Great Holiday Gift Idea for a Busy Mom - Product Review

If you are feeling overwhelmed by schedules and feeling constantly disorganized you may want to ask for a Familytime.mine day time planner for Christmas. I was fortunate enough to receive a planner from the DotMine Group and I thought I would put it to practice to see if it could organize my crazy schedule of work, playdates, hockey games and school events.

It has been great for organizing all the different areas of my life. From offering seasonal planning schedules, to large calendar pages that can be read by all members of my household, to the stickers and the important numbers area. I really have found this attractive planner very useful in reducing some of the scheduling confusion I am sure we all experience as working moms.

Great gift idea for a busy mom on your list or for yourself!

Working Moms Across Canada Need More Flexibility and Supportive Leadership at the Office

Survey

Thank you to everyone who filled out the Connect Moms, momcafe and Briefcase Moms Workplace Survey. The information you provided has been drawn upon to draft the following story. We look forward to continuing to be your career resource.

Working Moms across Canada need more flexibility and supportive leadership at the officeMoms give insight into how employers can attract and retain key employees who are looking to balance work and family

Vancouver, BC (December 19, 2008) - Higher education levels and established careers are the norm for the majority of working moms across the country and these valued employees are seeking more flexibility and supportive leadership at the office, according to a recent online member opinion survey conducted by Connect Moms, momcafé and Briefcase Moms, which have a combined membership of more than 10,000 professionally-minded moms across Canada.

Below are the highlights from the online member opinion survey conducted in November 2008 as well as some insightful comments from moms on work-life balance. The founders of Connect Moms, momcafé and Briefcase Moms as well as moms from Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto are available to discuss their ideas on innovative workplaces geared to mothers trying to balance work and family. Please contact Jill Earthy (jill@momcafe.net / 604-290-4236) to arrange an interview or for further details on the informal online member survey and more information on the professional mom organizations.

Innovative workplace opinions and ideas survey highlights

* 92 percent of respondents would like a “flexible work environment” including the  ability to leave early or arrive late to the office, work from home or in transit, negotiating a shorter or condensed workweek, and banking time to take extra days off as needed
* 83 percent of respondents would like “supportive leadership”
* 54 percent of respondents indicated they would be willing to take a reduction in salary in exchange for flexibility and other support programs
* 57 percent of respondents have a combined annual household income greater than $100,000
* 46 percent of respondents have an undergraduate degree
* 25 percent of respondents have a masters degree
* 50 percent of respondents have two children
* 60 percent of respondents are currently working full-time
* 42 percent of respondents would like to be working part-time
* 35 percent of respondents would like to be working full-time
* 261 Canadian moms from coast to coast completed the online survey in November 2008

Canadian Moms comment on workplaces encouraging work-life balance

“While there are more and more moms returning to work after maternity leave, in many cases, the mom is still considered the primary caregiver at home, who is responsible for looking after the children and other household duties,” commented Jill Earthy, co-founder, momcafé. “It is critical for employers to recognize that more often than not, the worlds of home and work life collide so it is important that these key employees have the flexibility and support to manage both successfully.”

When asked, “In your own words, what are the key ingredients for your career to fit with your life as a mom,” Canadian moms recommended the following suggestions on flexibility and supportive leadership:

“Flexibility is key, with a corporate culture of accepting and promoting women and assisting them in making their career as a working mom successful without hindering their efforts as a mom.”

“A supportive, working environment that has a flexible schedule. This allows me to work, and focus on my job while I am there, not to be distracted by my children’s issues. Also, I am more willing to put in extra time, if I can do it on my terms, not just because it is the traditional hours of work.”

About Connect Moms, momcafé and Briefcase Moms

Connect Moms, momcafé and Briefcase Moms joined forces to help educate and connect progressive employers and professionally-minded moms seeking balanced success both at work and at home. Together, they represent more than 10,000 corporate, entrepreneurial and stay-at-home moms across the country. Connect Moms, momcafé and Briefcase Moms invited members to fill out an online survey between November 10 to 30. Results were compiled from a total of 261 respondents.

