YourOnRamp at University of Texas: Choices for a New Generation

I was in Austin, TX last Friday at the Women in Business Leadership Conference sponsored by the McCombs School of Business. I was invigorated to be amidst the energy of current and recently graduated MBA students. It doesn’t seem long ago since I was sitting in their seats with my own dreams of a new career. I realize my perspective of the work world was different then. I knew I would soon have to choose between a full-time career and taking time off for a family. I am excited that these women won’t have just two choices. As employers begin to view flexibility as a means to increase retention, loyalty, and productivity, these women will have a host of options that I only dreamt about.

At the conference, I spoke on the Work/Life Balance panel and was able to attend other breakout sessions, as well. Work/life issues were addressed in nearly every presentation. Many questions concerned how women are to ask for this balance in the workplace. Certainly, there was agreement that you are in a better position to ask when you have established yourself as a reliable, talented, contributing member of the team. We all know the statistic that shows the cost for replacing an employee is two times the salary of that person; that is incentive enough for the company to listen. Many women are still hesitant to speak up and request the changes they need to achieve a workable balance in their lives; they don’t realize the leverage they have.

There is a cultural shift in the way the younger generation views themselves in relation to work, among men as well as women. Any changes in policy have to be gender neutral or they will always been seen as an accommodation for women as less committed employees. We know we want to be competent at both home and work. That requires commitment to both domains, but also requires the flexibility needed to achieve the goals we have set for ourselves in both places. It is our job to show the workplace that the characteristic of commitment is precisely what is driving us to request the changes.

Similar to the discussion Millie had on the panel at Harvard a couple weeks ago, the importance of choosing the right partner or spouse came up. All four panelists agreed that their ability to balance home and work depended on having a spouse/partner that was committed to playing a significant role as their family navigated the changes that came with children. While the specifics for each family differed, working together to ensure care for children, a continued professional identity for both adults, and a strong family was imperative. Relocation, available child care, personal priorities, health care issues, and intensity of careers will all come into play and make each situation highly personal. The importance of believing in your own voice, separate from the voices of your parents, classmates, co-workers, or friends, was identified as a key component as you make the decision of how to balance your career and personal goals.

Participants were excited about YourOnRamp’s role in increasing the options for women. Employers, students, women in the workforce, and women on career breaks all gathered around my exhibit table discussing the different ways talent can be incorporated, in addition to traditional 40+ hour work weeks requiring face time. Forward-thinking employers are already interested and are ready to integrate this talent in their places of business. Never before have women had so many different career paths that won’t include so many dead ends.