I just read a fabulous post by Kelly Hannum at www.leadingeffectively.com. As a mew mom, struggling to manage the chaos of work and home, I have a newfound interest in the discussions about Leaning In (Sheryl Sandberg's book) or being Maxed Out (Katrina Alcorn's book).
Kelly says it SO perfectly when she says in her post: “We need to examine why women (and frankly a lot of men too) are opting out and what they are taking with them when they leave… We need to ask ourselves (and each other) what we need to do differently in order to support healthy people and families AND productive as well as sustainable work environments. One can’t happen without the other.”
I think that there are some well documented answers to those questions… paid maternity/paternity leave, part-time career paths work, flexible schedules, telecommute options, quality affordable childcare…. I could go on and on. Even WITH all of these things, which I am so very incredibly lucky to have, it is HARD to be a parent who works outside the home. I wonder everyday how my friends and colleagues who don’t share the level of support that I have manage to function.
We can do better.
We must do better.
Why do you think that parents are 'opting out', what are they taking with them? More importantly, what do you think we must do differently to support healthy families and a productive workforce?
Thanks for the comment on my blog. I totally agree with you here. It's such a challenge to provide for a family and policies on leave and flex time really need work!
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