Judith Finer-Freedman April 21, 2009 The Balance Equation: Combining Work and Life without Subtracting Life

Judith Finer-FreedmanJudith Finer-Freedman

April 21, 2009April 21, 2009

The Balance Equation: The Balance Equation: Combining Work and Life Combining Work and Life withoutwithout

Subtracting LifeSubtracting Life

AgendaAgenda• Today’s Reality and Work LandscapeToday’s Reality and Work Landscape

• Best and Worst PracticesBest and Worst Practices

• Establishing Equity as a New HireEstablishing Equity as a New Hire

• The Realities and Responses to Work-Life ChallengesThe Realities and Responses to Work-Life Challenges

• How do you do Due Diligence on a Future Employer?How do you do Due Diligence on a Future Employer?

22The Balanced Worker Project ™

CAREER LIFE CYCLECAREER LIFE CYCLE

• Where are you in your career life cycle?Where are you in your career life cycle?

• A. Undergrad Business StudentA. Undergrad Business Student

• B. MBA StudentB. MBA Student

• C. Entry level in CareerC. Entry level in Career

• D. Mid-level CareerD. Mid-level Career

• E. Senior Level E. Senior Level

The Balanced Worker Project ™ 33

WHY SO SLOW?WHY SO SLOW?

• Women are still over-represented in low-Women are still over-represented in low-paying jobspaying jobs

• Women outnumber male enrollment in higher Women outnumber male enrollment in higher educationeducation

• Only 15.6% of Fortune 500 companies are run Only 15.6% of Fortune 500 companies are run by womenby women

• Only 1.7% of Fortune 500 companies are run Only 1.7% of Fortune 500 companies are run by women of colorby women of color


Structural Structural ConstraintsConstraints

• Mechanisms that hinder women’s Mechanisms that hinder women’s capabilities at work:capabilities at work:

• The Assignment ProcessThe Assignment Process

• Mentors and Role ModelsMentors and Role Models

• Reduced Hour SchedulesReduced Hour Schedules

• Breaking the Glass CeilingBreaking the Glass Ceiling

55 The Balanced Worker Project ™

What are Workers What are Workers Saying about Balance?Saying about Balance?• Research shows that 47% of workers Research shows that 47% of workers

desire achieving more balance in desire achieving more balance in 20092009

Catalyst Study 2005 Catalyst Study 2005 66

• “I put my work before my personal/family life”

•“I have difficultly managing demands of work and family”

•“Choosing an environment more supportive of family and personal commitments is a top priority for me”

The Balanced Worker Project ™

TIDE IS TURNINGTIDE IS TURNING• Retention became a part of the Retention became a part of the

workplace buzz wordsworkplace buzz words

• The “Opt-Out” revolution frightened The “Opt-Out” revolution frightened employersemployers

• Employers began to offer a barrage Employers began to offer a barrage of “family friendly” programs:of “family friendly” programs:

56%: Flextime56%: Flextime

37%: Tele-commuting37%: Tele-commuting

33%:33%: Compressed work weeks Compressed work weeks77

Source: Society of Human Resource Management 2005The Balanced Worker Project ™

HOW FLEXIBLE IS YOUR HOW FLEXIBLE IS YOUR ORGANIZATION?ORGANIZATION?

• What programs does your company or the What programs does your company or the companies you are interviewing with offer?companies you are interviewing with offer?

