Mamma Works

by Gretchen Lindell, EdM, MammaWorks Find Gretchen on Google+ Did you recently get promoted to a management role?  Or is your team just not trusting you and not buying into your vision.  Well, I'm here to help.  For many years, I was the dean of a small local business college.  I've since left that position to pursue other adventures (another post for another day).  As a dean, I learned many management lessons in a very short period of time.  To be clear, I studied to be an educator, not a manager.  I was 32 when I took the position and also a first-time mom.   When I took the position of dean, I was surprised very quickly with the complexity of the position.  As the dean, it was my job to manage all of the college's faculty, to oversee the curriculum and its development, to oversee student success, and to generally oversee other issues as necessary.  I am someone who is driven for success; so, learning management became my top pr...

It was a rough couple of years, wasn't it.  My husband and I thought we were prepared, with three month's salary in the bank.  Ha!  Three months?  What about weathering unemployment for two years, due to the Great Recession?  Luckily, we were able to hold onto our house and cars, unlike so many others out there.  But, that came at a price.  We had to cash in one of our retirements, and I had to go back to work to support the family.  We traded paying childcare costs for having health insurance.  In addition to the monetary losses, the strain unemployment put on our relationship was intense.  But, after FIVE years, we are very slowly, moving to a better place in our lives. In 2009, my husband lost his secure, professional position that allowed me to work from home while caring for our first son.  While we were blessed with a supportive family and friends, the last five years have been incredibly difficult on my husband ...