Connect Moms connects professionally minded moms with careers and inspiring content. We seek out companies whose workplace environments recognize that the best employees have different needs at different times throughout their careers. We strive to attract companies who offer results-oriented and flexible cultures in order to present job opportunities and career-related content that reflect the dynamic needs of working moms.

momcafé is connecting and inspiring like-minded moms by providing an interesting and supportive forum in which moms can learn from each other and share ideas. This is achieved through regular meetings, quarterly seminars and access to online resources. momcafé is designed to support the dialogue between educated, savvy women who are striving to balance their lives. 

Briefcase Moms is a unique coaching program, based on Lisa Martin’s best-selling book Briefcase Moms: 10 Proven Practices to Balance, that guides mothers to develop better strategies to manage work and family.  Martin is the CEO of Martin Group International – a work-life coaching company that delivers customized programs to organizations looking to retain and advance their female talent.

Vancity - Progressive Employers of Canada List

We are pleased to be able to feature Vancity on the Progressive Employers of Canada list.

Connect Moms, in conjunction with momcafe and Martin Group International, provided the below criteria as a guideline for possible programs or initiatives that may exist at Vancity.

Please describe any programs or initiatives that support the needs of working moms at Vancity.

- personal/life balance coaching;
Vancity offers an Employee Assistance Program through an external provider that is available to provide professional assistance with a wide range of personal and work-related concerns that employees might face, including all types of family matters. The external provider has counselors who specialize in child and teen issues.

- access to emergency childcare;
Vancity provides employees with ‘Care Days’ that can be taken to attend to a range of matters such as emergency family illness childcare, elder care and personal care.

- flex-time;
Vancity offers employees the opportunity to work a compressed working week in two forms – a 9-day fortnight, or a compressed 4 day week.

- job cooperatives / job sharing
Job sharing is available

- part-time or contract positions;
Part-time employment is available and fixed-term contract positions also exist.

- gradual re-entry after maternity leave;
Whilst there is no formal policy for this, it is sometimes the case that employees who were previously full time will return on a part-time basis, and in some cases will return to full time hours after a period of time.  Business and operational requirements are taken into account and Managers will apply their discretion to each case.  A gradual return to work policy can come into play post-mat leave for medical reasons

- lactation rooms;
Vancity doesn’t currently have any designated lactation rooms, although there are meeting rooms which could be reserved for this purpose. With mat leaves being a year there has not been a request for space for that reason.

- health benefits;
Vancity provides a flexible benefits scheme including medical coverage, dental insurance and a health spending account. Parents can customize their benefits based on child’s/family’s needs and the benefits can be changed each year.

- miscellaneous.
Vancity has a “guaranteed ride home” program for those employees who take alternative transportation to work  and need to return home via transit and/or taxi due to unforeseen situations (illness, family emergency, or unanticipated over-time). The intent of the program is to encourage more employees to use alternative transportation options by providing assurance that they can return home in case of emergency.

Along with Vancity’s many supportive polices for working parents, Vancity’s CEO, Tamara Vrooman, is the first female CEO of the credit union and a mom. Very inspiring for all working mothers.

As the head of Canada’s largest credit union, Tamara considers her role as a continuation of her career in public service as Vancity extends its financial success to facilitate positive social and environmental change. Her accomplishments have been recognized with the 2007 Knowledge and Leadership Award from the Association of Women in Finance; inclusion on Canada’s Top 40 Under 40™ and the 2003 Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal for outstanding contributions to public service in B.C. To review Tamara Vrooman’s complete biography, please visit the Vancity website at www.vancity.com. Other articles featuring Tamara Vrooman -

Why Vancity hired Tamara Vrooman

North Shore Credit Union - P/T Member Services Representative

North Shore Credit Union is currently looking for a permanent part-time Member Services Representative

level 1 for our Edgemont Village branch located in North Vancouver.

The following regular weekly schedule is required:

Tuesday to Saturday - 10:30am to 2:30pm

This position provides high quality service for members by performing a variety of retail member transactions; promotes and sells basic North Shore Credit Union products and services; recognizes opportunities for mutually beneficial product/service offerings and acts upon them; refers members with more complex needs to appropriate personnel as required.