A. Flexible Work HoursA. Flexible Work Hours

• B. Tele-commutingB. Tele-commuting

• C. Job-ShareC. Job-Share

• D. On-Site DaycareD. On-Site Daycare

• E. I have no idea what programs my company E. I have no idea what programs my company offersoffers

• F. Not applicable to my situationF. Not applicable to my situationThe Balanced Worker Project ™ 88

SHORT-TERM DECISIONS = SHORT-TERM DECISIONS = SHORT-SIGHTEDSHORT-SIGHTED

• The economy is causing The economy is causing organizations to cut staff and cut organizations to cut staff and cut entry level jobsentry level jobs

• Organizations are cutting work-life Organizations are cutting work-life programsprograms

• Opportunity to test out flexible Opportunity to test out flexible work options while certain work work options while certain work groups are slowgroups are slow

• Fully staffed in key skill areas when Fully staffed in key skill areas when economy reboundseconomy rebounds99 The Balanced Worker Project ™

Women in the TrenchesWomen in the Trenches

• After Pam had her first child After Pam had her first child she returned to work full-she returned to work full-time. For the first month, time. For the first month, however, she used vacation however, she used vacation days to take off the first four days to take off the first four Fridays.Fridays.

1010

“But in the mentality here, people thought if she’s a working mother, it’s her first child, she must be four days a week.” Copyright© Judith Finer-Freedman 2007


Negative Impact on Negative Impact on CareerCareer

1111

“I’m sure when it came to assigning work, they said, ‘Well, we don’t want to involve her because she is only here four days a week.”

“It took years for people to get over that. Years!”

Pam believed this incident Pam believed this incident caused irreversible damage to caused irreversible damage to her career:her career:

Copyright© Judith Finer-Freedman 2007The Balanced Worker Project ™

Carol’s StoryCarol’s Story• The office manager at Carol’s firm wanted her to come The office manager at Carol’s firm wanted her to come

back part-time particularly to be a role model.back part-time particularly to be a role model.

• Eventually, she will have no choice but to leave.Eventually, she will have no choice but to leave. 1212

“If I could just continue doing the work that I do and push the pause button on the escalator -- that would be fine. And I’d actually have the balance of part-time.”

“There are all these things I have to do that I can’t do in four days.”

Copyright© Judith Finer-Freedman 2007The Balanced Worker Project ™

• However, her firm’s policy is that However, her firm’s policy is that partner have to continually keep moving partner have to continually keep moving up or they are out.up or they are out.

Best Practices Best Practices And Challenges for Implementation And Challenges for Implementation

Part-time or Flexible Work Part-time or Flexible Work ScheduleSchedule

• 70.5% of organizations offer part-time programs70.5% of organizations offer part-time programs

• Flex policies come all in shapes and sizesFlex policies come all in shapes and sizes

• Many workers avoid flex policies as a result of Many workers avoid flex policies as a result of stigmastigma

• Flexibility = RETENTIONFlexibility = RETENTION 1313The Balanced Worker Project ™

Best PracticesBest Practices• MentoringMentoring

With With limitedlimited female role female role models, mentoring is essential in models, mentoring is essential in improving the rate of female improving the rate of female senior managerssenior managers

• Modifications that make a Modifications that make a difference:difference:

- Multiple MentorsMultiple Mentors- Mentoring CirclesMentoring Circles- Affinity GroupsAffinity Groups- Career WatchersCareer Watchers


GENERATIONAL GENERATIONAL FRICTIONFRICTION

• You have followed up with an You have followed up with an interview you had two weeks interview you had two weeks agosolely by sending an email agosolely by sending an email asking what the next steps are. asking what the next steps are. You have received no response.You have received no response.

• Would you:Would you:• A. Send another email?A. Send another email?• B. Call the interviewer?B. Call the interviewer?• C. Send a personal note?C. Send a personal note?• D. All of the aboveD. All of the above


CHANGING YOUR GAME: CHANGING YOUR GAME: NEW HIRE INTELLIGENCENEW HIRE INTELLIGENCE

1616

Work StyleWork Style

Career DevelopmentCareer Development

ProtocolProtocol

CommunicationCommunication

Work-Life DemandsWork-Life Demands


MO: Build equity now, work-life MO: Build equity now, work-life balance laterbalance later

