by Solange Lopes | Jan 23, 2015 | Career |
If you’ve been in any office environment long enough to make it through Friday, you’ve answered this question more times than you can remember: “Any plans this week-end?” It’s just part of the office conversational lingo, right along with “Did you do anything fun this week-end?” (sure, if you consider catching up on laundry and potty training my toddler fun).
Now if you’re the fun employee who’s always got a good story, you’ve got this. If you’re slightly lower on the employee food chain, you’ve got to give it some thought, rattle your brain and re-visit your definition of “fun” since college, and come up with some way of making weekly house cleaning exciting (how about going on a disinfecting adventure in Toddler Land?)
My $0.05: I don’t have any plans this week-end (or the next). After a week of chasing after projects and keeping on my grind, I’d like to wake up late and have a cup of coffee, uninterrupted. That’s all.
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Jan 23, 2015 | Working Mom & Woman Tips
Photo credit: http://4.bp.blogspot.com
You know the drill, you’re on it, meeting, even exceeding deadlines and goals, keeping on your grind, coming in early to get yours (and others’) work done. And here it is, 5:15pm, and your boss is sending you an IM to come in to his office to discuss some project you handed in last month for review! Really? And here you are, looking at your watch, realizing you’re already late to pick up the kids, and you’re probably not going to make it tonight, yet again…Story of a gazillion working moms out there! And what gets done in most cases: nada, ziltsch, nothing!
Granted we all have to take our work responsibilities seriously (and in case you were thinking, the myth of the distracted working mom is just that, a myth), and that most of us know by now work-life balance is just as elusive as the no-carb diet, the unrealistic demands and stereotypes placed on working moms keep on taking a heavy toll not only on these women, but also on companies and the economy in general that keeps on losing great workers to unfair, and frankly inefficient practices.
Truth is, work is a part of life, and not the other way around. As part of this life thing, women have had to pick their kids up for decades. So have men. That’s just part of life. So if both work and picking up your kids are part of normal life, nothing fancy, what seems to be the problem? Is there even a problem, or are we as a society making our lives, and the work that’s a part of it, unnecessarily complicated? Sounds simplistic? Well, try explaining to your 5-year old why they’ve had to wait on the school steps three times this week…
Yes, there’s work to be done, yet there’s also a life to be lived. Part of the work and the life we’re given is to ensure we can manage both efficiently enough so they don’t spill on each other. That includes running the day before it runs us, and not decide to wait until after-hours to address an important project (that you’ve been sitting on for a month)…
Just sayin’….
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Jan 23, 2015 | Career
Khombu Cold Weather boots – $89 – bloomingdales.com
We’re supposed to get a pretty substantial snow storm in the Northeast this week-end, and that had me thinking about snow boots, my least favorite of shoes, ranking right after boring sneakers and bland flip-flops. I like my shoes like I like my coffee, tall and with a jolting, effect which is not exactly the case with most efficient, warm yet not exactly style-jolting, snow boots. Hence my week-end pick, in search of snow boots I would not be embarrassed to meet my movie boo Idris Elba in (heyyyy)…
Loving these Ecco women’s boots in coffee, very chic and understated, just like this La Canadienne wedge boots in caramel deliciousness! For the attention-grabbing ladies, this Coach Samara pair is to die for! My favorite though is definitely this pair of Khombu cold weather boots from Bloomingdale’s, which go with pretty much anything you may own in your wardrobe, and matches my January skinny budget too at $89!
Now Idris, we’re ready for you, snow and all (wink, wink)…
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Jan 23, 2015 | Career |
Photo credit: http://onlinelaw.wustl.edu
This post is from an interesting conversation I had with a great friend of mine, who also happens to be a strikingly beautiful and undeniably professionally successful Black woman. My friend is a marketing genius, and has made leaps and bounds in her career from the very start. It doesn’t take long to notice how smart my friend (we’ll call her A.) is…Neither does it take much of a mental stretch to notice the absent ring on her all-important finger, or the painfully envious stares she gets when walking down the halls of her company. As many millennial and other professional successful women, A. is single, envied, and way to o often her success up the corporate ladder is attributed to her being no less than a…slut!
Although the myth of attractive people being more successful exists out there, truth is many a beautiful, successful woman is alone. Not only do these women appear unattainable, “un-dateable” and at times plain dangerous to potential partners, but they also are subject to the assumption they didn’t get there on their own…
This is all the more prevalent for women of color, and the perennial distinction between those women who’ve “slept their way up the corporate ladder” and those who’ve done it the “right way”. The underlying notion that women of color are not capable of achieving professional success the traditional way still heavily weighs on mentalities, the media and work statistics.
So does one have to hide their attractiveness to professionally succeed as a woman, especially as a woman of color? Does professional success and physical attractiveness make a lethal combo for women? Or is it time to change perceptions towards women who are making it to the top, and making it well?
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Jan 22, 2015 | Career
Photo credit: lovecurriculum.com
Listen, we spend upwards of 8 hours at work. We’re told to bring our best face forward, present ourselves in the best light, and be as cooperative as can be. We’re even told make-up makes us look more competent and trustworthy. Not to mention the sheer abundance of advice out there on how to dress (well) for success. In summary, as a woman, you’ve got to look good all day long at a workplace including 57.2% of women, as compared to 69.7% of men. And isn’t it surprising that 35% of extramarital affairs happen during business trips, with an overwhelming percentage of extramarital affairs happening behind cubicle/office doors.
My $0.05: If you’ve never ever ever flirted at work, even in the most innocent of ways, go check your pulse. And if you have, you’re far from being alone. It may, and can, happen to anyone. And rather than vowing it would never happen to you (because you’re so above it), learn to recognize the signs and set clear boundaries for yourself and others. And yes, you may bask in your flattered ego for a few hours too…
Have you ever flirted with a co-worker? Lessons learned?
The Corporate Sis.
