The Creative Process for this Article
5 Part Series
When I was a student in the Human Resource Development Master’s Program at Webster University, I was exposed to predominately female peers and professors. The women instructors were all professionals in their fields and had managed to climb the corporate ladder. Though very successful, none of them had children, and only one was married. On the other hand, the men instructors were all married with children. In most cases their wives stayed home to raise a family. I found this scenario disturbing. Why can’t successful, professional business women have both a career and a family? As my own life progressed, I began to find it more difficult to juggle all my responsibilities. Between a full time job, home responsibilities, three kids, and school, there never seemed to be enough time in the day. While I still feel that way, I have managed to seamlessly integrate all four aspects into each day. Because I am able to work from home, I have the flexibility to arrange my responsibilities in an order that suits my needs. I will admit, my life probably looks chaotic to many, and I really believe that my children’s teachers and coaches think I live a carefree life because I am always available for appointments and meetings. The downside to my complete integration is very little relaxation time. Home is also my workplace and study place.
I skim through approximately twenty five to thirty magazines a month. The subject matter ranges from Harvard Business Review to Self Magazine to National Geographic. Recently, several articles have been published about women very similar to me. Many find it necessary to work but difficult to raise a family and have a satisfying career. Let’s face it, not all women reap satisfaction from staying home and changing dirty diapers. We want to contribute to the workforce like men but we are tired of being punished if we also need to take care of family matters.
I decided to create an organization on paper that would benefit many women out there. Maybe someone will want to implement it. My organizational design is a culmination of influence from previous women instructors, reading material focused on working mothers and professional women, conversations with other mothers, design theory, and my own life experiences. I can truly relate to every issue discussed in my article and have concluded that women with dependent responsibilities need flexibility, support, and help so they too can enjoy a fulfilling career. The creative process was literally a gift from God. I was sitting at the kitchen table after making lunch for the family and suddenly my mind was flooded with design plans. I could hardly write fast enough to keep up with my thoughts. Since I am introverted, I need time to think things through. Over several days, I was able to fine tune some of the details. I kept asking myself, what would be an ideal environment for professional women with small children or other personal responsibilities, such as elder care or volunteer work? Is there a place where women could maintain their skills, have support and help, yet add flexibility to meet life’s demands? I hope someday there will be. My ideas will be presented over the next 4 weeks in a 5 part series, this piece being one of the five. I would appreciate any comments you may have.
No comments:
Post a Comment