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Holiday interruptus
I’ve been basking in some unexpected holiday time this Christmas season. It’s allowed me to spend some extra time with my family, do some extra baking, and sing way too many cheesy Christmas songs at the top of my lungs with nobody around to hear. It’s also given me some peaceful moments to simply relax, reflecting on the past year and making plans for the new one. I’m far more calm just days before the big holidays than I usually am. Sounds great, eh? But there’s just one little catch. Unfortunately, I have one of those jobs that you can’t just… Read more…
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The post I almost didn’t write
Disclaimer: I almost didn’t write this. In fact, I started it twice, deleting it each time. The third time around, I almost didn’t hit the publish button. I worry it may be a bit self-absorbed, self-critical and may come across as attention-seeking. It’s not meant to be. But I realized that not going ahead just contributes to the silence that needs to end …. *** Three weeks of Jian Ghomeshi and other harassment stories. Three weeks learning things I wish I could unlearn. Three weeks of words painting pictures in my head, that I want to erase. Two weeks of… Read more…
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About leaning in, thriving, and not having it all
Last year, like many other professional women, I’m sure, I read Sheryl Sandberg’s book, Lean In, from cover to cover trying to learn from her spectacular success as Facebook COO. After all, she has a demanding job and a family. How does she do it? And was there anything in there that I could adapt for my life? I even participated on a Women in Nuclear panel discussing the book alongside some other senior women in the industry. Like them, I definitely recognized myself in some of the traits Ms. Sandberg describes as holding women back in the workforce, how the… Read more…
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Finding teachable moments
We’ve all said it. We’ve all had the frustration of having it said to us. “Just let me do it myself – it’s easier than explaining it to you.” It’s not easy to let go of something want done “just so” and to realize that in the long run, you’re better off investing the time up front.One of the things I’ve truly enjoyed through my career is nurturing and mentoring young people starting out. I think it’s important to take the time to invest in their progress. Yes, it is often easier to just do a task yourself, but when… Read more…
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Emergence of the monster
Recently, a really nasty Katherine emerged. And frankly, I really don’t like her very much. I won’t “dish” too much about work in a public forum, but it’s no surprise to anyone who knows me that the company I work for has had a few “interesting” years. From some difficult major projects to being acquired by another company which immediately faced some ethics issues, and from building the branding for the new entity to a strike by our unionized workers, saying there have been challenges is certainly not an understatement. We’ve all been working flat out for a long, long… Read more…
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Inspring Women in my Life: Thoughts on International Women’s Day
Today is International Women’s Day, and I’m embarrassed to say I’ve paid little to no attention to it in the past. For some reason though, it’s on my mind this year. I’ve been inspired by a lot of women in my life. My own Mum was fortunate enough not to need a paying job and was everpresent in our schools and in the community whether it was on field trips, extra-curriculars teaching girls to knit, directing school plays and performing in community theatre and singing groups among other pursuits. My first boss was a true inspiration. She was a respected force… Read more…
