Archive for the ‘Alternative Work’ Category
Monday, March 15th, 2010
Work-Life Balance for Working Moms
Stories documenting the quest of working moms for that ever-elusive work-life balance are everywhere. Here’s one that caught my ear this morning as I …
- dropped my son off at pre-school (after getting older siblings off to school on the bus)
- dropped my husband off at work
- stopped by the tire shop so that they could locate the wheel lock that they neglected to put back in my car after replacing my tires several months back
- returned home and tidied the house before a home service call between 10am – 12 noon (at least it was only a two-hour window!)
- eventually made my way into my workspace around 11am, where I listened to the full story as I got my work day going!
It’s because of days like today, though much simpler and less scheduled than a typical day for me, that flexibility in my work life is key and it’s why I chose to be an Enterprising Mom.
The story, on NPR’s Morning Edition, is the first in a three-part series entitled ‘More Employers Make Room For Work-Life Balance.’ The piece explores how one Northern Virginia company with 100 employees has incorporated flexible work options into it’s business structure and what makes it work. It also discusses how the 9-to-5 schedule isn’t conducive to today’s work environment or family systems. Of course, we’ve know that for quite some time!
Quite intriguing is how younger generations and those without young children are pushing for flex time as well. They want quality of life now and technology makes flexible work even more feasible today, especially for those who’ve been immersed in technology from the early years (and can’t figure out how to work without it!). Also intriguing, it’s anticipated that the push will increase from baby boomers, who will need to work longer, well into retirement years, and will want to both work less and have more flexibility when they do.
Of course, it doesn’t work for all jobs and industries, but the search continues for creative ways to improve the prospect of work-life balance, which I say, is more about work-life integration, but that’s another post.
Tomorrow on the NPR series … flexing in a government bureaucracy.
What say you?
- Everyone’s promoting … are you seeing it?
- How flexible is your work?
- What does flexibility mean to you (working at home, flexible schedule, comp time)?
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Posted in Alternative Work, Work / Life Integration, work-life balance | No Comments »
Sunday, June 8th, 2008
Last week the Today Show featured a story on how some companies are reconsidering the traditional five-day work week in favor of four days in the office — either four longer days with one day off or five regular days with one of them being a telecommuting day.
While I would love to think that organizations have finally seen the light on the whole work-life balance / work-life integration conundrum that most working parents face, and lots of non-parents as well, this is not the case. The impetus is the rising cost of fuel. According to the piece, many employers are now feeling the pinch in the wallet themselves and are considering alternative work arrangements to create a favorable situation for employees and employers alike.
While some organizations have had such flexible work policies in place for some time, the piece reports that the programs are becoming even more popular in face of the economic crunch.
Whatever the cause, my hope is that the experience will be positive for organizations and employees alike; that all will see the benefits as relates to the wallet and the pump, and also in productivity, workplace satisfaction, employee retention, the environment, and other areas as well.
While it’s disappointing that the countless ongoing efforts of so many to create this shift in support of the challenges faced by working families was not the main motivator, I do hope this shift will be incorporated into the work landscape on a broader scale as a permanent alternative.
What’s your organization’s policy on flexible scheduling and/or alternative work arrangements?
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Tags: Career, four-day work week, work, Work / Life Integration, work-life balance
Posted in Alternative Work, Career, Life, Productivity, Work / Life Integration | 2 Comments »
Friday, May 30th, 2008
I’ve been absent from my blog for several weeks! Earlier this spring I was offered a wonderful opportunity to be the business and operations manager (part-time) of the childcare center that my two younger children attend. I’ve long been very fond of the school and had been working with the founder and manager as a parent volunteer. This opportunity would enable me to have an even greater impact on the non-profit school and be in the presence of and have access to my kids, even while working.
It would also create another stream of income while providing a whopping discount on full-time child care for two kids. I’m entrepreneur with two active ventures (Apply Within and The Enterprising Moms) and a mom who chose to develop a portfolio career with multiple streams of income as a way of achieving better work-life integration. Because I made these decisions, in part, to have more time with the kids, I initially struggled with decision to enroll them in childcare full-time.
Finding the ideal childcare situation is one of the greater challenges that working parents face. I’m fortunate to have a place where I’m thrilled to send my kids and one that’s so philosophically aligned that I’d consider working there as well. This made considering full-time enrollment a bit easier. As a pondered my options, I realized that in this situation, full-time care is just that — an option. It’s there if I need it. I can use it or not depending on my work flow — the ultimate in childcare flexibility.
This flexibility would also give me some space to focus increased attention on my other ventures. It would enable me to have more dedicated time with the kids and with work while being fully present for each. It would also provide a more consistent rich, stimulating and educational environment for my kids. And so, I took the plunge!
