“What are they going to ask me,” queried a former colleague as we were talking about her upcoming job interview. ‘Marquee projects,’ I responded without even thinking. She sought a new, expanded role in another company. When we worked together she led a huge enterprise-wide initiative. Yes, this was in addition to her day job. Sound familiar? Continue reading
“This doesn’t get me,” remarked Carolyn Bates, a recent Notre Dame grad, from the dressing room of a mid-western retailer. (Fat Talk Carries a Cost, Hoffman, NYT, 5/28/2013, D4). This exchange from ‘Fat Talk Carries a Cost‘ highlighted body-centered self-deprecating women speak. Have you ever heard something like, “I can’t believe I ate that brownie. I am so fat!” Or responded, “You must be joking, you are not fat. Just look at my thighs!” (Fat Talk, NYT, 5/28/2013, D4) The article identified cultural norms that include all manner of negative retorts meant to maintain relationships. This doesn’t get me was presented as positive, a pivot. Continue reading
“A lot of it comes down to the money,” shared a seasoned business leader from the executive outplacement arena. I turned to him for some expert advice under the auspices of the Research Jam. I wondered how to categorize people in transition? From his perch folks in transition fall into three buckets: those who want to explore a dramatic life or career shift; those who simply wish to replicate their prior selves; and those who want to leverage their life or professional experiences to try something new or entrepreneurial. What about a common underlying issue? You guessed it. Money. Continue reading
‘It’s the and that I hate. I get, what are you doing? all the time. My parents. Their friends. My friend’s parents. They’re only listening for the ands not what’s in between,’ shared a teenage girl in the provocative documentary, Race to Nowhere. (note, I’m paraphrasing) The film spotlighted the unintended consequences imbedded in the US educational system. A test-driven, high-achievement, schedule-intensive, anxiety-producing swirl. The tormented teen pointed out that it isn’t enough to be taking honors courses AND volunteering AND playing lacrosse AND serving on the school council. What then? Continue reading
“Take out your application and reread it,” urged an endearing professor to our section of first year students at the Harvard Business School. We were less than a month into a two-year residence there. To a one we were humbled by the scope and pace required of us. At that moment we stood bleary-eyed and dejected. Her recommendation was intended to rekindle some sense of personal self-worth amidst a sea of upheaval. Did it work? Not sure any of us headed for our file cabinets but the sentiment was an elixir in its own right. Continue reading
I don’t know if anyone caught the news last week. On September 11 a textile factory fire in Karachi, Pakistan killed 289 workers. The factory made jeans destined for Europe. In reading about this tragedy and why it happened I was reminded of a quote in an investigative report on Apple and its Asian manufacturer Foxconn in the New York Times in January 2012. The series focused on the too-often fatal working conditions for employees who polished aluminum iPad cases. The quote by MIT professor, Nicholas Ashford, was, “If it were terribly difficult to deal with aluminum dust, I would understand. But do you know how easy dust is to control? It’s called ventilation. We solved this problem over a century ago.” Jeans? iPads? A profoundly sad common denominator…these tragedies were avoidable. Continue reading
Posted in Observations on Transition
Tagged Apple, career transition, Eleanor Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt It's Up to the Women, Foxconn, Harvard, It's Up to the Women, Karachi Pakistan Textile Factory Fire, linda rossetti, Nicholas Ashford, observations on transition, personal transition, Tickle Me Elmo, transition, Triangle Shirtwaist Factory NYC, women's transition, women's transition issues
“I can’t say anything,” said a long-time friend as she shared with me her opinion of a decision facing a mutual friend of ours. She was catching me up on the news of this friend whom she sees regularly. Her silence was triggered by an issue related to a child. The child’s parents disagreed on an educational decision. You couldn’t possibly say anything? I was stunned. Shouldn’t she offer a perspective or talk our friend through some options? I realize that I’m more confrontational than most…but silence? Really? Continue reading
In early May I happened to catch a few minutes of wbur’s On Point with Tom Ashbrook. His topic, Death At A Young Age, featured the 1987 death of five sorority sisters who were killed in an automobile accident when returning from a charity walk-a-thon. While it might sound morbid, the conversation was anything but. Continue reading
What’s your take on social media? Earlier today I experienced social media deja vu for the first time. Who knew? A friend tagged a Forbes.com post on LinkedIn entitled,“The Six Enemies of Greatness (and Happiness)” by blogger Jessica Hagy. The caption included a few little drawings.
The Six Enemies of Greatness ( and Happiness) by Jessica Hagy, Forbes.com 2/28/12
The drawings looked and felt like the illustrations that I’d been seeing all week in “The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization by Peter Senge.” What can I say, the drawings spoke to me…. Continue reading
Posted in Observations on Transition
Tagged career transition, career transition issues, Fifth Discipline, Jessica Hagy, MIT, novofemina, observations from a women's transition, personal transition, Peter Senge, transition, Transitions Making Sense of LIfe's Changes, William Bridges, women's professional transition, women's transition issues, work family balance
“I finally got around to reading your interest card,” said Andrall Pearson former President and COO of Pepsi Co. and my professor during a second year course at the Harvard Business School. His quip came as he leaned on my desk with hushed tones moments before class started. The card, an arcane pre-Internet system – think index card – held a few sentences authored by students to convey our interests to professors. On my card I’d divulged my dream of running an emerging business. That day the class was scheduled to discuss a 1980′s-style emerging business, Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT). OAT was founded in 1978 by a high school anthropology teacher in her three-story house in Cambridge, Massachusetts. My little visit from Andrall was my heads up, referred to as a soft-call, that I would be leading the class’ discussion that day. I had about a minute and one-half to prepare. Continue reading