NEW HIRE INTELLIGENCE: NEW HIRE INTELLIGENCE: WORK STYLEWORK STYLE

• Work Ethic vs. Work StyleWork Ethic vs. Work Style

• Common Sense = Mental ChecklistCommon Sense = Mental Checklist

• Lack of Formality = RespectLack of Formality = Respect

• Entitlement vs. Establishing EquityEntitlement vs. Establishing Equity

• Personal Commitments vs. Work CommitmentsPersonal Commitments vs. Work Commitments

• Avoid friction through communicationAvoid friction through communication1717 The Balanced Worker Project ™

NEW HIRE INTELLIGENCE: NEW HIRE INTELLIGENCE: COMMUNICATIONCOMMUNICATION

• Email vs. Voicemail Email vs. Voicemail

• Blackberry EtiquetteBlackberry Etiquette

• The Power of Personal The Power of Personal PresencePresence

• Stupid QuestionsStupid Questions

• Client CommunicationClient Communication

• Daily Written WorkDaily Written Work


NEW HIRE INTELLIGENCE: NEW HIRE INTELLIGENCE: PROTOCOLPROTOCOL

• DressDress

• Arrival/Departure TimeArrival/Departure Time

• BoundariesBoundaries

• Personal DataPersonal Data


Pro-Active Response for Gender Pro-Active Response for Gender StereotypesStereotypes

• Gender stereotypes hold an outdated role of Gender stereotypes hold an outdated role of what women’s core abilities and job what women’s core abilities and job performance should beperformance should be

• Often workers benefit from a mentor or role Often workers benefit from a mentor or role model—male or femalemodel—male or female

• Alert key decision makers re: communicationAlert key decision makers re: communication


Pro-Active Response for Pro-Active Response for Part-Time PicklesPart-Time Pickles

• Begin dialogue over compensation Begin dialogue over compensation for extra hours workedfor extra hours worked

• When a flexible work schedule is on When a flexible work schedule is on the table bring the promotion track the table bring the promotion track discussion front and centerdiscussion front and center

• Review status with manager on a Review status with manager on a regular basisregular basis

• Reinforce your case: support of Reinforce your case: support of obligations out of work builds obligations out of work builds loyaltyloyalty

• Build a business case: pardc.orgBuild a business case: pardc.org


Due DiligenceDue Diligence

It is It is HOWHOW you ask you ask::

““What is your part-time policy?”What is your part-time policy?”

VERSUS a suggestion by NALP:VERSUS a suggestion by NALP:

“ “I am hoping to have a long-term career at your I am hoping to have a long-term career at your company and, while I am not currently planning to company and, while I am not currently planning to have children, I have to consider the possibility that have children, I have to consider the possibility that some day I may. In light of that possibility, could you some day I may. In light of that possibility, could you tell me if you have supports in place to help parents tell me if you have supports in place to help parents who want to have a career and also a family.”who want to have a career and also a family.”


Recruiters Are Primed to Recruiters Are Primed to AnswerAnswer

• DO ASK about how the assignments get DO ASK about how the assignments get handed outhanded out

• DO ASK if there are mentoring programs and if DO ASK if there are mentoring programs and if they are formal or informalthey are formal or informal

• DO ASK about their diversity initiative which DO ASK about their diversity initiative which often leads into what flex programs are often leads into what flex programs are availableavailable


Keep Your PerspectiveKeep Your Perspective

Know yourself and be yourself in selecting and Know yourself and be yourself in selecting and interviewing organizationsinterviewing organizations

Think about building your equity for a long-Think about building your equity for a long-term commitment to your passionterm commitment to your passion

Don’t let the economy rattle your road to Don’t let the economy rattle your road to successsuccess

Find a place that connects to your career Find a place that connects to your career direction and personal needsdirection and personal needs


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Judith Finer Freedmanfinfreed@thebalancedworkerproject.comwww.thebalancedworkerproject.com

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

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Judith Finer-Freedman April 21, 2009 The Balance Equation: Combining Work and Life without Subtracting Life