The Breastfeeding Saga Continues!

We all know - as has been quoted time and time again - breast is best! But why does this suddenly mean the baby has to be with the mother in order to take the breast milk. Has everyone forgotten about expressing! I know that this can be uncomfortable and difficult, however it seems to many mothers that investing in the newer breast pumps and time taken to express would be highly preferable to having to schlep a small baby into work - perhaps on the underground (buggy nightmare), on the bus (another buggy nightmare), in the cold (and snow), in the heat (on the underground, smelly armpits and all), etc.

Do you want your baby to come to work with you?

Amongst the weather news and student protests, proposed legislation in regards to breastfeeding seems to keep popping up. First was the bill to make breastfeeding in public a legal right and then a proposed bill emerged to urge employers to make areas available to working mother's who want to breastfeed. In one way or another, supporters of breastfeeding are pushing their opinion to the forefront.

Plus, the experts tell us that breastfeeding should be a calm and serene time, a time to bond with baby. Many women would argue this would certainly not be the case what with the boss breathing down your neck because it's almost deadline time, you can hear your phone ringing and your biggest client is waiting for that all important email!

In other words, nice idea and all that, but in reality - in the real, working world where women already have to prove so much to their employers and colleagues - do we think this arrangement is a) going to work in the practical sense, b) make working mothers lives easier or more stressful than they already are?

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Mickey Mouse interviews - but only 20% turn up

I recently read an interesting and thought provoking interview in a recent addition of Recruiter magazine (www.recruiter.co.uk). Only 20% of the candidates who had been selected for job interviews in London for Disneyland Paris turned up! Now, as a recruitment consultant I realise that on occasion a candidate would let you down and not turn up for a pre-arranged client interview and that is all rather irritating and somewhat embarrasing. However, 20% is a huge percentage - especially at this time when there are so many unemployed.

I was just wondering if anyone has any thoughtful insight as to why this sort of thing happens as much as it does. Life happens of course and on occasion a candidate will call up to give apologies for not being able to make an interview due to illness, an emergency, a flooded kitchen etc, but the Disneyland Paris situation is surprising.

We all need a little motivation sometimes

Bill Gates

I bet even Bill Gates sometimes needed a bit of a kick up the bum and a motivational talk on occasion.

None of us are immune to a down day or even a lazy day. It happens to the best of us. Perhaps more now than, say, 10 years ago when business was booming, we were cash rich and life was somewhat easier.

Life can be a slog but I recently read a really insightful and highly inspirational quote by Nelson Mandela in his Inaugural Speech of 1994:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.  It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and famous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not service the World." 

I saw this quoted recently on http://www.newmaninitiatives.co.uk/, a hugely encouraging website not filled with fluffy advice but with useful, practical and inexpensive tips on getting you and your work team motivated.