Introducing Forté Forum 2010: The MBA Value Proposition
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The Founders of FlexPaths, Guest Bloggers and Community Bloggers will share their ideas and thoughts on a regular basis. Make comments or drop them a line.
Are We Our Own Worst Enemy?
by Cali YostOutside forces beyond our control influence how we manage our work and life, but I am convinced that we also get in our own way. Part of the challenge is to recognize when an issue is something we can control, and then change our behavior to resolve it. Unfortunately that is easier said than done, as illustrated by the following story. I was speaking with a friend recently who works and has two small children. Her husband would be described as a hands-on dad; however, my friend is feeling very overwhelmed. In order to coordinate her work and life effectively she needs to start work by 8:00 am most days, which means her husband needs to take the kids to school. |
Flexibility for a Baby Boomer
by Rick VaccarellaPrior to coming to work for FlexPaths I considered myself to be a baby boomer that had been trained by a traditionalist. Meaning, my corporate training often paralleled boot camp. In fact, anytime I heard someone refer to the example: baby boomers felt they earned your stripes by being the first car in the parking lot in the morning and the last to leave the parking lot at night, I felt they were talking about me. The concept of a flexible work environment, until I learned about FlexPaths, was simply a myth but, I was intrigued by the concept. As I learned more about the benefits to both the employees and companies I became very interested in the concept, enough to help other understand the value of flexible work environments. |
Why It's Not Selfish To Take Care of Yourself
by Stew FriedmanOne of the most compelling findings Jeff Greenhaus and I reported in our research (described in our book, Work and Family--Allies or Enemies?) on the lives and careers of over 800 business professionals was this: The more time that working mothers spent taking care of themselves, the better were the emotional and physical health of their children. Does this apparent paradox surprise you? It shouldn't, for it's just another bit of proof that if you don't take care of yourself then you can't really serve those who depend on you. So why is it so difficult for people to devote the resources needed to take care of themselves? When I ask participants in my Total Leadership program to rate how they feel about how things are going in the four main parts of their lives--work, home, community, and self--it's often the last that's rated lowest. |
Focus on What Matters the Most to You
by Stew FriedmanI spent a good chunk of my summer travelling the country, speaking about work and how to make it fit with the rest of life in ways that are good both for companies and the people employed by them. I talked to thousands of people. I listened closely to the pulse of American business. There's much pain. Too many people feel overwhelmed, disconnected, pessimistic, and without purpose other than mere survival. Demand for change is surely the order of the day. |
Rethinking How to Work From Home
by Cali YostWhen I started my company, it made the most sense to work out of my home office. Not only was it less overhead, but because I travel, I didn?t want to waste time commuting when I was in town. As the number of people who work with me grew, the virtual-office model continued because they also preferred working from home. All was going well?until this summer. Suddenly, having a separate office began to look appealing. Why? Not only were both of my children off from school, but my husband was now home as well. Having taken a severance package from his job, he was conducting his job search out of the house. And, let?s just say, space was a little ?cozy.? How were we going to do this? Either I was going to have to implement new work from home strategies, or I was going to be office-bound. |