I Am Woman Hear Me Roa…Umm….Vote for a Silly Celebrity Poll?

I can’t believe I did it again.  Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.  Well shame on me.

The Shriver Report came out last weekend and I was elated.  It made some great points:

“We are in the midst of a fundamental transformation of the way America works and lives.”

“84% of those surveyed agreed if employers don’t offer more flex work options…they will lose workers”

On Monday there was an event to introduce the findings with knowledgeable speakers (unfortunately there is no recording of this event)

Brad Harrington of Boston College’s Center for Work & Family spoke about how BC has a course for its MBA students that helps them understand their work-life happiness priorities and manage them.  He also spoke about the fact that work-life happiness is not just the responsibility of employers but employees, as well.  And he wrote this great article about the Shriver Report and what it’s impact could be on the work world.

Other points were the fact that 57% of college graduates are women…so the fact that woman are now 50% of the workforce is not going away.

And that employers who allow workers to make their own decisions about work priority and scheduling watch turnover & absenteeism plummet

There was even talk about how work/life cannot be a term to use…because we shouldn’t separate the two.  Which is accurate, but not the way the corporate world works today – they do separate the two.

I was enthused.  I ignored the fact that the actual title of the Report was “How a Woman’s Nation Changes Everything” and that its focus was heavily moms and traditional families.  I ignored that all I could think of was Claire Shipman & Katty Kaye’s recent book “Womenomics” which rang hollow for me, supposedly a member of their target audience.  The later it got the more I thought about it…and the more it was concerning to me.  I made the point on Monday night how this all felt very forced.  I mean after all ABC had partnered on Womenonics and used it to provide much content for its morning show “Good Morning America.”  Now NBC was partnering with Maria Shriver through their “The Today Show.”  I even made a comment on Twitter about what would CBS do next in this arena.

Then Tuesday came.  And suddenly the talk turned silly.  There was a poll from NBC for women paying attention to the conversation about which TV celebrity woman identified with more.  Huh?  How does that move the conversation forward…or transform the world of work?  There was a live chat with Maria Shriver where not only did she get the name of a website wrong…when she finally got it right the link didn’t work and most offensively she had claimed the url www.womensconference.org for her California conference on women.  Huh?  Other states have women’s conferences…Massachusetts and Texas come to mind immediately.  I’m sure there are many others.  If www.womensconference.org is “the premiere women’s conference” why is it about California women?  Are they premiere women?  Does that mean I’m not one because I don’t live there?

Finally it was too much.  By Tuesday evening I was done.  I have checked in with the twitter conversation on The Shriver Report now and then throughout the week but found no compelling reason to stay.

A conversation about transforming the work world cannot be about just women, or just parents or just “fill in the blank.” It needs to be inclusive…not exclusive.  Shame on me…Womenomics and Woman’s Nation fooled me twice.

Other authors on this subject:

Stop Talking About Work+Life Flex Solely in the Context of Women…Really, Seriously, Once and for All by Cali Yost

Maria Shriver Says It’s a Woman’s Nation. Do You? by Joanne Bamberger

It’s a Woman’s World – Are You Part Of It? I’m Not. by Yvonne DaVita