Blog: Perspectives From My Career and Life

I turned 60 this month. My reaction to this larger number is more nuanced and upbeat than I would have thought. I hope my insights add perspective to those at any age or stage. 

I find myself musing about what I’ve learned rather than dwelling on the number as much as I did when turning 30, 40 and 50. Thirty was probably the hardest for me, as I was single and unsure if I’d ever meet the “right one” and become a mom. Forty and Fifty were tough because I was fixated on the number — “middle aged!” — although I was really more occupied with balancing work and family – raising tiny kids at 40 and teens at 50.

Absent the mess we find ourselves in with Ukraine, rising authoritarian currents in our world and COVID, I feel more optimistic than when I turned a new decade in prior years.

Empowered and Powerful

I feel more empowered, powerful and respected. I like that I’ve had so many varied experiences that I can connect myriad dots to develop insightful views and philosophies of life. Career-wise, I reached the point where I am recognized for my expertise and competence, and no longer need to prove myself.

A huge benefit of getting older, which was not expected, is how the invisibility that comes with aging as a woman is empowering. This is not a disparaging comment. I just feel safer than I did when I was a young woman walking around, getting harassed by cat calls and lurid stares. Luckily, I am still relatively strong and healthy. By being noticed less, I feel less vulnerable from a physical security point of view.

I love that I have the curiosity, time and wherewithal to pursue interests. As an empty nester and having left the full-time work world, having more time means I can follow my heart and concentrate on my interests rather than others’ schedules and deliverables.

I am so thankful for my friends, family and network and appreciate that I’ve been able to keep vital and growing relationships with folks all over the world. I am putting more effort than ever into these and I’m grateful for the enthusiasm I find when reaching out to current or past friendships.

I am at the stage where I enjoy being in service to others. I like giving back, whether by mentoring young folks or volunteering at the local level. I have the luxury of not being so consumed by responsibilities and personal conflicting thoughts that were more dominant earlier in my life. I love being contacted by younger folks seeking my counsel. Those in early to mid-career often think older, experienced people are too busy to contact. But I don’t know anyone my age who would not take the time to provide information, advice and mentoring to younger folks.

Deepak Chopra on loving yourself

A recent podcast episode (see below) that featured Deepak Chopra got me thinking. Chopra believes you have to start with loving yourself before you can have a positive impact on others. According to him, “fulfillment comes when you have meaning and purpose in your life.” In taking his lead and looking internally, I realize that I really do like myself, am happy and have a fulfilling life. I like that I’m a really good family member and friend. I allow myself grace and live by my values. I feel the abundance of nature and people.

Just enough is great

Wealth. We have a funky culture that often values wealth over contribution. I came of age in the 1980s in the time of the movie “Wall Street” and Gordon Gekko’s “greed is good” mentality. I was pursuing the traditional Wall Street path when the stock market crash of 1987 happened, and folks coming out of a Master’s degree program in international affairs, as I was, were no longer favored when compared to those earning an MBA. This led me into public service. In retrospect, I am indebted to this stock market crash for giving me a wonderful government career, which was focused on serving the national interest rather than corporate stock value. My husband and I made a comfortable living, but never a ton of money. Careful and early investment, and not being focused on materialistic accumulation, means we can retire earlier than most without ever having to count on our kids to financially support us. Enough is great.

My conscience is clear. I worked in an ethical environment where I never felt pressured to engage in improper behavior. Right now we’re hearing about the ridiculously wealthy Russian oligarchs and others who profited mightily from their connections to Putin but at the expense of being beholden to his monster predilections. I think about all the so-called experts, from lawyers to wealth managers, real estate and corporate types, etc., whose careers are dependent on facilitating the illicit behavior of the oligarchs, or the Sacklers, coal barons and others dependent on ill-gotten gains. Enough is great, especially if one’s conscience is clear.

It feels good to accept that how I look and feel physically and mentally is just enough. While I’m not thrilled with the lines on my face that come with age, I like that I’ve reached the point where I’m more concerned with my health than my appearance. While I was always chasing thinness, and debasing my worth for never achieving it, I’m now just happy that my body allows me to take long walks and hikes, do the things I like to do, and get good feedback at doctor’s appointments. I am happy if I fit into my clothes and don’t worry about achieving the unachievable perfection that I, like so many young girls and women, have been conditioned by our culture to aspire to. Feeling enough as I am is great.

