Yes, especially if you are one of the many trying to have a healthy balance between a career and family. While in this post I am focusing on career and family, this relates to everyone that is mastering the juggling act in your own life!
Harvard Business Review had put out an tip last year stating just as corporations have a board of directors, it's equally important to have a personal board of directors.
Of course this makes sense. We all have them, you just didn't realize they had a title!
These folks are your "go to" people when you are making decisions through out your life. They represent various areas of your life: family, financial, professional etc. They may change overtime as you go through different phases of your life and you may even have some special guest advisors that make appearances time to time. But once you hit your late 20s, your board starts to take shape.
I'm not going to cover all my areas and board members but I wanted to share some thoughts around one area of life that I'm currently experiencing as a parent and while working full-time.
This post is for both men and women. We are no longer in a society of where women just need to figure this out (though I do find us struggling more than men). I would argue that men too are struggling with the balancing act. Family, relationship commitments, work, extracurricular activities, health the list goes on.
So read on men :)
We can all learn from each other - that's why you are reading this right?
So even though I'm probably not on your board of directors, I wanted to share with you some great insights I have received from my board of directors along the way and some great mentors that have shown me that being able to do it all is all possible, by not just talking about it, but actually doing it and doing it damn well!
So being a new mom of two under two while being an SVP at a top advertising agency hasn't exactly been smooth sailing. It's a juggling act to say the least! I'm fortunate though to have fantastic role models in my industry that have knowingly or unknowingly shown me the way and served as my inspiration recently. Two in particular in the last three years.
Pam Hamlin, President, Arnold Worldwide, mother of two
What I learned from Pam:
Sh*t happens - deal with it and kick a**.
Pam heads up one of the largest ad firms in Boston. She worked her way up the corporate ladder and through the ranks. She had children along the way, raised them well and then a few years ago Pam learned she had breast cancer.
Crap.
One of those life changing events that makes you question everything and all that you are currently doing. So what did Pam do? Throw the towel in? Hell no.
She did what she has been doing all these years.
She kept being a mom, she still came into work and led the company as a President, she went through chemotherapy, rocked a wig with pride, beat the cancer and life went on. Lesson learned.
Karen Kaplan, President, Hill Holliday, mother of two
Like Pam, Karen too has worked her way through the ranks and now heads up one of the largest ad firms in Boston as well. Karen actually started as a secretary at Hill Holliday. She worked hard to get to where she is today and in the short time that I have gotten to know her, she has inspired and enchanted me with her confidence, charm and sense of humor.
She is a mother of two and speaks often in forums on the balancing act as how to be an involved parent while climbing the corporate ladder and maintaining a leadership role.
She has helped me navigate the questionable waters of "am I doing the right thing staying in my job or should I be at home with my children?"
She recently gave a talk and shared the content with me and I wanted to pass it on to you:
First of all, no one expects you to be perfect.
Second, don’t try to figure anything out for the long term. Just put one foot in front of the other and take it one day at a time.
Third, it gets a little easier every single day. I promise.
Fourth, you learn to live without sleep. When I had kids I discovered that I actually need very little of it, and that it’s difficult to get anything meaningful done while you are asleep anyway :)
Fifth, when you question if you are doing right by your kids, take a step back and look at them as objectively as you can. How do they behave? How do they make decisions? What’s in their hearts? How kind are their souls? I’ve done this just about every day for 21 years, and I can honestly say that I have raised two very impressive human beings that anyone would be proud of.
Thanks Karen and Pam. Simple words but this is what we all need to hear from time to time to get us to that next moment.
We have become so good at questioning everything and hearing words like these do help us or at least me get through on the days when I might feel doubtful.
Of course a lot is easier said than done and ultimately you need to do what feels right to you but it helps to have mentors and that personal board directors to help you along the way.
I have many advisors that I lean on and many mentors and I want to thank you all!
So who is on your board?
----
Visit my site www.utopia46.com for more UX info!