It’s been a couple of months since I started and there have been some challenges, which is why I’ve been away. As with any transition, there’s a learning curve and lots of adjustments to make in many areas of our lives. New schedules and routines; new time constraints and logistics to consider. The dinner time crunch has been exactly that. I’m still working on figuring out that piece!
So that’s where I’ve been. I’m still fully dedicated to Apply Within and The Enterprising Moms and look forward to continued growth both businesses. This new opportunity has just added an additional dimension to my career and I’m honing some key skills that are useful in all arenas.
I haven’t quite worked out the right mix of work and play just yet, but the picture is getting clearer each day. Being highly flexible and adaptable is key in navigating this transition as things evolve.
Stay tuned …
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Posted in Alternative Work, Career, Choice, Family, Parenting, Work / Life Integration | No Comments »
Tuesday, March 25th, 2008
Did you happen to see the main cover story in the Business Section of The Washington Post on Saturday, March 22? If not, take a look …
The story, “Career or Family? Yes.” explored the challenges faced by many working moms who struggle with work-life balance issues and highlighted several local firms, coaches and consultants that address these issues. Many assist moms in finding part-time and flexible work arrangements.
I am quite excited and honored to have been included in the story. If you’re a working parent seeking more a fulfilling and better balanced life, contact me to learn how I can help.
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Tags: Washington Post, work-life balance, Working Moms
Posted in Alternative Work, Career, Moms, Work / Life Integration | 1 Comment »
Saturday, March 1st, 2008
Considering striking out on your own, but afraid of the risk? Want your own business, but don’t necessarily want to start from scratch? Franchises are one way to own your own business without starting from scratch and without having to do everything on your own. And, franchising can present less risk than other business startup options. Because someone else has already developed a business with systems that work, a franchisee can start a new business with fewer growing pains.
Like all types of business ventures, there are advantages and disadvantages to owing a franchise. You should investigate all aspects thoroughly before diving in.
If you’re in the DC metro area and interested in exploring further, check out the International Franchise Expo, April 11-13th in downtown DC.
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Tags: Alternative Work, franchise, franchising
Posted in Alternative Work, Entrepreneurship | No Comments »
Tuesday, February 26th, 2008
I happened to catch a segment on the Today show yesterday, Jobs for Stay-at-Home Moms, about alternative work arrangements — though it could apply to anyone, not just moms. Danielle Babb, author, professor and technologist offered an encouraging picture for moms who want to earn a living while at home with the kids.
She offers tips on getting started in teaching online, selling on e-bay, bookkeeping, and professional shopping. Babb believes that there is an online job for everyone — moms and dads and those interested in working part-time, full-time or want to supplement an existing income. Learn more about Dr. Babb and do let us know if you land a gig as a result.
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Tags: Alternative Work, Moms, Work/Life Balance
Posted in Alternative Work, Moms, Work / Life Integration | No Comments »
Friday, February 22nd, 2008
It’s been a while since I’ve posted — I’m glad to be back! I’ve been busy working on developing my other businesses and refining the focus of Apply Within. I’m really excited about my how my coaching business has evolved to working with those seeking better work-life integration and/or alternatives to the standard 9 – 5.
My web site will continue to evolve as things begin to take shape. In the meantime, I’m bringing this blog back to life to share progress as we go. I look forward to announcing new coaching options, packages and formats over the next couple of months. I’ll also share my own musing about this transition, Getting Things Done, moms in business, alternative work arrangements and more.
Stay tuned …
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Tags: Moms, moms in business, small business, Work / Life Integration, work-life balance
Posted in Alternative Work, Reflections, Work / Life Integration | No Comments »
Thursday, January 10th, 2008
If you’ve been on my web site recently, you may have noticed a few small changes. You see, after doing my own ‘year in review‘ and pondering what’s been working that I want to keep with me in the new year and what’s not that I want to leave behind, I’ve decided to refine the focus of my coaching business.
Over the past year, I’ve become increasingly involved with The Enterprising Moms, the community I founded for moms who are growing businesses while growing families. As a result of my involvement with the women in this community, I’ve realized that my passion lies in working with woman who want to create their own paths. They may want or need to work, and want to do it on their own terms. Perhaps part-time, perhaps from home or on their own. I want to work with expectant and established moms who are seeking alternatives to the traditional 9 to 5.
So, in the coming weeks, you’ll notice more changes on my web site as I hone my message, establish new offerings, and refresh the site. You’ll also notice some changes in the content of this blog, which will include more postings about alternative work arrangements, work/life integration, family, organization, time management and more.
So, please stick with me as the refining process gets underway and stay tuned for updates!
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Tags: alternative work arrangmenets, apply within, enterprising moms
Posted in Alternative Work, Reflections, Work / Life Integration | No Comments »
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