by Beth | Jun 14, 2023 | Lifestyle
My daughter, Katy, was in a wedding last weekend in Philadelphia. She was a stunning bridesmaid, and as she walked down the aisle, I boo-hooed like a baby! The couple said their lovely “I do’s”, the weather was perfect, the flowers lovely, and we set off confetti bombs as they walked back up the aisle. For that moment, life was just perfect.
I almost didn’t go.
I told myself that I couldn’t take the time off, because of blah, blah, and more blah. I said that I could take a longer vacation later. I pontificated that I needed to get my book manuscript finished. I tried to even bribe myself that if I waited, I could take a beach vacation somewhere exotic.
But several weeks before the wedding, the bride told Katy, “I can’t wait to walk down the aisle, look out into the crowd, and see your mom’s curls.”
So, of course I went, and looking back, I am SO glad that I didn’t miss that moment!
Also every year, I worry about leaving on vacation. I worry that my clients will be mad that I am gone. I worry that something big is going to happen while I am not there. I worry that putting off the recruiting process will drag out longer than I want it to… worry, worry and more worry.
Here is the truth: none of those worries ever come to fruition. As a matter of fact, the opposite is usually true. My clients are able to get more work done, because I am not there. They are relieved that they get to take a break, and typically, the hiring process goes faster upon my return.
In addition, I am happier and more relaxed, and I have time to think about the hiring process from the 30,000 foot view, not just from the ground level.
Vacations have always been important: whether you go somewhere exotic or have a “stay-cation” and spend the week at the pool working on your tan lines. But especially this year, vacation is more important than EVER.
Not only are people burnt out, a huge amount of people are leaving their jobs. If you want to keep your best employees, my advice is always to let them go on vacation. And when they are gone, make sure that you are covering their work so that they can completely unplug.
We know that innovation comes from experiences outside the office. So, if you are worried that no work will get done, some of the BEST work happens when you and your team unplug.
When we return, we all have killer tans, and you get solutions to big problems.
And the bride got to see my curls as she walked down the aisle. Sniff!
by Beth | Jul 13, 2022 | Lifestyle
My daughter Katy has 3 high school friends that I take on vacation every year. I absolutely love going on vacation with them, and this year, we went to Key West Florida to dig through the sand for seashells.
Also every year, I worry about leaving on vacation. I worry that my clients will be mad that I am gone. I worry that something big is gong to happen while I am not there. I worry that putting off the recruiting process will drag out longer than I want it to… worry, worry and more worry.
Here is the truth: none of those worries ever come to fruition. As a matter of fact, the opposite is usually true. My clients are able to get more work done, because I am not there. They are relieved that they get to take a break, and typically, the hiring process goes faster upon my return.
In addition, I am happier and more relaxed, and I have time to think about the hiring process from the 30,000 foot view, not just from the ground level.
Vacations have always been important: whether you go somewhere exotic or have a “stay-cation” and spend the week at the pool working on your tan lines. But especially this year, vacation is more important than EVER.
Not only are people burnt out, a huge amount of people are leaving their jobs. If you want to keep your best employees, my advice is always to let them go on vacation. And when they are gone, make sure that you are covering their work so that they can completely unplug.
We know that innovation comes from experiences outside the office. So, if you are worried that no work will get done, some of the BEST work happens when you and your team unplug.
When we return, we all have killer tans, and you get solutions to big problems.
Win/win.
by Beth | Apr 28, 2021 | Employee Retention, Lifestyle
Last week, I Interviewed a woman for a Senior level position, and immediately her child began to scream. Obviously flustered, the woman apologized profusely and said something to me that I will never forget:
She said, “You know, I don’t know how people do this. I can’t even ask my neighbor to come watch my child for 15 minutes while I have an interview. As matter of fact, I can’t even ask my own mother to come over to spend time with her grandchild!”
Then I asked her how she managed her childcare versus working at her current position, and she said, “Luckily, I have a very flexible boss who lets me work the hours that I need to in order to get the job done. I work from 8 PM to 2 AM and then when my child takes a nap.”
Wow.
Even as a parent, I don’t think the full impact of how hard it is to have small children and a job in the middle of a pandemic with absolutely ZERO childcare help until I spoke to this candidate. 4.3 million parents may have to leave the workforce due to the pandemic, according to this article:
If you have great employees who are parents, I strongly encourage you to reach out to them often. Ask them how things are going, then ask them how you can help. We know that employees who feel seen, heard and valued, stay at jobs longer, and my hunch is these people need to feel this now more than ever.
