Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/161202
leAned oUt too fAr Amy Ziegler had a successful corporate job and an address book full of client contacts when she dropped out of the workforce to start a family 16 years ago. Now living in Delafield and a mom to four kids—ages 16, 14, 12 and 10—she wishes she had chosen a slightly different path, and encourages younger women to take Sandberg's advice. "I worked in sales and was a buyer for the safety industry before I had children. I loved it. But my husband and I knew we wanted a large family and we made a decision that I was going to stay home. I was a stay-at-home mom who was never at home. I did tons of volunteering, I was PTO president, I volunteered in their classrooms every day. But I leaned out of my career 100 percent. I didn't retain any of my contacts in the industry, I didn't even think about returning to work someday. Looking back at it now, I definitely had time, and I should have put some of that time and energy leaning into a career. "Now that my kids are older, I realize I've spent those years helping my husband and my kids lean in. But the only thing I've done for myself is lean out. I find myself in a problem," she says. Ziegler's advice? "For all women, regardless of your journey, I do not think leaning out 100 percent is right for any woman. I think I would be much more satisfied and fulfilled at this point in my life had I leaned in to my career. And I love that [Sandberg] is talking about it. I think sometimes people are afraid of the truth." An hr inSider'S perSpective Jan Bultema has worked in the healthcare field for 40 years as a nurse, an administrator and now a senior vice president of human resources. She has spent the past nine years at UW Hospitals and Clinics in Madison, an organization that is frequently named one of the top companies to work for by Working Mother magazine. Bultema emphasizes employers have a responsibility to assist all employees with balancing career and family responsibilities—not just the responsibility of raising children, but also caring for partners and aging parents as well. "Life throws you some curveballs sometimes," she says. "You have a personal life and a work life and you need to figure out how to meet all those needs at once while you keep your eye on what's really important to you. But the employer owes the employee the option of having the right supports in place, too. It really helps to have an employer who recognizes that employees have multiple roles. "People in general like to be valued. And Madison residents really value a high quality of life; you can see it all around you. It's truly a quality of life that helps people balance their work and family life," she says. When asked if women who have taken time off to raise families will have more difficulty re-entering the healthcare workforce, Bultema responds, "Sometimes you have to start in some unusual positions to get your foot in the door again, but as long as you're flexible and are eager to get back in to work…employers are ready to help people do that." "YoU Have a personaL LiFe anD a Work LiFe anD YoU neeD to FigUre oUt HoW to meet aLL tHose neeDs at onCe WHiLe YoU keep YoUr eYe on WHat's reaLLY important to YoU." —Jan bULtema 44 brava magazine | september 2013 Melanie KranZ vice president and principal, zebraDog How do you wish your company or organization helped women lean in? support professional organization memberships, encourage involvement, invest in developing ideas, leadership skills and networks of people. on a daily basis, encourage women to fail forward, to not be afraid to make a decision, but to own it, learn from it and fix it. stop being wimpy. be a fan club member of yourself and staff. know how to talk about your own accomplishments in a gracious way and do the same for others. should women lean in? it is important to have your voice or perspective heard at the table. it is important to know that you are invited to be at the table, or to take the initiative to invite yourself. there are not enough female leaders, especially in the business world. Does Madison give opportunities to lean in? there are many great opportunities, especially in continuing education. However, it is a small city. there are still a lot of guy-buddiesthat-play-golf-together running businesses. Women need to take our own initiative to support each other and network outside of the office. the problem is that women are the busiest people on the planet. adding another place for them to be in their life is challenging. since playing golf doesn't fit in well with our schedules, we have to devise another way. Have you leaned out? i have learned to speak up and voice my opinion or thoughts. i am qualified. it does matter. i have regretted not doing that sooner and more often in my career. What would you do if you weren't afraid? be a mom. be audacious! stop waiting for things to change. identify the one thing that i really want to do and then go do it.