Turning 60 or any new decade invites assessment of one’s life. It’s been a good, reassuring exercise for me. I recommend approaching a new decade with inquiry instead of disdain. Here’s to the next several decades …

Please share your insights, perspective and lessons learned from a live well lived.

Check these out:

“Deepak Chopra on Abundance & the Inner Path to Wealth” from The Cathy Heller podcast.

From Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper: Pivoting—at Every Age!—Is Happening at Unforseen Levels. Here’s How to Do It Well | Stacey Lindsay (mariashriver.com)

With all the chatter swirling about the “Great Resignation,” it’s worth thinking about how we make decisions along our life path. After listening to the first podcast episode below, I thought about how my life has evolved and how deliberate I was about constructing it. It’s a sketchy picture.

Such reflection brought me back to when my daughter and I were discussing college majors (as she was considering her college options).  When she asked me how I chose my major, it was the first time I realized I didn’t consciously choose it. Rather, my older sister suggested I be a business major. That was it. I became a business major and never questioned that path. I’m not sorry, as I really liked the course of study I pursued (finance), but I was far from intentional about how I chose it.

Dream, Design, Dare, Do

I’ve never been one for planning for the long-term. I’ve written before about how I hate the question, “where do you see yourself in 5 years” as I see it as potentially preventing one from unforeseen, novel opportunities. But I like the idea of the “dream, design, dare, do” methodology that the interviewee recommends. It’s about identifying one’s passion and then pursuing it in a methodical away that builds in accountability and accomplishment.

I wish I had had a four-step process before I wracked my brain to figure out bumps along my road. My haphazard processes helped me work through key decisions throughout my life — whether about career moves, finding a life partner, taking the plunge to retire much earlier than I would have thought, or getting up the gumption to become a blogger — but in less efficient and satisfying ways than they might have.

In one instance, I was facing being laid off due to drastic budget cuts at the US Department of Energy. I was thrust into evaluating my current job vs private sector opportunities. This process helped me realize I loved public service and at the time (late 1990’s), it was the US Government that was the most knowledgeable and innovative about climate change policy. This potential glitch really got me to appreciate where I was. Luckily, layoffs in the end didn’t get to me, and I was able to jump gratefully and enthusiastically back into the job I already had.

More recently, a close colleague and I were talking about whether we should stay the course or leave government in our likely last career hurrah. To stay accountable to each other, we made a pact to have lunch every few weeks with the expectation that we had to make progress on the job exploration front. Even tiny progress was acceptable, whether just looking at or updating our LinkedIn profile or resume; looking at Indeed.com or Glassdoor.com; or contacting someone outside of our current jobs. Just knowing that we were meeting soon was a forcing function that motivated us each to act. It also killed two birds – we had fun having lunch while moving the ball forward on preparing ourselves for our next career move.

Taking the pressure off

The last thing I want to do is freak out any early to mid-career person trying to figure things out. It’s impossible for someone in their twenties or early thirties to have enough life experience to anticipate all of one’s life possibilities. Circumstances around relationships, kids, health, politics, the state of the world, etc. are not predictable. Rather, we really do evolve based on the good and the bad that unfolds in life. Although it’s helpful to have broad potential goals, it’s not essential. Think about taking it one step, and decision, at a time.

Smell the Roses

While contemplating our situation, especially if feeling down, it’s worth paying attention to the small wins in work or life. This allows us to “smell the roses” along the way, as the second podcast link below recommends. Embracing even small bits of praise received in a side comment or Slack message can build us up and help us feel accomplished even when everything isn’t rosy. I know I appreciated when I got a thumb’s up or a nice email praising my efforts. At times, these small wins gave me encouragement when I really needed it.

Another tip – remember to “age handicap” where you are. We tend to devalue our achievements and over-value other’s successes. It’s natural for younger folks to compare themselves to someone they admire, who’s usually older and much further along their career path. By “age handicapping,” consider where this person was at your age. They likely were not that much further along than you are.

When I spoke to groups or individuals in my later years at DOE, I found using my humorous or pathetic stories helped calm people down. In fact, this blog is absolutely focused on that — bringing perspective to folks as they go down life’s path. Covid has reminded us that we all experience highs and lows along the way. Sometimes we just need to ride the waves and give ourselves a break.

It’s good to know that we have more agency over designing our lives than we often think we do. While it’s good to “dream, design, dare, do” as we contemplate our next step, we don’t always have to be overly prescriptive as we do this. It can be okay to be directionally correct, so that we might get close to what we want without hitting the next step perfectly. Or, maybe it’s the act of being laser focused on realizing the dream that allows it to happen. Each situation is so different.

