • Acknowledge that life has changed since COVID
    • Allow for flexibility in work arrangements

Throughout our conversation, Mervin’s passion for both engineering and maintaining a healthy work-life balance shines through. His experiences offer valuable insights for both new and seasoned professionals in the tech industry.

A Final Note from Mervin: “REST! REST! REST! No one is good to anyone if they are sickly or dead. Listen to your body. Take time off if needed and be intentional about taking a break.”

We can help you grow your business

Consultants
0 +
separator01.jpg

Driven by a commitment to client satisfaction, collaboration, and cutting-edge solutions. 

Years Experience

0 +
separator01.jpg

Delivering excellence through decades of expertise, innovation, and trusted solutions.

Contact us

Copyright 2024 CyberPro Consulting. All rights reserved. Gauteng Contact: 011 656 3394, Western Cape Contact: 021 551 0936