Innholdsfortegnelse for June - July 2015 i Working Mother

Sticky Situations: Answers to Your Toughest Questions features author and expert Laura Vanderkam dishing out advice on your trickiest (and stickiest!) queries: How to respond when you overhear co-workers gossiping about you in the ladies’ room, how to deal with the “all homemade” school bake sale when you don’t cook, how to tell whether it's okay to bring your kids to the office—she tackles them all! Critical Mass: Advice from Top Women in Tech introduces you to women who hold powerful STEM jobs. This series of bite-size interviews offers up only the best advice from such tech titans as Edie Ashton, principal, information technology, for the Carlyle Group, a global private equity firm, and Denice Ross, a Presidential Innovation Fellow now working on crowdsourcing issues at the Department of Energy.…

Many moms telecommute, or want to—no surprise. “changing workforce demographics suggest that many would like to work from home their entire career, or at least short-term to manage home issues,” suggests kathryn minshew, co-founder and ceo of career support website themuse.com. But while employers are seeing the benefit of hiring remote workers, it’s still a pretty new world. here, minshew’s tips for finding a new athome job when you work from home. Time it out. Create structure around your job search, just as you do with your work. Decide, for example, that you’ll work at it from 8 to 9:30 a.m.—clean up your resume, search online, tap connections and such. consider tackling one task daily. then start work on your current job exclusively at 9:30. you don’t want your boss…

THE MOM Kimberly Baxter McLain President and CEO, Foundation for Newark’s Future (FNF), Newark, NJ THE SPOUSE Quincy McLain THE KIDS Gabrielle, 8, and Madison, 6 LIVES IN Englewood, NJ click Read about Kimberly’s family time at workingmother.com/mclain My Job FNF was founded in 2011 by Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and then–Newark Mayor Cory Booker with a five-year charge. So on any given day, I meet with various education stakeholders around the city—including donors, board members, local and state politicians—in best-practice discussions on how to improve Newark schools. When I’m not in meetings, I’m on-site visiting schools and organizations within the education community. It’s all about improving education for deserving kids, now and in the future. We’re about to go into our final school year with nearly $40 million to invest.…

Be Yourself Deb DeHaas Chief Inclusion Officer Deloitte “Be yourself” is the best advice I can give to anyone interviewing at Deloitte, regardless of the role. Our people are our most valuable asset and are at their best when they bring their authentic selves to work every day. And the interview process is no different: All candidates are encouraged to be their authentic selves when pursuing employment opportunities. We are seeking individuals we believe are a good cultural fit for our teams, express like values and share similar commitments to professionalism and client service excellence. The more we learn about our candidates and their unique strengths, the greater the opportunities for our people and our clients. Be Genuine Alison Banks-Moore Chief Diversity Officer Horizon Healthcare Services, Inc. Here’s my advice…

Whether through epic group brainstorming sessions or divide-andconquer delegation, every team has its own way of tackling a task. but what can make one team more successful than another? Women, according to a study from the massachusetts institute of technology. researchers challenged groups to complete a series of short assignments, and the results were clear: teams with more women outperformed teams with more men. What’s more, the researchers suggest gender parity isn’t what matters for such success—it’s simply about having more women. Why? they’re better at reading others’ complex emotional states (even online) and thus more attuned to teammates. no surprise to us! Wunder-ful App Speaking of teamwork, the award-winning Wunderlist lets you share to-do lists and plans as well as collaborate on projects and tasks—at work or home. For…

Don’t wear your heart on your sleeve— set it out on your desk instead with stylish Chit-Chat Desk Trays from Two’s Company. Each ceramic piece is adorned with one of 12 inspirational sayings and will corral paper clips, pushpins and loose change that might otherwise clutter your office space. Tray chic! ($14 each, parisshopgirl.com) Just like you, the sleek Bedside Smartphone Vase is a multitasker: It docks your phone, keeping it easily within reach as it displays a clutch of blooms to lift your mood. Available in white or mint green ($32, uncommon goods.com). These Grass Pens from CB2 may be made of silicone, but the fine-tip black-ink writers look like natural blades of grass sprouting from your pencil cup. They ship in assorted shapes and shades of green. Just…