Cleveland The bottom line:
turnover hurts the bottom line. If your employee is a good one, reaching out is the best way to keep them afloat. You need them as your employee, they need you as their employer, and it is also the right thing to do as a human being.
by Beth | Mar 3, 2021 | Lifestyle
When I grew up, if we knew of anyone who was going through a life transition, we took a casserole over to their house. We took casseroles to people who were sick, who had a relative that died, had a surgical procedure or when someone had a baby. It was our way of showing support for people in our community. It was how we showed people that we cared about them, and that they could count on us when it mattered. We were a part of their “casserole community.”
For those of you who don’t know, I contracted COVID-19 over the Christmas holidays. It was a brutal 3 weeks. At 10:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve, I was having trouble breathing and decided to call 9-1-1. I sat down on the bed to rest for a minute until I could gather enough strength to go get my cell phone, and the next thing I knew, it was 5:30 in the morning. All the lights were on, and I had made it through the night. I had turned a corner.
At one point, I was feeling particularly sorry for myself for being sick over the Christmas break, and my girlfriend texted me to see if I was okay. I texted back that I was getting better, and that I appreciated her checking in. She offered to send me groceries on Instacart. She was not the only one. My friends and neighbors showed up (virtually) in droves to send food, to check in, to offer moral support. My self-pity turned into gratitude for my “Casserole/Instacart” Community.
Here is the deal, people: we are in the middle of a global pandemic. We need each other. So, ask yourself this question: who is in your casserole community? Whose casserole community are you a part of? Who can you count on when you need help/support? Who can count on you? Even in the best of times, we all need a community, and these are definitely not the best of times for many people. However, being there for each other can make it infinitely more bearable.
http://midequalitygroup.co.uk/events/list/?tribe-bar-date=2024-01-27 Power thought: Think about who needs you to order them some groceries on Instacart. Or think about two people that you need to check in on today. You never know if you will make someone’s day with a small gesture of kindness and caring.
by Beth | Sep 9, 2020 | Leadership, Lifestyle
I have a friend/colleague named Beth Boen, who is the owner of SHE Leads Group, a business networking group for women business owners. A few weeks ago, Beth called me out of the blue. She does this approximately once a year. She picks up the phone, dials my number and asks one simple question:
“How are you?”
She has no other agenda than that. I always love our conversations: we talk about business, we talk about our families, what is going on with our kids… And every time I get off the phone with her, I think to myself “I am going to do more of this. I am going to reach out to others like Beth does to me.”
As it turns out, “water cooler” talk helps make employees feel more connected to their co-workers and executives. According to this article in the Denver Business Journal, https://www.bizjournals.com/bizwomen/news/latest-news/2020/06/missing-office-small-talk-researchers-say-it-impa.html these conversations to connect with each other really do affect your well-being at work. “Water cooler” talk can bridge the gap, so that controversial topics are easier to work through. Think about it: when you have a connection to someone, the hard conversation can be easier and the outcomes more innovative. The folks that are more successful at work are ones that engage and connect with each other.
If I am honest with myself, I know that Beth and I have a strong connection, because she reaches out to me every year. And let’s be clear: she is the one that has reached out to me, and it always makes me have a better day.
Let’s all make a commitment to engage in more meaningful conversation like Beth Boen, starting now. Make 2 calls a day for the next 4 days and see how you feel about the state of the world.
I’ll start.
by Beth | Aug 12, 2020 | Lifestyle
I have a killer tan. I am especially proud of it this year, because the world is in collusion for me to not have a tan. I have been to 3 different beaches on the east and west coast and all 3 were in some sort of closure. “You can’t sit here ma’am. You can only walk on the beach ma’am.” UGH.
In addition, my neighborhood pool is closed. No water in the pool, and all of the lounge chairs still stacked up neatly along the fence… except for 1 lone lounge chair sitting by itself facing the sun with the best side table right next to it. I have been sneaking into the pool area several times a week and sitting next to the waterless hole in the ground enjoying the sun.
Not much of a summer vacation.
Or is it?
We as Americans are terrible at resting! We have a built in “I must appear busy to the world!” attitude that doesn’t serve us long-term. Just ask the authors of this article on how to build a rest ethic: https://www.fastcompany.com/90515476/how-to-build-a-rest-ethic-that-is-as-strong-as-your-work-one
Taking pockets of time to rest and play is equally as important as working hard. You don’t have to have an exotic vacation to rest and feel rejuvenated. Take a drive. Walk your neighborhood and pretend that you have never been there before. What or who do you see? Sit on your patio and yell across the street to your neighbor. Unplug.
Or you can sneak into your neighborhood water-less pool and work on your tan.
And it is a GREAT tan!
