Archive for Work at Home/Telecommute
The Business Case for Building Flexible Work Cultures- Series Part II
Posted by: | CommentsIn the Part I of this series we talked about the opportunity to support our need for flexible work cultures with a solid business case. We outlined the fact that the majority of our employees require flexibility at some point in their careers. Research increasingly points to flexibility as one of the most important career considerations of staff, emerging leaders and even our seasoned leaders. If we do not offer this flexibility in our organizations we will lose productivity in our top talent pool and we may lose this top talent completely to our competitors. In addition to flexibility as a requirement for top talent, consider the possibility that flexibility can actually improve your organizational results.
We also outlined four key business strategies that can be supported by flexibility in the organization. These are:
1-Employee Attraction and Retention
2-Improved Productivity
3- Improved Customer Service and Satisfaction
4- Effective Operational Management
This second posting will cover the first two strategies. Why are these strategies key to a business case for building a flexible work culture?…….or said another way…… How will flexible work cultures actually help to accomplish these business strategies?
Employee Attraction & Retention
The Business Case for Building a Flexible Work Culture- Series Part I
Posted by: | CommentsWhy do organizations offer flexibility? Business - Business- Business. Successful accomplishment of business strategy is the primary reason for building a flexible work culture.
The majority of our employees require flexibility at some point in their careers. Research increasingly points to flexibility as one of the most important career considerations of staff, emerging leaders and even our seasoned leaders. If we do not offer this flexibility in our organizations we will lose productivity in our top talent pool and we may lose this top talent completely to our competitors. In addition to flexibility as a requirement for top talent, consider the possibility that flexibility can actually improve your organizational results.
There are many definitions of flexibility. For the purposes of this discussion we are talking about any type of flexibility that allows team members to depart from the standard schedule of an early morning start time to an early evening departure, with all hours served as face time, either at a client/customer site or at the office location. There are many articles and books written regarding the types of flexible work arrangements available. This posting will not focus on the mechanics of the arrangements but the business case behind them.
A Woman Leader for Today
Posted by: | CommentsHere is the recipe:
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take a very large scoop of entrepreneurs ready to change the world
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add one powerful leader who ignores the word “can’t”
- drop in, one at a time, equally powerful women who hear the call to success
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mix with social media
- garnish with online and on-site programs
- blend with international flavors
- serve this nutritious combination everyday for health and wellness
ENJOY!!
That is the essence of what Sandra Yancey has done, created the right recipe for our times. I had the pleasure of interviewing her at the eWomen networking event in Sonoma County California.
A ball of energy, she exudes the power, passion, and purpose of the modern female entrepreneur. I was curious to understand how her dream began. There is always a back story that can help us look at our own barriers, challenges, and ways to overcome obstacles.
Sandra has the look and feel of someone who can move mountains. Her strength came from a series of unexpected deaths in her growing up years and a mother who modeled steadiness and how to face adversity head on.
Are You Aligned For Success?
Posted by: | CommentsWhat if multi-tasking was the enemy?
Not the root cause of world war, poverty, and hunger, perhaps. But still a huge contributor to the myriad problems we experience on the job and in our personal lives every day.
How can that be, you ask?
Multi-tasking is the solution.
It lets us get more done in less time so that we can actually juggle all the different things on our plate.
That’s the theory anyway.
But how well does that work in practice?
Multi-tasking is [Not] the Solution
Let’s look at a few common multi-tasking scenarios. The issue of cellphone use while driving (for texting or talking) is an issue everywhere right now. Research has shown that someone using their phone can be as much as 4 times less attentive to the road than someone not on the phone.
What does multi-tasking bring in that case?
Accidents and injuries.
Do you find that too drastic an example?
Think about when you’re sitting at your desk, talking on the phone while reviewing a document up on your computer screen. Notice how neither the phone call nor the document have your full attention.
Get over it! (…the fear of being your own boss, that is)
Posted by: | CommentsLately I’ve been experiencing higher than normal anxiety, the fear that maybe it won’t all work out and heavy reliance on emotional support from friends and family. The reason for acting this way, and being totally uncool, is that I have finally decided to follow my dream of being my own boss.
That’s right, after several years of working for others while wishing I was working for myself, I have taken the plunge into the entrepreneurial pool. At times a bit overwhelming (i.e. when creating my logo, designing my website, starting the business plan, etc. ) but at other times it is highly rewarding (i.e. when you sit down with a client and get some highly creative work done).
My business is fairly new but I remain optimistic. The key to staying positive when working for yourself is to plan, plan, plan! So I have some tips for how to stay organized and motivated, and therefore, not to be fearful of having your own business.
1) Plan your day from the night before. Write down all the important things that need to be done and do them one by one. Master the art of “mono-tasking”.
Women and Men: Different Perspectives
Posted by: | Comments
We really are different. Our brains are different, as well as the outlook on what is important. I believe we can help each other see new and critical points of view. I also believe we need to give each other space to be ourselves.
Often the best way to say “vive la difference” is through humor. Stephen Kapustin, a lawyer in Philadelphia is a graduate of our Total Leadership Connections program. He is a seeker of truth through humor, and has sent me so many funny articles to get my laughter valve open on many a dreary day.
The following has so many elements of deep truth. Women love to explore the emotions of a situation, while many men want to get to the solution quickly and move on. Let me know if your male business partners remind you of this guy. I must admit that my business partner, who is also my husband, would respond like the man in the column.
In fact, when I showed this to Herb, he looked at me and said “So, what’s funny about that?” What answer would you give to that question???
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Partnership for the New Year
Posted by: | CommentsThis is a wish for all of us – female, male, young, old, every color and part of the planet. Let’s include the animals, trees, and every living thing.
Women are the leaders in partnership thinking; we learn it from the very beginning of our journey from womb to tomb. We are hard-wired to think about systems and how they fit together. We are internally programmed every month from adolescence to elder years to understand the ebb and flow of life, from the ebb and flow of the months. Each month we are somehow aligned with the moon as we menstruate and continually let go of old matter to make way for the new.
Whether we choose to have biological children or not, we are truly “in the flow” of what nature has prepared for us, to continue to nurture our species. In this decade, where there are so many polarities, so many who stand for right and wrong without even attempting to find a middle ground, it is up to us, the women, to lead the way to partnership.
The Untapped Talent Pool – Stay-at-Home Moms
Posted by: | CommentsI published the following post well over a year ago, but I want to republish it now because I think it’s just as true and valid now (if not more so) than it was in early 2008. We’ve come so far, but there is much work to do to level the playing field in the business world and eliminate the gender gap. Unconventional thinking like that discussed below is just one way to get there.
Ever since I left the corporate world in 2004 to be a stay-at-home mom to my triplets, I’ve wondered something. It’s not rocket science. In fact, this thought seems so simple to me, so obvious and makes such sense that it’s beyond my comprehension why more companies haven’t considered it. Ready for my genius? Here you go:
Why don’t more companies hire stay-at-home moms (or dads) as consultants, freelancers or as telecommuting employees? Many of us have an enormous amount of experience and knowledge in our respective fields garnered from our years working prior to choosing to stay at home with our children, and if you let us work from home and make our own hours, we’ll probably be willing to work for a lot less money and produce superior results.
What? Mr. CEO says that he needs employees who are available to be in the office during business hours. I call bull!
What? Mr. CEO says that he can’t trust someone with kids around to complete work on time. I call major bull!
