While the specific ways people react to change vary widely, there are always two components to everyone’s reaction.  One component is their logical reaction and the other, their emotional reaction.

Do you often look at the calendar and wonder how you’re going to get it all done? As a single mom of twin 15-year-old boys, I’m fairly adept at juggling life…work meetings, orthodontist appointments, basketball games or whatever else gets thrown my way.  In my new role as a consultant, however, I have the added twist of overnight travel. Recently, I was away from my family on business to NYC, Fort Worth and San Francisco over a two-week period.  The juggling act felt more like a circus act gone awry and my household had a bit of a meltdown...to say the least!

While interviewing a group of people for a client’s 360 Feedback process, one of the raters told me she has a rule with her team. They have to make at least one mistake a week and tell her about it. She is also bound by the same rule. She has to make at least one mistake a week and share it with the team.

One idea that is transforming education is that all public schools are moving from state to national standards, referred to as “Common Core State Standards”.  Most educators are applying these ideas to their current curriculum. The standards from the Common Core (which have been adopted by public schools in nearly all of the fifty states) such as "speak audibly, and express thoughts, feelings and ideas clearly" can be traced from K to 12th grade.  Nobody could possibly argue against these being important life skills for students of all ability levels.

"Me" time, my time, mom's night out, girl's night out, mommy time or just a plain 'ole time out can be difficult to find.  But, if we are honest with ourselves, we CAN find the time.

The problem isn't really FINDING the time.  It is USING it.

On the heels of the Yahoo! “work from home ban” by Marissa Mayer, Sheryl Sandberg’s book “Lean In” was met with a hefty share of backlash. In just under a month, gender roles and flexibility in the workplace came to the forefront. Debates flared and blogger keyboards probably burned up!

A combination of factors, from increased women's advancement and gender parity to the recession, have gradually led to a rise in female breadwinners. But according to a new survey, many of these women are keeping mum about out-earning their partners.

Deciding to become a mom was one of the biggest and most exciting decisions of my life.

For many years I thought I never wanted kids.

It honestly never even crossed my mind until I was in my early 30’s and met my husband. I guess it took meeting a man I could imagine having kids with to uncover my maternal instinct.

I had been living a very adventurous life up until that point. In fact my husband and I met teaching sailing in Mexico.

I was having lunch with a female attorney who is a partner in a large law firm. We were discussing the strategies she uses to build her practice.  She said the key to her success was her ability to be singularly focused on her goals.  

I so appreciated hearing that advice and it got me thinking about how busy and distracted working moms can be.  If we are asked to help out, we feel compelled to jump in and get the job done regardless of the importance of the task. That isn’t the best strategy to build a satisfying career.

Unfortunately, this happens.  Ugh.

Despite our best efforts, employers do lie.  And people can get caught in a web that impacts both their professional and personal lives.