The Next Rich Girl

Will the Recession Make Men Step Up Around the House?

I've been thinking about this article in Newsweek this week that talks about how the recession may be helping families rebalance.  It argues that now that women account for 40% of the average household's income, men have to take up more of the slack around the house.  They need to do more cleaning, cook more meals, carry more of the parenting weight.  

And this is not just because women now spend more time outside the home, now women have to worry that any time taken off is a mark against her in the workplace.

Because women typically shoulder more of the weight of household management, they are perceived as more likely to allow their home life to interfere with work:

Maternal profiling is real. When a working father takes time off to watch a ballet recital, he's seen as noble. When a working mother rushes out of the office to care for a case of head lice, she's more likely to be labeled undependable. Mothers looking for work are less likely to be hired, are offered lower salaries, and are perceived to be less committed than fathers or women without children, according to a 2005 report by Shelley Correll, now an associate professor of sociology at Stanford University. And according to a 2007 survey by Elle/MSNBC.com, female bosses are twice as likely than their male counterparts to be seen as having family obligations interfere with work.

Step Away From Your Email!

Perhaps it’s because of women’s hard won reputation as excellent multitaskers.  Or perhaps its because we all panic that if we don’t put in our two cents instantly, we’ll be ignored.  But whatever the reason, too many of us have gotten into the nasty habit of being “overly responsive.”

As soon as our Blackberrys buzz or we hear the ping of a new email arriving (the tiny envelope icon lingering in the bottom right corner of the computer monitor, taunting us), most of us drop whatever we’re doing and check it out – eager to respond first... or to at least have the option to be the first to weigh in.

But, I’m here to tell you that it’s time to stop.  Sure, there are times when major projects are reaching completion or you’re waiting to hear back about an important issue with one of your clients, so you need to be instantly accessible.  But, most of the time, you don’t need to drop everything at the first sign of an email communication.  In fact, waiting might actually help you.

Here are five reasons to wait before checking your email for the twentieth time this hour:

How Many Hours a Day Can You Really Be Productive Anyway?

I once had a boss who would walk around the office at 5:05 to see who was sitting at their desk and who had already left for the day.  He said that if you were able to leave at 5 every day, you didn't have enough work to do.

So, we all sat around for an extra hour a day twiddling our thumbs so as not to arouse his suspicion.  Sure, some days we had plenty of work to carry us to 6 or later.  But, other days, not so much.  

It was always especially tough for me. If there's one thing I do really well, its manage my time.  I'm the type who would rather work through lunch than stay late and I often managed my day down to the minute to make sure I got everything done in time - and well.  

So, sitting around every night just for appearances pissed me off.  And it especially pissed me off when my co-workers would be praised for staying until 7 or 8 when they didn't complete as many projects as me or get as good feedback as I did.  Shouldn't your work be evaluated based on... well.. your work?  Not how many hours you punch on a time card?