Do you remember Lawrence Summers’ gaffe regarding women and the sciences? He referenced a “different availability of aptitude,” in 2005 while addressing an audience as president of Harvard University. It cost him his job. Would it surprise you that he might have unknowingly referred to a pervasive cultural bias that most likely affects women in every field, not just the sciences? Why stop at the fields…this bias is likely present in every transition over the arc of our lives. Continue reading…
Failure to Act?
I don’t know if anyone caught the news last week. On September 11 a textile factory fire in Karachi, Pakistan killed 289 workers. The factory made jeans destined for Europe. In reading about this tragedy and why it happened I was reminded of a quote in an investigative report on Apple and its Asian manufacturer Foxconn in the New York Times in January 2012. The series focused on the too-often fatal working conditions for employees who polished aluminum iPad cases. The quote by MIT professor, Nicholas Ashford, was, “If it were terribly difficult to deal with aluminum dust, I would understand. But do you know how easy dust is to control? It’s called ventilation. We solved this problem over a century ago.” Jeans? iPads? A profoundly sad common denominator…these tragedies were avoidable. Continue reading…
Does transition ever end?
I remember hopping into taxi cabs terrified that my broken portuguese wouldn’t suffice in communicating my desired location. After a few lengthy and circuitous rides around Sao Paulo, Brazil I reverted to taking the local bus. Much to the horror of my work colleagues I might add. These taxi escapades introduced me to the colorful ribbons that dangled from the rear view mirrors of almost every cab in the city. On each read the phrase, BonFim, and it’s originator the Church of Nosso Senhor do Bonfim. Bonfim simply translated means, good end. If ever there was a wish for transition…. Continue reading…
Summer Book Review #25: Meeting at the Crossroads
“I can’t say anything,” said a long-time friend as she shared with me her opinion of a decision facing a mutual friend of ours. She was catching me up on the news of this friend whom she sees regularly. Her silence was triggered by an issue related to a child. The child’s parents disagreed on an educational decision. You couldn’t possibly say anything? I was stunned. Shouldn’t she offer a perspective or talk our friend through some options? I realize that I’m more confrontational than most…but silence? Really? Continue reading…
Summer Book Review #24: Smart Women Don’t Retire They Break Free
‘It’s not easy to think about what I really want….for as long as I can remember it’s been achieve, achieve, achieve,’ I said to a friend of mine who joined me for lunch early in my transition. The concept piqued her interest. It engaged her. She’s a financial services entrepreneur. Her dream had been fashion design. And yet she found finance and accounting. A detour? A revelation? A necessity? Continue reading…
Summer Book Review #23: Odd Girl Out
“I couldn’t get a job,” said my sister-in-law as she was relating her story to a sympathetic audience at a recent family event. She sent out resumes. She interviewed. It didn’t go as she’d planned. Road block. Full stop. Continue reading…
Summer Book Review #22: The Way of Transition
“Nancy, Nancy, wake up! NANCY!” I shouted to rouse my sister who was asleep on a chair-cum-bed in my father’s hospital room. It was just after 7:00 am on a Sunday morning. We had dozed off at about 3:00 am. Cancer. I’m not sure why I woke up when I did. His breathing was erratic. We held his hand.
These moments raced back at me this week Continue reading…
Summer Book Review #20: The Happiness Project
“That was awesome!” shouted my spirited 7 year-old son as we walked into our cottage after a game of chess played on the beach on the tidal flats of Cape Cod Bay. Complete with over-sized pieces a la Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. It was one of those unplanned adventures that turned out Continue reading…
Summer Book Review #18: Dancing on the Glass Ceiling…
I got a terrible feeling as I extended my hand to introduce myself. We were meeting at a hotel restaurant for breakfast. It was St. Louis or Atlanta. I can’t remember which. I was screening him for a senior role on my team during my tenure at a large IT outsourcing company. I had been coached not to make instant decisions about candidates. We chatted. ‘Let the data make the decision,’ I kept repeating to myself. For some reason I was glad we were in a crowded hotel lobby. I couldn’t put my finger on this feeling I had. Ever been there? Continue reading…
Transition through a techie lens
What’s your take on social media? Earlier today I experienced social media deja vu for the first time. Who knew? A friend tagged a Forbes.com post on LinkedIn entitled,“The Six Enemies of Greatness (and Happiness)” by blogger Jessica Hagy. The caption included a few little drawings.
The Six Enemies of Greatness ( and Happiness) by Jessica Hagy, Forbes.com 2/28/12
The drawings looked and felt like the illustrations that I’d been seeing all week in “The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization by Peter Senge.” What can I say, the drawings spoke to me…. Continue reading…