ICEDRSpecialReport-TakingCharge_000

Having Conversations with Your Kids
How do explain to your young child why
you need to go to work? Kristin Peck sits
on Pfizer’s Executive Leadership Team and
leads Worldwide Business Development and
Innovation for Pfizer. She’s also a devoted
wife and a mother of two children. Here’s how
Kristin approached a recent conversation
with her daughter:
“My daughter said to me recently: ‘Mommy,
why can’t you work at home like all the other
Mommies do?’ I said to her: ‘Well, everybody
works. Some women work in the home. And
some women go to work.’ And she asked:
‘Why can’t you do what you do at home?’ I felt
really confident in my answer when I said to
her:
“I love what I do and my job is in the city.
What I do helps to create medicines that
can help you and many other children. And
working makes me a better mom when I’m
home because I’m really happy with what I’m
doing. Likewise, you want to be a scientist
and you probably can’t do that at home. Don’t
you want to go where you are really happy
during the day and then come home and be so
excited?”
Taking Charge
OWN
16
dimension – to the conversation. They
have taken the time to reflect and have
found clarity on the price they are
willing to pay for success. They take full
responsibility for and control over how
they integrate their work and life.
To be clear, these women state that
reconciling this tension between work
and life is deeply challenging, emotional
and personal. It is a dilemma they
continue to wrestle with. They view
developing their personal strategy for
integrating work and life as one of the
most important decisions they will
make. Thus, this is a decision that they
approach with careful introspection and
thoughtfulness. It is a topic they revisit
and reflect upon often.
And this is where you – the rising female
star – come in. These women will always
applaud you for making a choice that
aligns with your aspirations, values and
personal definition of success. But,
they will also tell you to take ownership
and be proud of the decisions and life
choices you make. For example, don’t
blame your company’s workaholic culture
for making you quit. Or, if you work a
reduced schedule, walk out of the office
on time with your head held high. If
you choose to pursue a job that requires
significant travel, don’t complain that
you are often away from your family.
Instead, take action and do something
about it. The women we interviewed
have refreshingly proactive, positive and
self-assured outlooks. They take the view
that there is often a way to build the
work and personal life you desire. They
advise you to craft a life that you choose
and find fulfilling and to dive in full
force. They advise you to take charge.
Our interviewees highlight a personal
struggle you may face: If you
choose, and have the capability and
organizational support, to advance
to the senior-levels of a large, global
organization, you will inevitably
have to make some trade-offs. It’s
impossible not to. So it’s important
to take the time to think about what
type of life you want and understand
the consequences. For example, is
your partner willing to take on part of
the load? Are you comfortable with
someone else picking up your kids from
school? Despite the sacrifices they have
made, our exceptional women leaders
find their lives deeply fulfilling. But, the
executive lifestyle is not for everyone,
and you have to ask yourself: ‘is it really
for me?’ In tackling this question, it is
useful to consider the following points:
1. Form your own definition of worklife
integration
2. Articulate your ambitions
3. Make a short list of priorities
4. Pace yourself
1. Form your own definition of worklife
integration
Kristin Peck sits on Pfizer’s executive
leadership team and was raised by
parents who always encouraged her
to pursue her dreams. As Kristin
remembers, “I have a family that since I
was a young girl always made me believe
that I could do anything I wanted to
do. For example, as a child, my dream
was to be quarterback of the New York
Jets (United States football team) and
then President of the United States.