Womenomics - the new feminism
I'm currently reading a book called "Womenomics" by Claire Shipman and Katty Kay. Both women are working mothers in the highly competitive field of tv journalism. They write about an important workplace trend - led by working mothers but followed by men and younger women as well. The trend is to reject the climbing of the corporate ladder to design your own career path. A strong desire to find a comfortable work life balance is what drives this trend. Increasing numbers of people, from working moms to millenials, reject the idea of letting work crowd out the other important things in their lives.
As I read this book, I am struck by how much of it describes my own career over the past 9 years. In August 2000, my family and I left Chicago to move to Tucson. I was looking for a way to have both a career that was interesting and to be with my sons as they grew up. I negotiated with my employer to allow me to make the move and to telecommute to work every day. Although I was and am grateful that my employer was flexible enough to allow me to do what I so desperately wanted to do, I paid a high price for my decision. I had to give up the team I was managing and take a job with no direct reports and I was taken off the path to promotion. I felt I had taken several steps backwards on my career track.
Shipman and Kay describe this trend as the new feminism. The original feminists, of the 60s and 70s, gave women the opportunity to compete with men on men's terms in many fields. It was a huge breakthrough which has made so many things possible for the women who followed. The trend today is to challenge the status quo. When we demand flexible work arrangements or alternative career paths, we are saying that we want to re-define the rules of career success rather than simply compete under the old rules. This is not just a women's issue. Increasingly men are also looking for a better work life balance and are walking through the doors that women are opening.
As with all change, this one is not easy. There is an ego bruising side to it. No matter how sure you are in your decision to step off the fast track, it still hurts when you watch others - those who used to be far junior to you - zoom past as they climb the career ladder that you have eschewed. To soothe your bruised ego, I suggest you remind yourself of all that you have gained as a result of your decision. It doesn't make the pain go away but it helps.
Women, particularly working mothers, are leading one of the biggest transformations in work place dynamics in decades. We are redefining career paths and focusing on the value we bring our employers. The millienials - the generation in their 20s today - will expect this kind of flexibility. The companies that adapt most quickly will be the winners of the war for talent.
If you are one of the people who have made this decision, I'd love to hear about your experience. If you are thinking about making this move, I'd love to hear from you too.
As I read this book, I am struck by how much of it describes my own career over the past 9 years. In August 2000, my family and I left Chicago to move to Tucson. I was looking for a way to have both a career that was interesting and to be with my sons as they grew up. I negotiated with my employer to allow me to make the move and to telecommute to work every day. Although I was and am grateful that my employer was flexible enough to allow me to do what I so desperately wanted to do, I paid a high price for my decision. I had to give up the team I was managing and take a job with no direct reports and I was taken off the path to promotion. I felt I had taken several steps backwards on my career track.
Shipman and Kay describe this trend as the new feminism. The original feminists, of the 60s and 70s, gave women the opportunity to compete with men on men's terms in many fields. It was a huge breakthrough which has made so many things possible for the women who followed. The trend today is to challenge the status quo. When we demand flexible work arrangements or alternative career paths, we are saying that we want to re-define the rules of career success rather than simply compete under the old rules. This is not just a women's issue. Increasingly men are also looking for a better work life balance and are walking through the doors that women are opening.
As with all change, this one is not easy. There is an ego bruising side to it. No matter how sure you are in your decision to step off the fast track, it still hurts when you watch others - those who used to be far junior to you - zoom past as they climb the career ladder that you have eschewed. To soothe your bruised ego, I suggest you remind yourself of all that you have gained as a result of your decision. It doesn't make the pain go away but it helps.
Women, particularly working mothers, are leading one of the biggest transformations in work place dynamics in decades. We are redefining career paths and focusing on the value we bring our employers. The millienials - the generation in their 20s today - will expect this kind of flexibility. The companies that adapt most quickly will be the winners of the war for talent.
If you are one of the people who have made this decision, I'd love to hear about your experience. If you are thinking about making this move, I'd love to hear from you too.
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