I can't offer first-hand advice, but I would
recommend two online sources for much valuable discussion of this
topic:
www.chronicle.com - go to the
jobs/careers section and search through their archives. Nearly all of the
columnists have addressed this issue in various ways. It's aimed at
academics but there are a lot of parallels in the museum world, especially in
terms of job duties outside the usual 9-5 type. The Chronicle
charges for access to their full site, but the Jobs section is free
online. It's a wonderful resource. I find Ms. Mentor
particularly pertinent when it comes to advice for women, and her advice book
for women in academia is genius.
also, www.phinished.org which is aimed at PhD
candidates in the ABD phase, but has much excellent advice on balancing
career and family as well. Use their handy-dandy searchable
database to find postings on the subject in their forums.
And I would like to respond, as a non-parent, to
another poster's suggestion that you bring your child everywhere you go.
This is only a good idea if you are willing and able and committed to
supervising him or her constantly. When other staff members bring their
kids to work and expect the rest of us to babysit them, it's disruptive, it
wrecks productivity, and furthermore, it's not in anybody's job description that
they have to babysit other people's kids. Parents may have learned to
tune out the loudness that comes with children, but some of us can't
function with a crying baby or a loud kid banging doors down the hall
from us. Nor should we have to in a professional work environment.
Lest you think this is just a non-parent
problem, I've also seen it cause resentment in staff members who are
spending good money on babysitters and day care for their own children, who
then have to deal with other people's children at work. They don't
like it any better than I do. A museum isn't exactly the ideal place to
store unsupervised children, and if I wanted to babysit all day, I'd work in a
day care. And remember, if you are the boss, no one is going to complain
to you, but I can pretty much assure you, nobody wants to babysit your kids
in addition to doing their usual job duties.
And, finally, last but not least, random advice:
find interns to help with everything, everything, everything. It's amazing
what one day a week of collegiate help can do for you. And
decide you don't *have* to attend every program in your museum. Decide to
trust your (one) colleague to run the programs you don't have to go
to. Learn to say no to some community requests - do you really have
to be on the United Way, the Red Cross, AND the local Chamber of Commerce
boards? Probably not, when it comes down to it.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, December 07, 2005 11:11
AM
Subject: A question of balance
My apologies for posting a
personal question.
I am the executive director of an
historic site. I am trying to be the best at everything that I do, but am
having trouble finding a balance between work and family. How do you
participate fully in the community, attend/ run all public programs offered by
your site, and still have time to
devote to your children?
Does anyone have insight into
finding balance? (I have one other full time staff member and some day hope to
expand staff further).
Sarah Y. Smith
Executive
Director
Hanover Tavern
Foundation
(804) 537-5050
A Future Worthy of Its
Past
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