In these crazy times, a positive is that the massive movement so many are making offers more leeway to veer to a new path than ever, as employers are open to skills even if someone doesn’t know their industry that well.

It’s worth a gut check to see if we like the lane we’re on. If the answer is no, a four-step or other methodology can help redesign our personal highway. We are in the driver’s seat in our one shot at life.

I’d love to hear your experience with designing your life and/or your recommendations for others.

Recommended Listens:

“The 90 Day Reset You Need For 2022” from the HerMoney podcast with Jean Chatzky

“How to gauge where you are on your career path” from KERA’s Think podcast

“Tips for joining the Great Resignation” from KERA’s Think podcast

Usually when we wish each other a “Happy New Year,” we really are optimistic about the year to come and sincere in our expectations for the upcoming year. Unfortunately, this was especially hard for me to embrace as we entered 2022. I found myself cringing as I wrote “Happy New Year” in texts, emails and social media posts, knowing that the year to come is especially harrowing.

My pessimism caught me off guard. It got me to thinking – am I an optimist or pessimist at heart?

Listening to this interview with Michael J Fox helped me process this. Fox, despite trying health issues, continues to be an optimist. Wow. Is optimism a natural state or one that we can be intentional about?

I’d love to say I’m an all-out optimist, but if I’m honest and from my concerns about 2022, I’m at best a quasi-optimist. In full disclosure, I operate according to “Murphy’s Law” (“what can go wrong, will”). This could be viewed as a pessimistic approach to life. But I choose to see myself as someone who is prepared, just in case. If I anticipate bad things and prepare for them in advance, I hope to avoid last minute obstacles that “Murphy” might bring. Is this strategic or paranoid? Positive or negative?

Is being an optimist at this moment akin to the mistaken optimism that those in Germany likely had as they entered 1934, following Hitler’s win in the 1933 election, the last democratic one during his reign? Am I being overly dramatic or historically prescient? Is rushing to the worst outcome irrational? How does optimism fit into our perspective on the world?

Since the future is unknown, we still need to function, so staying on the side of optimism is important to maintain sanity. In all aspects of our lives – big and small.

Staying curious helps

Being curious and attuned to alternative ways of thinking has helped me adjust my thinking in a more positive direction along my life journey. New perspectives could come from lessons from my schooling, a casual conversation with a friend or relative, or words uttered by a stranger.

Micro vs Macro

There were more than a few times in my government career when I got disheartened by the extremely slow progress we were making on an issue, especially when working on climate change policy. Why was Congress, the press, and the public ignoring obvious evidence that climate change was a real threat? [This was back in the 1990s, when, admittedly, the impacts hadn’t yet hit as obviously as they are today]. Why was the national press (yup – even the New York Times and Washington Post) accepting the lies fed by the dirty coal industry in their coverage of this new issue, then referred to as global warming? We might make small inroads of progress but then would get intense pushback, especially by Congress. Simple arguments that belittle climate change then and now continue to eclipse the more complex and nuanced side, even for those actions that could preclude further damage.

To stave off getting completely demoralized, it helped to change my thought pattern. I often would use what I learned from my Econ 101 classes, in which problems (or the economy) could be approached in macro or micro. When I looked at our efforts in micro, moving the goalpost was infinitesimally slow and it seemed our efforts were barely making an impact. But when I looked at the US system in macro, however slow and plodding, I realized that it was perhaps a positive thing. Often, long-term change was most effectively made either incrementally over time or more sharply after distinctly dark periods that allowed the zeitgeist to embrace a new path. I used this micro vs macro lens a lot to help me feel like progress was being made, however sluggish. It helps me now that I’ve seen public attitudes accept the reality of climate change, even if our Congress has not.

The same could be said for the seemingly sudden public recognition of the extreme racial and gender bias that has detrimentally affected public policy and personal treatment for centuries. Much of the population needed the dark ugliness of George Floyd’s visual, horrible murder and the exposure of Harvey Weinstein’s decades of horrible treatment of women to finally recognize that massive change is needed. Unfortunately, there remains a loud minority represented by Trump and his ilk that feels threatened by such structural change, stopping at nothing to alter institutions to protect what they see as their interests. In micro, I am scared to death. In macro, perhaps this is the darkness we have to go through to get to the other side. Only time will tell … in 2022.