For more information about the role and to apply, please visit www.nscu.com.

Lessons From a Life Coach - What My Clients Have Taught Me

Elena Verlee

by Elena Verlee

First appeared in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, October 5, 2008 Here is an online link for your reference.
http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/sim/sim/view/20081005-164694/Learnings-from-a-Life-Coach

As a life coach, I have the greatest job in the world. Just like athletes have personal trainers to help them achieve their best, I’m a personal trainer for the soul. I help people discover their passions, strengthen professional or personal relationships, transition into new careers and achieve dreams they never would have thought possible.

I get to challenge my clients like no one else will. At the same time, I am their mentor, cheerleader and sounding board withholding judgment and criticism, while exercising the utmost patience.

It’s an amazing process that I am privileged to be a part of. I learn from my clients all the time. Here, I share with you 8 life lessons working with my clients has taught me.

1. Define Your Own Success
All too often, we define success by what others have, rather than what we really want. Whether you’re a student, housewife, engineer or CEO, know what it is that brings you joy, what makes life complete and what goals you really want to reach. If you’re not sure where you’re going, you’ll probably end up somewhere else.

2. Keep Going
Once you know what you want and want it badly enough, you can find a way to get it. Get the support you need and keep going. Thomas Edison, who failed more than 1000 times before inventing the lightbulb, says it best: “Many of life’s failures are people who didn’t realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

3. Make Mistakes and Move On
Although we all wish we can get things right the first time, a mistake is just a Mis – TAKE. Which means you can do it over. So take one, take two or take 1000 times to get things right. Sometimes great things come from failures. The Post-it note, which every office has in its supply cabinet, was supposed to be a new glue compound until they discovered it didn’t stick permanently. Instead, it could re-stick a number of times without any residue. The rest, as they say, is history.

4. Trust Your Intuition
While there’s no substitute for gathering information about a task or situation before making decisions, you shouldn’t be afraid of not knowing every reason why you feel the way you do. Sometimes you just know… that you know. When faced with making choices that may feel cloudy or overwhelming, take the time to sit still and listen to yourself. You really do know what’s best for you.

5. Know Your Values
In its simplest expression, a fulfilling life is one in which important values are honored each and every day. Values serve as your guideposts on a journey to discover what you want. If you’re feeling stressed, overwhelmed or unhappy, most likely a key value is being stepped on. By making choices aligned with your key values - whether it’s connection, respect, adventure, challenge or something else – you’ll feel lighter and at ease.

6. Fear Can Be A Good Thing
We cannot escape fear. It’s a signal that change is apparent or we are taking a risk and we should make sure we are physically safe. So instead, think of fear as a companion on your exciting adventures. By taking small risks often enough, you gain confidence in preparing yourself for a bigger leap. You’ll often find that in reality, it’s never as bad as you feared.

7. Learn to Say NO
One of the biggest secrets to time management is just two little letters – NO. And yet it is so hard to say. Find out what activities or relationships drain your energy and start saying, “No thanks.” It’s hard to disappoint others, but you’ll be amazed at how time expands for you to do the things that really bring you joy.

And finally,

8. Go Do The Small Stuff
Many of us don’t appreciate today, even though we don’t even know if we’ll make it to tomorrow. We focus on the goal as the means of fulfillment: the thing, answer or solution which has the power to give us happiness.

It isn’t necessarily the big pleasures that bring the most happiness, sometimes it’s doing the small stuff. Have breakfast in bed. Hug your children. Kiss your partner behind the ear. Find a long lost friend. Take that class you’ve always wanted to take. Spend an hour at the bookstore. Plant flowers in your garden. Give someone a compliment and make their day.

Remember, life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the number of moments that take our breath away.

© Elena Verlee, 2008

Elena Verlee is a mentor coach accredited by the International Coaching Federation. She is also an entrepreneur, speaker and author of www.PRinYourPajamas.com . Get her free coaching course for moms at www.ConnectTheDotsCoaching.com Elena is from Vancouver and is currently an “Expat Mom” navigating the challenges of living and working in Asia.