CEBU, Philippines - How has this very successful businessman been able to efficiently divide his 24-hours a day allocation between his retail business and his family? I have asked myself this question since that day I saw Mr. Robert Go with his wife and children enjoying each other’s company few years back. And this fathers’ day feature gave me the opportunity to know the answer and learn from it, as well.
Mr. Robert Lim Go, president of the Prince Warehouse Club Inc., may have his hands full in running the Prince Warehouse Club chain of retail stores but he drops everything when his children needs his presence. This has been his personal guiding principle.
“I always give my children time especially when they need me the most. When there are father and daughter/father and son activities in the school, I have to attend the activities because they will forever remember those precious moments when they grow up,” the 53-year old father of five said.
For Mr. Go, participating in the activities of the school where his children are enrolled in, is one way of showing them that they are truly special.
“I attended their Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) meeting and was class representative to one of them. During the getting of cards, I talk to the teachers asking feedback about my children. I show up in the sports intramurals and mission fairs. I give a talk to their class whenever I’m invited. My position as an alumni president also makes them proud since they are studying in the same school. When I was awarded Outstanding Alumni a few years ago by Sacred Heart School Jesuits, they all are the more proud of me.”
Despite the demands of the business, Mr. Go, together with his wife, Judith Sy-Go who is also a businesswoman, always finds time to mold their children into the successful persons that he wants them to be. His efforts have paid-off, as their children—Rhea Janice, 24 yrs; Jed Ryan, 22; John Robertson, 20; Rina Janine, 19 and Rissa Julene, 16— have excelled in their respective fields.
Mr. Go shared that he consciously do not give his children the convenience of easy access to material possessions to train them and instill in their minds that hard work and determination are needed to get what one wants in life.
“We do not spoil the children by giving them money or whatever they want. Our children never had play stations, computer games or whatever expensive toys even if they are honor students. They have to earn it. Rhea bought CD burner when she was grade 6 and copy songs to sell to rich classmates to earn extra income to buy new clothes. She went to Baclaran with our buyers and buy extra cloths to sell to dorm mates when she was in the Ateneo dorm. John bought imported noodles and cook midnight snacks for dorm mates who wanted to eat while studying. He posted menu at his door so they could chose what they want to eat,” he revealed.
These experiences form part of their training to take over the family business, Mr. Go said. Rhea is now helping him run Prince Warehouse while Jedd Ryan is manager of Macro Tires Goodyear Servitek, also owned by the family and being run by Judith.
Mr. Go admits that he is a strict father.
“Since the childhood days of my children, there are always limits to what they can do. When they use computers, they cannot use it up to wee hours in the morning since the computer is in my bedroom. There are no TV’s in my children’s room. Girls have limits if they go out in the evenings, and we must know who their dates are. Even boys have curfews, for we believe that it is part of their training and discipline, as well as preventing them to go out with the wrong barkadas. We teach them how to choose the right set of friends, and we make sure we know who the friends and their friends’ families are.
We discourage malling but encourage school group activities or other good productive activities. For me, productivity is important. Watching TV is not productive but reading books is productive. Playing basketball with friends is more productive than drinking with friends. Serving and helping poor children is more productive than malling,” he said.
For the Go family, skipping the dinner with the family is a serious offense.
“Eating together every evening is a sacred thing. We spend so much time together in the dinner table, enjoying not only the good food prepared by my wife, but also all the chikas and talks and updates of everybody in the family. We don’t notice the time as we reach even two hours just talking during dinner.”
Time management is the key to a well-balanced life of a businessman, he said. One must also know and set his priorities so that when confronted by conflicting situations, one is able to easily decide with the aide of his priorities. Mr. Go believes that nothing can go wrong when the family places God at the center of everything. And when the family places God at his throne, the family will always be whole.
For fathers like him who are juggling time, this he has to say: “Joy and happiness comes when you are satisfied with your children’s welfare and growth rather than anything else, since business is only a support for family.
Children grow up only once and their age will not go back to where they are now. Having the relationship with children, wife and family is the most important and joyous thing one can ever achieve. Success in family is better than success in business for businesses come and go.” ?