Just Smile

Similarly, when I was mired in the tediousness of raising my kids, I found myself short-tempered and not always appreciating the adorableness of kids being kids. It’s tough keeping little ones happy and engaged while working, trying to get stuff done and finding 10 minutes to read a magazine, my most relaxing reprieve. This is where a conversation with my dear friend Fran (who tragically passed away in 2021), really changed my attitude forever. Rather than complain, she actively relished every minute she had with her kids. She reminded me how lucky we both were to experience motherhood, since we were on the older side when we had our kids. Her approach was to smile and it would remind you to appreciate every moment. That conversation made an indelible, positive mark on my attitude towards being a mom and how I mothered my kids.

Feeling Gratitude no matter what

My family has had to deal with some significant health issues, and people often are amazed at how we deal with them without wallowing. Listening to Michael J. Fox — who deals with even more significant health issues — reveals how he, and we, deal with health challenges. We count our blessings and think how much worse things could be. Rather than feeling sorry for ourselves, we only see how lucky we are.

Working at Optimism

Optimism for those of us who are not natural optimists often needs to be an intentional pursuit. As 2022 opens, the pessimist in me worries that we’ll continue facing more variants that will prevent a close to normal life. I am consumed by the potential loss of our democracy if the expected Republican takeover of the House and/or Senate happens, especially as some States continue to hinder voting rights. I am so worried that my kids and their generation will lose out on the heretofore underappreciated benefits of close, in-person work relationships, not to mention the deteriorating natural world.

But then I remind myself to look at the glass half full instead. The vaccines have helped those who got jabbed to stave off serious disease. While we haven’t made the progress some may want on climate, the level of acknowledgment and commitment by many to do something has changed mightedly, compared to the years when it was impossible to get public traction. And, maybe we had to come close to the brink so that the powers that be will finally take action to preserve voting rights, and hence our democracy?

“Discomfort is the price of admission for having a meaningful life”

I was buoyed when I heard the second and third podcast episodes shared below, from the Happiness Project podcast. They are both recommended for recognizing and labeling one’s negative emotions and not discounting them. As the interviewee says, “discomfort is the price of admission for having a meaningful life.” We need to identify the emotions behind our discomfort, identify our true values, and then take action that aligns with these values.  This is an empowering way to cope with fear. The third episode is an interview with Brene Brown, who digs deep into the power that labeling distinctly different emotions can offer to help one cope more accurately and effectively with life’s travails.

Feeling carefree as we start 2022 is not easy. I am listening closely to those natural optimists out there or others steeped in recommended ways to assuage our personal and collective anxiety. As an aspiring but struggling optimist, I am eager to hear your thoughts, suggestions, and techniques for maintaining optimism and hope.

Recommended Listens:

The Funny Thing About Optimism w/ Michael J. Fox (and You) – from the Go Ask Ali podcast.

Emotions Are Data…So Listen to Them from The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos  

How to Identify Your Negative Emotions, an interview with Brené Brown, from the Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

Since it’s a year this month that our solar photovoltaic (PV) system got turned on, I thought it would be good for me to share my family’s experience – the nitty gritty – of purchasing, installing and using our rooftop solar system.

First, I should let you know why we decided to do this now. I’ve worked on climate change and clean energy policy and programs for 30+ years – most of it at the US Department of Energy (DOE). I’ve drunk the kool-aid on the significant need for us all to do our part.

Yet, between having an old roof and so much to learn about the range of possibilities, inertia won out. However, when I realized the existing tax incentive (called the Investment Tax Credit) was down to 26% in 2020 (going down to 22% in 2021 and then would be phased out), it was finally time to jump on this. Plus, a huge help was that our county, Montgomery County, Maryland, had organized a co-op through a non-profit, Solar United Neighbors (SUN), to help educate homeowners and facilitate the decision process.

Cutting to the chase … my husband and I purchased a PV rooftop system in 2020. We paid $21,621 for a 8.96kw-sized system consisting of 28 panels, plus an electric vehicle charger.  This amount was effectively reduced by a $1000 rebate from the State of Maryland as well as a 26% Federal tax credit ($5,621) that was in place for 2020, for a net price of $15,000. We chose to pay upfront, but there are a number of other ways to get favorable terms with little or no money down.

The Process

In May 2020, we joined SUN’s local solar co-op. SUN coordinates the co-op — educating and serving as the neutral source of information, providing helpful interactions with those who’ve actually installed solar systems in Maryland, and running the installer selection process. This was an excellent way to learn about our different options – including electric vehicle (EV) chargers and onsite battery storage – without any obligation to move forward. We knew we would have to replace our roof since it was 26 years old. So, much of our work that Summer was finding a roofing company. We jumped into every aspect of learning about roofs and PV solar (and battery storage).

