I am a working mother. I made the decision to cut my work hours and go part-time so I could be with my daughter as much as possible while continuing to keep up with the advertising/media industry (and saving a bit of my sanity).
It works for me.
And I am fully aware that I will not become the CEO of a mega company.
I think that is where some of the connection is lost with the leadership of today. We are not all trying to see the view from the top. Some of us are efficient, multi-tasking, extremely valuable employees regardless of our total hours per week or the location of our desks.
I am a better employee when I can work from home. I am a happier employee when I am wearing fuzzy socks and basking in the quiet of my child-free home while Amelia is at preschool. I can focus my time on my work, knowing that I don't have to drive 30 minutes to pick her up or worrying that I will be late. I need a mere 5-minute lunch break; just enough time to slap together a sandwich and check Facebook before I am back to email, Excel, and PowerPoint.
I remember how great it felt as a full-time employee to wake up on "blue jeans Fridays". Now I enjoy that freedom and reduced-stress feeling Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. My company pays me an average of 14 hours per week. Only rarely do those hours involve time-sucking meetings, attention-stealing friendly chats in the hallway, or disruptive cold calls from media sales reps. They easily get a 20-hour value out of my 14 because I am all alone.
They don't have to pay any benefits, either - I call that a good deal.
My company also gets an employee who appreciates their compassion towards motherhood and won't stray to another employer. They stick by me, and I will stick by them.
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| Flexible schedule means I can go on the field trip to the police station! |
