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Many couples find that their quality of life suffers under the traditional work-week as career ambition conflicts with parenting and leisure time. One couple solved this dilemma by devising a life plan that stresses maximum flexibility., The life that Charles and Elizabeth Handy have fashioned for themselves is instructive to anyone struggling to find a better solution to the confounding work/life equation. It's that question we [...]

THIS IS A STORY OF beginnings. Not just any beginnings, but those trials by fire - the new job where you weren't the shoo-in, the position that puts you head [...]

Some women managers provide their own unique style that encourages employee participation and promotes morale. Male managers have learned from their examples and helped make beneficial contributions to the workplace., Could it be true? Are women really leading the charge to more effective management? And are men not only taking notice but aping the so-called female management style that nurtures [...]

CAPABILITIES Mask limitations by showcasing talents to employers When Sharon Schmidt interviewed at Century 21 Crater Real Estate in Oregon, the boss said 'yes' right off the bat. 'This was [...]

free ADVICE M. June Smith, vice president, Coors Ceramicon Designs, Ltd. in Golden, Colorado and the first woman in the ceramics industry to direct a new-business venture. The best way [...]

Beating Burnout The flame of your hard-driving, get-the-job-done employee has begun to smolder. Instead of delivering the letter-perfect reports you have grown accustomed to, she gives you lame excuses with [...]

The growing popularity of management training programs that use direct experience to teach principles deserves consideration. A program called Risk-Taking Initiatives to Develop Executive Resources and Skills was conducted at a horse ranch in Colorado. The most important concept learned is that self-reliance leads to confidence and effective leadership., For years I'd assiduously avoided management training programs of the experiential kind. You know the ones: Find your way out of a forest, climb ropes or shoot rapids and learn [...]

A multiple choice test allows managers to test their knowledge and feelings toward other cultures. It is meant to test managers' understanding of common terms and ideas used in multicultural discourse, as well as some basic facts about discrimination in the workplace., TODAY'S WORK force is more diverse than ever before. Success for both managers and employees depends on being able to address issues of cultural diversity effectively. How aware are you [...]

Managers should discuss disagreements with their bosses civilly and cautiously. If they feel mistreated or taken advantage of, they should voice their concerns and work out solutions. Examples of conflict resolution between three managers and bosses are presented., Taking on the big cheese always involves a certain amount of risk--whether you are requesting a simple favor or taking the boss to task for treating you unfairly. Whatever the [...]

The first six months are critical to the success of a new boss. The new boss faces rising expectations but has few guidelines to follow. The most important thing to do is to learn what the organization needs and build commitment of employees., AS THE NEW TOP BANANA, so much is expected of you at once. To begin, you'll be met with a mountain of tasks: You must resolve your predecessor's leftover bungles, [...]

2 Some things in life are predictable: The economy takes a dive, that secure feeling you used to have at your job dissolves, and as more of your friends join [...]

Dumb luck is often creativity's best friend. And according to Heidi Landesman, producer and set designer of the new Broadway musical The Secret Garden, it was just that combination of [...]

SCHOOL'S OUT? Are women being bypassed for advanced executive training, or are they inadvertently disqualifying themselves? Here's how you can better position yourself for this coveted perk. Senior-level executive education [...]

What are your best tactics for making a sale to a tough client? * PHYLLIS FORO is fleet manager of Northwest Fleetlease, Inc., a corporate auto leasing company in Bellevue, [...]

Are Your Employees Burnout-Proof? Managers who want to prevent burnout should act on telltale signs quickly. High expectations on the job lead to high accomplishment--but when they soar into the [...]

When a Widow Takes the Helm in a Male-Dominated Industry STARTING OVER In 1983, Diane Carlisle Bray found herself in two unfamiliar roles: widow and owner of a beer distributing [...]

How do you keep the creative fires burning? * BETTY FREEDMAN the senior vice president, group creative director of Grey Advertising in New York City, has been the inspiration behind [...]

A prejudiced attitude, whether it's focused on your gender,race, ethnic back. ground or sexual preference, is likely to result in a career setback. No doubt, battles for equal footing are [...]

Nobody likes an angry woman. As one feminist put it, to be considered aggressive, a man has to act like Attila the Hun, a woman just has to put you [...]

The laws of romance say that opposites attract, but the laws of business dictate that like deals with like. For women, who constitute a mere 1.7 percent of upper-management ranks, [...]

Success On Her Own Terms On a career path that has taken her from retailing to investment banking and back, Jane Evans has learned how to mix happiness with life [...]

Act II Closing the curtain on your first career can mark the beginning of a rewarding new phase in your professional life Loving your job is a main ingredient for [...]

Lending A Helping Hand New evidence is dispelling the myth that professional women are more apt to stab you in the back than give you a boost up the career [...]

Preretirement programs were first offered as employer-personnel services in the 1970s. For the employer, these services encourage company loyalty, and act as good public (and employee) relations tools; for the employee, these programs offer valuable advice and up-to-date information on post-retirement financing plans. The number of retirement plans has increased the need for preretirement counseling. Most firms offer preretirement counseling when an employee turns 50. A usual preretirement program consists of a workbook for each employee and a series of seminars on such topics as financial planning, legal affairs, health planning, insurance coverage, leisure and living planning, and post-retirement work options. Although people are continuing to retire early, they also have a tendency to obtain post-retirement employment; consequently, this is a topic which every preretirement counseling program should cover. Normally, preretirement counseling should occur during regular work hours, to underscore its importance. Most firms divide employees to be counseled by hierarchical group, to facilitate the sessions (since the financial concerns of individuals generally reflect their income levels). Since January 1, 1987, it is unlawful to force an employee to retire, in most situations.