In June, the co-op ran the competitive solicitation to find an installer who would provide a range of products and offer discounts based on the expected purchase volume from co-op participants. We signed an initial contract for our solar installation in July, with a $1,000 deposit. System drawings and final documents were completed by August, our roof replacement happened on October 6 and our new PV system was installed on October 19.   Within a couple of weeks, our utility (Pepco) did the final inspection, which allowed us to finally “turn on” our system on November 6, 2020. This was just in time for the end of daylight savings time and the least amount of annual solar production, so we did not really know how productive our system would be until later in 2021.

We had a number of interactions with our installer, Solar Energy World, and the salesperson, Eric, was always there to answer questions and handhold us when we got confused.

Our system has worked great. We’ve had a few times when the app that tracks our usage goes down, but that was easily rectified and mostly due to our home WIFI issues.

How’s our Payback doing?

We are benefitting from two payback streams – 1) avoided electricity charges from our PV generation that reduces (or eliminates) how much we pay each month for electricity from our utility, and 2) direct payments for our Solar Renewable Electricity Credits¹ (SRECs) that our utility and others can buy to meet their renewable energy obligations (note: this differs by State).

Electricity savings:

We saved about $1920 in electricity payments, when comparing what we paid for electricity for the one-year period before and after we got our PV system. It’s impossible to know exactly what we saved, since it’s hard to compare one year of usage to the previous.  It was especially tough given the pandemic, when we had more people at home for most of the Spring/Summer 2020 (before solar), with no vacation, unlike any other year of our lives.  In that time period, when we all needed to find space to work in, I spent most of my days in my sunroom, which only has electric heat (and a ton of windows), unlike the rest of my house, which is heated with natural gas. Unlike most with natural gas heat, our winter electricity can be higher than would be expected. Whereas in other years, we just wouldn’t use our sunroom on the hottest and coolest days, I used it regardless in 2020.

In comparing our year-on-year usage, I calculate that we paid on average $75 per month with PV vs $235 per month before PV. Getting actual bills of only $6-8.50 a month during the Summer from Pepco, our electric utility, just reinforced our decision to go solar, especially since our friends have been complaining about their sky-high electricity bills this past summer. Also, distribution and other charges are based on utility-provided electricity, so when we produce solar electricity, we also save on extra charges.

SREC payments:

We received 4 quarterly payments over this year, based on how much we generated. SREC payments: $739.31 for producing 11,773 kwh over the year (our payment does not include October 2021’s production, since it will be paid out in early 2022). Each quarterly payment varied, since it depended on how much our system produced the previous 3 months, as well as the swap price of SRECs in Maryland  (varied between $73.65 and $74.70 per kWh produced).

In the weeds

As a former economic analyst at the US Department of Energy, I know my analyst friends would want to wade further into the weeds of inputs, so I need to add some details for those interested. We pay for 50% wind for our electricity, and while the charge was mostly about 8.7 cents/kwh, it recently went up to 10.02 cents/kwh. Also, the distribution charge (called Energy Charge on our bill) and other charges on our utility bill are now slightly higher too, and they add up when you use over 1,000 kwh a month. Also, having my two college kids at home in 2020 meant we were using more electricity for computers, lighting, dishwashing and laundry, but not for heating, water heating or our stovetop, which are all powered by natural gas. Bottom line: our baseline year’s usage was somewhat inflated because of pandemic impacts of having more people in my home, but it is somewhat offset by currently higher utility charges plus not yet receiving our SREC payment for October 2021.

To estimate our break-even payback from one year of data, here is my calculation (undiscounted): Net Solar System Payment/Annual Electricity Savings + Annual SREC payments = $15,000/$1920+$739.31 = 5.6 years 

This means we can expect to break even in less than 6 years. At that point, we will enjoy significant gains between our savings and SREC payments for the remaining 20-25 years of the expected life of our system.

This is my family’s experience. For those who are bummed they are no longer eligible for tax credits, they are in fact restored to 30% in the Build Back Better Act, if only the Senate sees fit to pass it. Also, PV panel prices would have been expected to decline at the same rate they had been declining for years, but the supply chain issues could result in higher panel prices than what we paid, at least temporarily. I highly recommend using a co-op if it’s available where you are.

