by Paige Churchman (New York City)
How many times have you and friends, equally frazzled, fantasized about a three-day (or shorter) workweek? Something’s wrong with this picture because maybe like me, you actually love to work. Maybe throwing yourself into a project invigorates you, makes you feel important, connected to the world and happy.
So what’s wrong? A flame needs tending. It needs fuel to keep it going and it needs to be kept in check so you don’t burn out. First on my list of fuels is the work itself. I have to believe in it. My other fuels all start with P -pride, prestige, power and, yes, the paycheck. What keeps the flame from burning me up are the things that ground me and keep me human: good fresh food, sleep, nature, movement, music, meditation, family, friends, new ideas to bend my mind and lots of creativity. But when I’m burning too high, I often don’t know it.
How wide is the gap between how you live and your ideal? Does your work feed or drain you? How do you give your career everything it needs and still know who you are? The Glass Hammer took these questions out into the corporate world to see how some top women find their balance or, if they haven’t found it, what they dream of. We talked to someone in a company known for its quality of life (Cisco Systems, number six on Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For ), someone in an industry known for its long hours (law), and seven women in an industry that’s hurting (finance).
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Nine Balancing Acts – Part II
Work-LifeIn Part I of this article this morning, writer Paige Churchman wrote: “How wide is the gap between how you live and your ideal? Does your work feed or drain you? How do you give your career everything it needs and still know who you are? The Glass Hammer took these questions out into the corporate world to see how some top women find their balance or, if they haven’t found it, what they dream of. We talked to someone in a company known for its quality of life (Cisco Systems, number six on Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For ), someone in an industry known for its long hours (law), and seven women in an industry that’s hurting (finance).” This morning’s part covered the women at Cisco and in law. This afternoon, Ms. Churchman finishes with a conversation with seven women in finance.
Women in Finance
Seven women in finance spoke anonymously about what might give them some balance. The two youngest, both single, want some time for themselves. They’re looking for freedom in how and where their hours go so they can develop in new directions.
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Nine Balancing Acts – Part I
Featured, Work-LifeHow many times have you and friends, equally frazzled, fantasized about a three-day (or shorter) workweek? Something’s wrong with this picture because maybe like me, you actually love to work. Maybe throwing yourself into a project invigorates you, makes you feel important, connected to the world and happy.
So what’s wrong? A flame needs tending. It needs fuel to keep it going and it needs to be kept in check so you don’t burn out. First on my list of fuels is the work itself. I have to believe in it. My other fuels all start with P -pride, prestige, power and, yes, the paycheck. What keeps the flame from burning me up are the things that ground me and keep me human: good fresh food, sleep, nature, movement, music, meditation, family, friends, new ideas to bend my mind and lots of creativity. But when I’m burning too high, I often don’t know it.
How wide is the gap between how you live and your ideal? Does your work feed or drain you? How do you give your career everything it needs and still know who you are? The Glass Hammer took these questions out into the corporate world to see how some top women find their balance or, if they haven’t found it, what they dream of. We talked to someone in a company known for its quality of life (Cisco Systems, number six on Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For ), someone in an industry known for its long hours (law), and seven women in an industry that’s hurting (finance).
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Massachusetts Conference for Women
NewsOn Thursday, December 11, approximately 5000 women from the business, finance, technology, law, and health industries attended the Massachusetts Conference for Women at the Boston Convention Center. The conference’s theme, “The Next Chapter of You,” was underscored throughout the day in educational sessions and keynote speeches with titles such as “Standing Out in the Crowd,” “Second Acts and New Beginnings,” and “A Brand New, Brand You.” Speakers encouraged attendees to both invest in themselves and give back to their communities. There was little talk about Wall Street’s woes and the bleak economic outlook. Instead women focused on the issues they could control: how they were showing up professionally and where they could affect positive change in their business and personal lives.
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Women in the City Award Winner: Dr. Denise Pollard-Knight, Managing Director, Nomura Phase4 Ventures
Movers and ShakersYou wouldn’t expect a biochemistry degree to open many doors in financial services but Denise Pollard-Knight has found that her life sciences background has given her an excellent grounding for bioscience investment management. She is now Managing Director of Nomura Phase4 Ventures, a venture capital subsidiary of Asia-based investment bank Nomura, and has just been confirmed as the Financial Services Category winner in the Women in the City awards 2008.
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Hand in Hand International: A Holistic Approach to Microfinancing
Women and PhilanthropyIn the fight against global poverty, microfinance has been hailed as one success story in a field of many failures. As microlending continues to move into the mainstream, men tend to hold the top jobs. But there are women moving up the ladder.
Hand in Hand International, a public charitable trust that works mainly in India with some activity in Afghanistan and South Africa, is a prime example. Headed by Indian national Kalpana Sankar, the organization takes a holistic approach to microfinance, believing that such an approach is necessary to make microfinance a sharper tool in combating poverty.
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Movers & Shakers: Aeronautics and Defense
Movers and ShakersOf the six companies among the Fortune 100 ranking for this industry—Boeing (#27), United Technologies (#39), Lockheed Martin (#57), Honeywell (#73) , Northrop Grumman (#76) and General Dynamics (#87)—all have women in the C-suite.
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Women as Leaders
Next LevelSharon Vosmek was busy planning an exit strategy when the CEO decided to resign from the company Vosmek had been working at as second in command for about three years. She was positive the company, Astia, would seek an external candidate, and then that person would bring in his or her own team. It never occurred to her that, perhaps, she could be a viable candidate for the position; that is, until the Astia community convinced her otherwise.
“I finally threw my hat in the ring for the position after the very loud and consistent support of others,” said Vosmek, who is now the CEO of Astia. “To this day I am surprised by my own lack of understanding that I had the very skills required to succeed as the CEO of Astia.”
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Pink Slips
Expert AnswersAt the recent CEO summit I produced in Canada, one of the women directors admitted to me that she was mortified when she was handed a pink slip and went to hide in the Ladies Room so no one would see her cry. She left the company at the end of the day, but before exiting, quickly signed the severance agreement given to her by an HR manager. She did not address her team nor did she say goodbye to her colleagues. She was just so embarrassed by the situation.
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Ask-A-Recruiter: The Choice Matrix
Ask A RecruiterYou have two job offers. Which do you choose? You’re expecting a baby. Do you stay at the job, scale back or quit altogether? You’re unhappy in your current job. Do you move laterally, find a new employer, or change careers? You will make many career choices in your lifetime. A matrix of your priorities and your options is a useful decision-making tool: Read more
Canada’s Top 100
Breaking the Glass CeilingOn November 25, 2008, The Women’s Executive Network (WXN) announced their picks for the 2008 Most Powerful Women in Canada: Top 100. This list recognizes and celebrates the achievements of women in academia, government and the arts alongside those in corporate leadership. More than a quarter of the women on this year’s list work in banking and financial services. Read more