Archive for the Flexible Work Options
Tammy Erickson at Harvard Business Publishing has written an interesting article about how today’s tweens see the world and how that might effect how they behave as adults. She makes great points about how these 10-13 year olds are very informed about war, the economy, conservation, ecology, gas prices, and the housing crunch. I posted a comment and asked Tammy to consider writing a followon article about how her predictions might impact the corporate work environment. It seems that the writing is on the wall. Corporations must change to address what this generation wants or risk losing altogether. Read her article and then consider what you saw around you everyday when you were a tween. The world is very different today and the access to information is almost unlimited. The cultural change that we are about to witness over the next 50 years should be an amazing ride. These kids want/need/require a different work arrangement than we did at their age. I see it as our responsibility to start opening doors for them by leading by example. It might not always be an option, but we need to pursue flexible and remote work options or at least be willing to ask for them. You can be a pioneer in this new age.
During a break at the ASTD conference last month where I was coaching, I wandered over to the conference book store to see what they had to offer. The selection was quite extensive. I smiled when I saw a stack of Nan’s books, Hitting Your Stride: Your Work, Your Way 
Business Week’s Working Parents Blog ran an post last week covering survey results that indicate “Working Women Want Money Not Balance”. I imagine reviewing the demographics of the women surveyed would reveal that these women aren’t Six Figure Moms. It may be true for some but I have issue with the suggestion that women must choose between one or the other. Most of the women I interview and coach are concerned with balance because they want a good mix of everything. We can’t have both balance AND money? I think we can. As a Six Figure Mom, you have an opportunity to use your resources to speak up and influence the change that’s occuring in our US workforce. Everyone wants more flexibility, telecommuting options and the option to choose whether they work 8-5 or 5-8. This is no longer an issue that only hits home with women but with everyone that’s ever got a taste of it and liked it.
Throughout your career, employers have likely invested thousands in your professional development. Maybe you took personality profiling assessments like DISC or Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Although you thought this was important, some of you just wanted to get through it so you could get back to mastering your core job duties. Understandable, but now take a second look. You might just have a drawer full of insightful things to use in building your Best Life.
If you don’t have these tools, Facebook is here to help. You can take the MBTI for free. All you need is a Facebook login and then you can download the widget.