{T} he numbers tell the story: A whopping 91 percent of multicultural women who feel they can be their whole self at work say they are satisfied with their current job, compared with just 36 percent of those who feel they can’t be authentic, according to our new Working Mother Research Institute survey of 1,746 employed college-educated women. They’re also more excited to go to work every day (72 percent versus 13 percent), would recommend their employer as a great place to work (78 percent versus 16 percent) and are willing to put in above-and-beyond effort (89 percent versus 44 percent). To that end, we asked women from across our 2015 Best Companies for Multicultural Women to share how they define their personal brand—and use it to thrive in their…

When I was little, my grandmother would tell me that my circle of friends would get smaller as I got older. Of course, I didn’t want to hear this at the wise old age of 10 because, well, what 10-year-old girl doesn’t want a gazillion best friends forever? But now, at the still-wondering-when-the-wisdom-sets-in age of 43, I’m beginning to realize how right she was (thank you Grandma!). And it also occurs to me how essential it is to nurture that circle. Yep, it may take a village to raise kids, but it takes a hamlet to keep you sane while you're doing it. You know, a hamlet: smaller than a village, but larger than a settlement. That intimate group of friends you can count on one hand or so. Because…

6:00 a.m. Alarm rings. I hit snooze. Slept in gym clothes to expedite predawn workout. 6:04 a.m. Warm breath on my face. I detect fuzzy image of daughter. 6:05 a.m. Alarm rings. I debate cuddling with child versus sweating with Stair Master. Cuddling wins. As does snoring by still sleeping spouse. 7:15–8:00 a.m. I make breakfast, ask both daughters to get dressed, pack lunches, tell girls to get dressed, clean kitchen, get dressed myself, demand that girls get dressed. 8:15 a.m. I yell at girls to get dressed. 8:35 a.m. We bicker about correct outerwear and the need to leave immediately. Profuse sweat, frantic pacing. Are these my sense-of urgency-challenged progeny? 9:02 a.m. Late to school, despite 1950s-era working parent-unfriendly 9:00 a.m. start time. 9:15 a.m. Back in my home…

Smarter Notion It’s great to read about tangible ways to improve balance. The hard thing is when trying to implement such changes causes more stress, particularly at work, where these notions are not embraced. Hopefully, over time, the corporate world will come to see the “do less” notion more clearly as a “work smarter” notion that embraces innovation and big ideas. —Holly Caldwell via Facebook Potty Break Your magazine is first up on my bathroom reading (only place I have time to read) ;) —Elaine McGhee @ThriveMomma via Twitter Flex for All! Needing flexibility is not just about being a mother or parent. All workers should have that option if their industry permits. —Midge Romanovich via Facebook Some companies don’t see flexibility as an asset. But when I worked from…

CORPORATE—TRADITIONAL WITH A TOUCH OF FLAIR You won’t go wrong wearing a blazer with a great shell and a pencil skirt or a well-cut pair of pants (not too skinny, thank you!), says designer/stylist Dawn Baker, owner of happy LA boutique in Pacific Palisades, CA. Keep colors calm—you don’t want your outfit to pull focus away from you. Add minimal accessories: maybe a great pair of earrings (pearls are fab) and a classic bracelet, sans necklace. Feel strong in a beautiful pair of pumps, and carry a tote with a pop of color. Here: Reiss Topaz Blazer and Skirt in French Navy and Campbell Vest in Mercury ($425, $195 and $145, reiss.com); Nina Cage Front Court Shoe in Navy Suede ($275, ninashoes.com); bag not available. tip Always cover your arms…

1. Double up. Ask a friend to join you for something you’re already doing, like a lunchtime fitness class or a Saturday activity with the kids. It’s a way for you to get your own playdate in without feeling overscheduled, says Dr. Caroline Leavitt, who counsels moms on work life issues. 2. Mark milestones. Keep a calendar of pals’ birthdays, their kids’ birthdays and other personal dates, especially for friends you know will appreciate these remembrances. “Not all friend interactions need to take a lot of time,” adds Dr. Leavitt. “A few kind words go a long way in maintaining these relationships.” 3. Get busy together. “Volunteer, choose hobbies with friends or throw a dinner party together,” suggests psychologist Dr. Harriet Brodsky. “The bonds women forge when sharing these activities—especially…