Remember how EQ is the new IQ? It is becoming increasingly more acceptable to think, and thrive, outside the box. Gone are the days where productivity was ranked only by earnings spreadsheets or boxes checked...or at least those days are becoming fewer and further between.

Objective measures of success are important for businesses, but honoring the diverse and unique work styles of workers often means looking beyond the usual standards. In most cases, allowing individuals’ unique business talents to thrive actually creates more success for everyone in the end.

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

In the past fifty years, mothers’ working hours have shifted dramatically. While in 1965, mothers spent twice as much time doing housework as childcare and career work combined, by 2010 career work became the most time-intensive task. (Fathers’ time use, on the other hand, has changed little.)

Imagine a three-way tug-of-war with the mother in the middle and three different ropes pulling her in three different directions. Balancing work, home, and family becomes an intricate juggling act. Yet, a mompreneur's purpose is fueled with passion.

Recently I was trying to replace the batteries in my wireless mouse and couldn’t get the cover off—again. I had struggled with this same task previously (trying paper clips, pens, X-ACTO knives, scissors, brute force, etc.), but this time it was different. I stopped trying to fight it and sat back, relaxing the frustration.

“Certainly,” I said to myself, “a massively successful company such as Apple would not make replacing batteries in a mouse for a Mac difficult. Everything Steve Jobs designed was about elegance.” That shifted my focus. If taking this cover off is super easy, what is the [...]

Often we hold back from giving feedback to others, even when it’s important to us and to the health of our relationship. Maybe we’re afraid we’ll hurt their feelings even if it's constructive, or we’re afraid of their reaction. Or maybe we think they’ll feel we’re criticizing them. But if we don’t give others feedback, we may hold on to resentment or anger toward them, which can spill over into later communications and even cause distance in our relationship.

I write regularly for a women’s business website, and I often have the opportunity to interview career women who are really making a difference in their workplaces and their communities. In these interviews, we often discuss how they got where they are, what kinds of things factored into their success, and how they find work-life balance. One factor that almost always comes up is mentors, and the importance of women helping other women. How do you find a mentor? And what is the difference between coaching and mentoring?