A few weeks back I was moderating a panel discussion at the Carolinas GCSA Conference & Show. This was no ordinary panel: some of the leading supers in the region and a couple of Yankees they'd invited down had agreed to have a candid discussion about key issues facing the profession. My job was to lob questions at them and stay out of the way.

We talked about many hot topics, including converting from bent to ultradwarf putting surfaces, dealing with difficult bosses, professional ethics, water conservation and even how more folks are using social media to communicate with members and golfers.

But one question seemed to get everyone's attention: How can superintendents (or any busy grounds managers) keep the job in perspective and lose focus on their family and personal lives.

Bill Maynard, CGCS, of St. Albans CC in St. Louis, said something that really summed it up. He relies on close friends to give him a heads up when he's too consumed by the job and starting to lose touch. "My buddy looked at me and said, 'Hey, you know what happens when your washing machine is off balance? That's you right now."

That's a perfect image. Everybody knows how crazy it looks and sounds when a washing machine loses balance. One minute it's spinning away smoothly and the next minute it's bouncing around, making a helluva racket and water is flying everywhere. Then it screeches to a halt and just stops.

Bill is one of those overachievers who has a demanding top-tier position, a seat on the GCSAA board of directors and a family, so keeping his washing machine in balance is pretty critical. He has friends around him who've all agreed to rattle his cage if he begins to lose perspective.

Do you have someone like that in your life? Maybe you should seek out a mentor, an assistant or a good friend who'll ring your bell when you're starting to spin out of control.

Another panelist, Nelson Caron, the director of maintenance at The Ford Plantation near Savannah, suggested another way to keep work and life in balance: make appointments. "You'd never be late for work or late on an assignment," he said. "Treat your family and friends the same way. Make an appointment to be home or to relax. Make sure you treat family time the same way you treat work time."

Bob Farren, the legendary head of golf course maintenance at Pinehurst Resort, said you also need to make rules for your employees as well as yourself. "We force our guys to take time off," Farren said. This drew a smile from Pinehurst #2 super Kevin Robinson in the audience. Even when the facility is hosting not one but two U.S. Opens next summer, the culture of that organization is to make sure their team stays in balance.

What's your culture like at your facility? Do you have checks and balances to keep yourself and your staff from burning out? Do you listen for signs that things aren't right at home for your people? Do you make rules for yourself to ensure that you have your work/life priorities in order?

My advice is to sit down and do your own assessment of how well you're balancing things. Do you need to spend more time with your loved ones? Do you need to exercise a bit more? How about yoga or simple breathing exercises to relieve stress. Believe it or not, that's what I do. The point is to be self-aware about how important work is versus the rest of your life. Remember the old saying: "No one ever had 'I should have spent more time at the office" carved on their tombstone.

My old friend and former boss Steve Mona used to say that "a strength overdone becomes a weakness." The passion that most superintendents feel for their jobs and their courses is undeniably one of the best things about this business. But, when your passion overtakes your personal life and your washing machine gets out of balance, it's time to take a few things out of the load, rebalance and start fresh.