By Susan Brenner
For a number of years I treated my direct reports to a golf lesson with a local pro. Actually, I’m not sure everyone thought of the experience at first as a treat. Some had never picked up a club except at a miniature golf course, some had had some frustrating experiences with this challenging game, but all were willing to give it a try. The pro was patient and had a great sense of humor, the days were warm and sunny, and more than a few of these good sports showed some real talent for the game.
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By Danroy "Dan" T. Henry
Our organization has taken what we believe will be the right next step in our quest to continuously put into practice our values. This year, in addition to awareness training, and the different efforts of our diversity council and affinity groups, we are challenging everyone in the organization to make a personal commitment to doing “one thing” in 2010 to help advance inclusive behaviors in the organization. Theory being that corporate programs have limited reach so the more we can unleash the personal power of the many employees working in our many locations to lead the cause, the faster we’ll develop sustainable velocity around the practices that create real inclusiveness where it matters most. My one thing is to inspire at least 1000 One Things.
By Susan Brenner
I had a birthday last week, and my kids got me an amazing present. It’s an iPod Nano, and it came loaded with wonderful surprises: lots of music featuring my favorite artists, the latest airing of NPR’s Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me, and best of all, videos of my grandsons sending me birthday greetings. There was Jacob (9) wearing a Canada hat (in honor of the Olympics, no doubt), Noah (almost 7) as Darth Vader, and Eli (just turned 1) knocking down block towers with great determination. This gadget had gone coast to coast to get the proper greetings recorded, and because the boys call me “Nanny,” it was immediately dubbed Nanny’s Nano.
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By Danroy "Dan" T. Henry
 I am old enough to remember the guy sitting on the stool whose job it was to punch the button for your floor, open and close the metal gate, and allow passengers on and off of the elevator. However, the problem with elevators then is the same problem now; passengers tend to have a broad alignment of macro, but a fundamental misalignment of their micro goals. Simply put, not their floor, not their micro goal. Everyone wants to go up or down, but almost no one likes making other people’s stops along the way. The elevator guy had little control of the conditions that could have optimized the micro dynamic. As a result, the role has largely been replaced by banked and express elevators that at least attempt to gather people who are going to the same general floors riding in the same cars. (more…)
By Susan Brenner
 When I saw the following headline in the January 14th issue of USA Today’s article “Kids Affect Your Blood Pressure,” I was fairly certain what was coming next. The trials and tribulations of sleep deprivation, contrary toddlers and teenagers, messy kids’ rooms and how all this and more leads straight to a trip to the pharmacy. Much to my surprise, researchers found the opposite was true. Being a parent may actually lead to better health.
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By Andrea Wicks Bowles
 This year there are numerous annual conferences that, as in the past, promise to be both informative and relevant. Perhaps in 2010, it will be imperative to find the time and the budget to participate in one of the many offerings. Getting together with peers and colleagues, thought leaders, and competitors to share stories, experiences, questions and opinions, is essential to understanding the potentially shifting employer-employee contract. (more…)
By Danroy "Dan" T. Henry
Within 30 days after the New Year, 97 percent of the people making resolutions will have abandoned or modified them in some way. For many, they just don’t work as a tool for making lasting and meaningful changes. In fact, the best time to own a health club might be the first two weeks in January when, in the spirit of the season, mostly new memberships are sold. The best time to use the health club? You guessed it, February, when people start dropping out!
Rather than making resolutions I won’t keep, here’s my list:
- Improve what I touch
- Do more listening
- Learn at least one new skill
- Choose optimism
- Have fun!
- Maintain a healthy work/life juggle
By Susan Brenner
No, I don’t mean the kind that cleans the floor. There are plenty of those, and we need them.
I mean the vacuum of ideas. Have you ever been in a situation where you don’t know what to expect next? I bet you didn’t stay in that “not knowing” place for very long. Right or wrong, you probably speculated your way out.
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By Susan Brenner
One of the joys of being a blogger is reading and responding to what other bloggers are saying. Last week, a mom on a site called http://discoverchildcare.com/blog/ wrote about responding to a parent survey circulated by the Bright Horizons Child Care Center her children attend. She started out answering the expected questions regarding her children’s care, snacks served, teachers, etc., but then went on to ask questions regarding her work/life arrangements. At first she was surprised that a child care center would be interested in any part of her life other than the care of her youngsters, and she seemed reluctant to supply the answers. She was particularly perplexed over the questions regarding her employer’s role in her work/life agenda. As she thought more about it, she began to like the idea that a center or an employer would care about this issue.
Those of us in the early care and education field view child care as a vital key for the success of working parents. Of course a center’s primary job is the health, safety, care, and education of the children in our care, but these children don’t come to us alone. Picture your camera focused on a child, then panning out to include parents, grandparents, cousins, pets, and more. Every child arrives at a center with a unique family background, and understanding who is in the life of that child will contribute to a rich family-center partnership.
Mom and dad are the child’s first teachers, and as they hand their child over to an early education caregiver, they are generally looking for two things:
- A safe and healthy place for their baby, toddler, or preschooler to spend the day
- A day filled with growth, learning, and fun
Any place can accept a child and allow parents to go off to work, but not just any place can provide the sense of well – being that will set parents up for a productive day.
Early care and education teachers typically enter the field because they love children, are fascinated by child development, enjoy the atmosphere of a center, and while all of that speaks to the nature of their work, these teachers are also work/life heroes. The center allows parents to go to work; the teachers are the ones who make it possible for parents to go with confidence.
Juggling the work/life agenda isn’t easy, but it doesn’t have to be done alone. Child care centers and many employers stand ready to help families reach their goals.
By Danroy "Dan" T. Henry
Here come the new Dads…but is your organization ready?
According to the Families and Work Institute’s 2008 study on gender and generation changes, the dads of today aren’t like their predecessors when it comes to family and their work views and ambitions.
While the average time all dads spend with their children has increased 1.2 hours, millennial fathers (age 29 and under) spend almost two more hours a day with their children than dads in all other age groups. Also, dads that report feeling more conflicted juggling work and home life has increased by 11 percent since the late 70s. (more…)
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