CHILDCARE INCHING UP THE CORPORATE AGENDA Recently, a Fortune magazine survey found that employees who were dissatisfied with childcare arrangements were the most likely to be absent or unproductive. This [...]

PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AN UNEASY MARRIAGE In 1987, four banks working with a coalition of churches and the New York City public school system offered to hire [...]

UPSTARTS STAND TALL Teenage entrepreneurs have a tough row to hoe. Most start out with little more than lawn-mowing experience, a laughable net worth, and Mom and Dad high on [...]

HOW CONSUMER REPORTS PUTS PRODUCTS THROUGH THE HOOPS While most people across the U.S. were fretting about the windchill index this past February, R. David Pittle, technical director for Consumer [...]

The steps in selecting a stockbroker are to identify investment objectives, contact the state securities office about several brokers' backgrounds, and interview the brokers. Good communication with the broker can help ensure that the broker invests the money wisely., Test to separate the slick from the sincere and help you choose a broker who will get the results you want Did you know that stockbrokers spend less time with [...]

A family leave can be financed in three ways: with money that was saved prior to the leave, by continuing to work part time or at home, or by borrowing money. Strategies for implementing these methods are discussed., Twelve weeks without a paycheck? Try these creative strategies to help keep your family budget intact Great! The family leave bill passed. If you are covered by the law, you [...]

Credit card issuers offer low-interest cards to people who have few credit cards, a low debt rate, enough income to pay the average debts accumulated and a good credit history. Additional advice to help consumers qualify for a low-interest credit card is provided., WHO wouldn't want to trade her 19 percent interest-rate credit card for plastic that charges only 8 percent--and no annual fee? The trick, obviously, is passing muster with the credit-card [...]

Several strategies can be used when attempting to confront someone who has stolen ideas at work. Tact is necessary, especially when confronting a superior. Three professionals offer tips., Last month during a brain-storming meeting, you suggested a new way to market the software your company produces. The idea caught fire, and before knew it, it was being fleshed [...]

Evening up the pay scales John, who sits in the office next to yours, pulls in $6,000 more a year for performing the same job as you do. When Charles, [...]

2 Nowhere is a career letdown more poignant than in the arena of politics. To add to the private disappointment, there is usually both mental and physical exhaustion, to say [...]

IMAGE BUSTER According to Maggie Hickel, industrial engineering and production manager at 3M and the president of the Society of Women Engineers, there would be a lot more women engineers [...]

ANTONIA C. NOVELLO M.D. MPH first woman U.S. Surgeon General. She is a pediatrician who has specialized in AIDS and kidney diseases in children. First, it is essential to identify [...]

How did taking time out from your career work to your benefit? * GLORIA SCOBY is vice president of Crain Communications Inc. and publisher of Crain's Chicago Business. My daughter [...]

RISING STAR IN SOCIAL MARKETING RISING STAR IN SOCIAL MARKETING 'Getting the public to change its mind about environmental issues through 'advertising' is a whole lot different from getting people [...]

TRASH ALCHEMIST TRASH CHEMIST 'One person's trash is another's treasure' has special meaning for Joan Edwards. She has spearheaded recycling programs in two cities that generate more garbage than they [...]

A Giant Step for Day Care at Stride Rite The idea is as natural as Grandma patiently teaching little Jenny to plink out a tune on the piano -- a [...]

Women-run Companies Create a New Corporate Culture A `WE COMPANY' In the film industry, you can count top-level female executives on the fingers of both hands. So when four high-powdered [...]

FREE ADVICE Thirteen powerhouse women pass on words of professional wisdom What are the guiding principles that can help you cut a path to the top? We surveyed high-level women [...]

SPEEDING TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY Bob's Candies Company had a problem--Bob's candy cost too much to make. Not a small problem when you're the world's largest maker of candy canes, turning [...]

Most directories are what I refer to as 'thumbers': large, heavy tomes to be thumbed through as quickly as possible because they are really pretty boring. But sometimes you run [...]

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) makes a distinction for tax purposes between a self-employed household worker and a domestic hired by a single employer. There are several guidelines to follow to determine whether an employer needs to report wages and withhold taxes., Suddenly It's Difficult to look at household helpers without seeing phantasms of dollar signs and gloating IRS agents dragging you off. Since Zoe Baird - who, incidentally, had to pay [...]

In many cases all you have to do is ask for it, according to Cris Molles in 60 Ways to Raise Cash Fast (Dell, paper-back, $3.99). Molles got the idea [...]

Computer viruses may damage programs while remaining undetected. Ways to reduce the viruses include avoiding booting from floppy disks and shared computer usage. Early detection and use of antiviral software are helpful., Like any new crisis, the computer virus epidemic has spawned rumors even faster than it has damaged data files. Sadly, misinformation has a way of hogtying decision makers who would [...]