As a woman in her late 20s, I’m firmly seated on the Career Track: I got my undergraduate degree from a great school, I worked my way through three promotions in four years, I’m working at getting my MBA from another great school, and I have been keeping up my personal brand all the while. I have a Career Action Plan, all kinds of goals, and if it all works out, I should be set.
But what about the Life Track?
I wrote a year ago about making time for the big things in life: falling in love, having a family, doing all the bucket list things I always wanted to do. It was my goal to spend a year focusing so I could make some room in my life for those things.
It turns out, more women are focusing on the Life Track, too. Someone shared survey results with me by More magazine: about 43% of women surveyed say they are less ambitious now than they were 10 years ago; only 25 percent of women are working towards their next promotion. Now, these are women age 35-60, and it would be interesting to see what the 25-35 group would say.
The report comes from the third annual “Women and Workplace” survey which finds that 65 percent of college-educated women nationwide prefer to have more free time in their lives than make more money at their jobs. In fact, 40 percent would even take a pay cut for more flexibility.
“Since the 1970’s women have poured into the American workplace – and now we’re at a crossroads,” says More magazine Editor in Chief, Lesley Jane Seymour. “Stymied by our efforts for advancement and confused about how to manage our personal life and a promising career, today’s career-minded women are sacrificing ambition for balance.”
Is it really a sacrifice? Or more like a compromise? I feel that as the dynamics of the workplace change, that as people strive to grow meaningful relationships with their families, this is an effort for employees to say: Let me be present in my family’s life, and then I can be present in my job without distraction. It’s not that easy, though.
With today’s weak economy and high unemployment rate, 33 percent of women believe it’s career suicide to ask for more flexibility at work. Given the demand structure of today’s workplace, 92 percent of women value workplace flexibility, which is up markedly from 2 years ago (73%). And it’s not just women with children— single women are also choosing to forgo the corner office. In fact, more women without children (68%) would rather have more free time than make more money at work, than those with children (62%).
And as a single woman, I would agree. Just because I don’t have kids or a husband, doesn’t mean I want to pick up the slack for everyone else. There are so many things that we may need to take care of outside of work: aging parents, sibling relationships, and community involvement. Just making it to the gym can be difficult if you’re expected to be working 24/7, and your own health can take a toll (affecting your job performance). I think the trend is going to move towards everyone expecting more flexibility, not just women.
But you still have to do your job, and I think that’s going to be what keeps companies hesitant.
I think the obvious thing here is that women are putting more life consideration into their career decisions. “Today’s working women aren’t throwing in the towel; they want to work. They are just ‘redefining ambition’ to include a career that offers flexibility and enables them the opportunity to pursue a fulfilling life outside of work,” adds Seymour.
Image via Wikipedia.
I agree, I think the trend is toward everyone expecting more flexibility. And how great would that be? The fathers could have more time at home- freeing up the mothers to more effectively juggle their own careers and home responsibilities.
Terri, I think it’s true. It’s not so much that one side is asking another to pick up all the slack, it’s that it’s being redistributed so that people can be more productive by being able to focus. I know people might abuse this flexibility, but they’re the ones already playing games all day. Thanks!
Wanted to share this post that is a nice complement to mine: Are Men Expected to Have Work-Life Balance?
http://www.forbes.com/sites/brettsinger/2011/11/02/do-men-look-for-work-life-balance/
I raised my daughter with her loving mother to appreciate core values and ways to sustain them beyond childhood, adolescence and into motherhood. As a young father, and workaholic by necessity, I modeled poorly anything resembling balance. I worked and earned three degrees beyond my baccalaurreate- my master of science in 12 consecutive months by way of example of how “driven” (by fear) I was.
My current path has me working more sanely at the tender age of 56. All along the way I’ve observed men and women wrestle with work/life track thinking.
What my daughter has found, as she currently lives in Belgium and works for the Belgian government’s department of welfare and human services, is that tracks are a limiting belief. Whereas many are in search of work “that feeds” them, my daughter figured out that it is how she lives that feeds her work. The false separations of living in tracks creates false definitions and “boundaries” that require a habit of leaving the best parts of ourselves at the respective entrance ways for each “track.”
She is 33 and just had her first child, my first grandson. We grew up together. I was a very young father. And as my spiritual path has begun to expedite integration of my faculties and desires out here in the world, she has shared many things that she learned to do (and not to do) watching me walk ahead of her when she was my baby (She’ll always be too!).
Best wishes to you in your MBA. Here at CMeNow we refer to that abbreviation as standing for “Mega Brand Ambassadors”. You are a mega brand, Em! Keep going.
I am a new fan!
Just found you.
Fondest regards-
Anthony
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Anthony Chavez
Co-Founder, CMeNow Inc.
Berkeley CA
510-525-0438
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“That he should seek the love of a woman, a man must become the essence of the woman he desires. And she will recognize her best qualities in him, enjoying the freedom to walk beside him free from fear.”
– Latigo Twain,
Cape Girardeau, MO
1990
i just read something about balance today and would love to share it.
” Don’t just have career or academic goals. Set goals to give you a balanced, successful life. I use the word balanced before successful. Balanced means ensuring your health, relationships, mental peace are all in good order. There is no point of getting a promotion on the day of your breakup, there is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts, shopping is not enjoyable if your mind is full of tensions.”
My current path has me working more sanely at the tender age of 44. I use the word balanced before successful. Balanced means ensuring your health, relationships, mental peace are all in good order.All along the way I’ve observed men and women wrestle with work/life track thinking, thanks for sharing, keep up the good work.
Before starting my new 9 Lives for Women venture, I worked for 10 years as a recruiter and coach helping women return to the work force. My advice to the GenYs: start planning now–even before you’re married–for a career path that can include different types of work for different phases of your life–part-time, full-time, consulting, entrepreneurial ventures, etc. The reality is that employers are never going to hand out “balance” or “flexibility” in any widespread way. It’s unfortunate, but it’s a fact. Instead women have to be their own flexibility advocates–planning ahead so that when a baby comes or a parent is ill they don’t panic and leave work altogether. I’ve spoken to so many women in their 40s, 50s and 60s who are happy that they spent time with their children, but not necessarily happy that they are just volunteering. Take a look at my blog post on off-ramping for some insight to what’s ahead: “No Coasting on the Off Ramp”: http://9livesforwomen.com/2012/07/18/no-coasting-on-the-off-ramp/
who put this fucking gay named Jonny Litchinstein to work in american magazine he is sick in the head he got history of mentall illness let him go this masege is for lesley jane seymour from More get rid off him