Archive for Work-Home Life
Leadership and Change
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Home in Santa Fe
It was a planned change. Nothing like changes that occur when a hurricane blows your home away or a toxic dump makes it impossible to live a healthy life where you once had a home.
So, why bother writing about it? Maybe it is just my way of connecting my own life dots. Maybe it is to say that just because it is not a dramatic and life altering change it still has its bitter sweet moments. It is a way of getting everyone who reads this to think about the little changes in life and to stop and reflect.
I must admit, I was surprised at the emotions that came flooding through me as I began to pack up the small blue and gold image of kokopelli that sat on the fire place mantel, the boda crystal candle holders in the dining area, the Taos drum that sounded a bit flat and really needed some professional attention.
I kept looking out of the window that made the mountains seem as if they were there just for my personal admiration. I watched one of those amazing New Mexico sunsets, wanting to breathe it in and savor it the way I used to breathe deeply into the curls of my daughter when she was a baby and had been freshly bathed.
The One Flaw in Women
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This beautiful video, “The One Flaw in Women” says so much about us. Watch it more than once. Send it to a friend and to a daughter, niece or neighbor girl so they can also celebrate the essence of being female. One you can decide if you agree with the one flaw in women. Let me know what you think. The statement “they go without so their family can have” reminded me of a story my mother told about my grandmother: whenever company would come to their home my grandmother would call her five daughters into a private powwow and remind them not to ask for seconds. Just say you are full so our guests can have whatever they want. There was only so much to go around in those days and that model of feeding others first became a legacy that has come down through the generations. No, not Martyrdom, just good old fashioned caring!
Are You Ever “Out of Office?”
Posted by: | CommentsPost by Jane K. Stimmler, contributing Women on Business writer
Some of you probably remember when a vacation was truly “away from the office” time and an Out of Office email reply ensured it stayed that way. In some ways, those were the good old days. After all, don’t we all need uninterrupted time away from business?
With the advent of the PDA and other newer devices, the game has changed. We have the convenience of being able to text, email and talk to clients and colleagues 24/7, but the flip side is that it’s more difficult to take a week (or, heaven forbid, more!) off without the intrusions of work, no matter what company vacation policy says. Wherever you’re going – with just a few exceptions – you can be reached. So it becomes a choice – how available will I be on vacation?
I believe this is a decision that has to be made on an individual basis – based on your job culture and type of work, client/colleague expectations, family/other demands, and your own well-being. The well-being part cannot be minimized – it is extremely important to recharge mentally and physically. And figuring out what exactly that means to you is vital.
Women, Leadership and Are We There Yet?
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Big question is “Where is there?” or even better “Where is here”? How do we know when change has really taken hold? How do we know when we, as women, have found what we want in terms of equality at work?
First, some thoughts about change and how it happens. In our culture we have become so addicted to instant everything that we expect change at the drop of a hat. It just ain’t so. Mostly, we as women know that.
Babies don’t form to be born in the blink of an eye. Not only does the process average nine months, it is replete with changes almost on a daily level. From morning sickness to stretch marks to “enough already” thoughts the process has its own internal clock to follow. So does planting corn or roses or lavender.
Why then do we think that major changes will happen over night? If we check off the small wins and keep a long view we will have less stress and more determination and maybe, just maybe we also need to check the direction of our destination.
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.
5 Lessons I’ve Learned about Leadership
Posted by: | CommentsThe economic waves have settled a bit and my company is getting ready to hire several new employees. As the resumes have rolled in, more than I can ever remember, I thought back to my very first professional job and the anticipation of the world that was unfolding before me.
When you started your career what was front and center on your work agenda? I was armed with a master’s degree in psychology and I was going to make the world a happier place.
There was no idea of owning a business, no idea of leading others, no idea of public speaking, and no idea of writing a book. I was focused on learning the ins and outs of being a therapist, working with the invisible forces that make us do what we do.
Interestingly, forty years later the core of my career is the same. I still love to dig down into the hidden world of behavior patterns and how they impact us at home and at work. I also am amazed that instead of a small office with just the right therapeutic setting of chairs, tables and a couch I run a 450 acre retreat center that can sleep 60 people, with an organic vegetable garden, labyrinth, pond large enough for a paddle boat and outdoor dining pavilion.
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.