Doing our Part

I learned long ago through my DOE work that taking the first climate-friendly action is the hardest, and that others follow naturally as you get the rush from taking meaningful action. I found this to be true for my family.

We first took advantage of several incentives built into the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. We did a low-cost ($100) energy audit, followed by recommended actions of air sealing and attic insulation, benefitting from significant rebates. We’ve since upgraded to highly efficient air conditioning and appliances, like our refrigerator. I agree with the general recommendation that solar should be considered only AFTER one maximizes energy efficiency in the home.

We recognize that we, like the vast majority of Americans, are energy hogs. So, we’ve accepted our climate change responsibility to begin controlling what we can in our home. In addition to our energy efficiency upgrades, our PV solar system, our hybrid electric car (I love my Prius!), we pay a premium on our electric bill for 50% wind for what remains after our solar generation. We know we need to convert to plug-in electric cars and will do this as we replace our family fleet. We are very interested in adding battery storage to our PV system, and will continue to monitor the options available to us.

While in the past natural gas was considered the best way to go for heating, hot water and cooking, we will switch to all electricity as we upgrade those in order to go fossil fuel-free. We have started paying for a weekly composting service. Our investment portfolio is transitioning according to ESG (Environment, Social and Corporate Governance) parameters, meaning we do not invest in fossil-fuel based industries or those that are not committed to good governance and social responsibility.

As the famed climate scientist Dr. Katharine Hayhoe says (see podcast reference below), it was ordinary people’s actions that finally ended slavery, got women the right to vote, and pushed for civil rights legislation. As we’ve all seen from information coming out of COP-26 in Glasgow, it’s incumbent on everyone to do our share and push our decisionmakers to implement actions necessary to leave a livable planet for our kids and grandkids, and their progeny.

My story is meant to inspire others to start or continue on their climate change journey. Becoming more energy efficient saves money, in addition to saving energy. If your house is not conducive to rooftop solar or you live in an apartment or condominium, you can participate in community solar or pay a green power premium on your electricity bill for renewable electricity. Electric cars are the new rage. Many businesses are getting on the climate train, but they need consumer signals to confirm and extend their efforts. Our range of motion in this area is plentiful.  

I’m available to share further about my experience with anyone interested. I’d love to hear about yours too.

Note: I published this as a LinkedIn article also.

Recent listens:

This is a great, uplifting interview with the esteemed climate scientist (and Evangelical Christian) Dr. Katharine Hayhoe by Alyssa Milano. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/alyssa-milano-sorry-not-sorry/id1460720864?i=1000543330875

Very informative episode, “Electrify Everything,” from Molly Wood’s new podcast – How We Survive.  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-we-survive/id1586892518?i=1000539189908

1SREC: Renewable energy certificates, or RECs, are commodities that represent the green attribute associated with energy generated from a renewable resource. RECs from solar energy resources are called solar renewable energy credits, or SRECs. SRECs and RECs are awarded each time an energy resource reaches a specific amount of energy production, generally 1,000 kilowatt-hours (1,000kWh or 1MWh). SRECs are sold separately from the electricity itself, providing another incentive in addition to net metering. Since SRECs are awarded based on the total amount of energy produced by the system, energy consumption does not impact SREC production. The value of an SREC, like a stock, is variable. Prices fluctuate and can change dramatically over time. https://help.srecs.solsystems.com/hc/en-us/articles/360038031934-What-s-an-SREC

I retired from the Federal Government (U.S. Department of Energy) 3 years ago this month. I had not ever thought I would retire right at my 30-year mark, but events conspired to make it the right time.  In the months leading up to my decision, I tried to be as introspective and methodical as possible.  Through this process, I came up with some key observations about the work world. These have just been reinforced by the labor force realignment that Covid-19 is generating. Here are my top insights (in no order of importance):

I never met anyone who was perfect at their job

Sometimes I got down on myself when I failed to do something in my job perfectly. Yet when I took the time to think about people I viewed as great at their jobs, I realized that everyone has at least one shortcoming. These could include: not following through on promised actions, not being on time with deliverables or meetings, not having specific insights or knowledge that I expected them to know, not having clear communication, etc. I found it comforting that one could be spectacularly successful and respected and still have flaws.

Don’t take yourself too seriously

Self-deprecation and being friendly, open and generous in most interactions will always serve you, unless you are in a super serious situation, like meeting with CEO-level folks or testifying before a court or an official governmental body.

Similarly, sharing information helps to build trust and professional esteem, contrary to those who mistakenly believe hoarding information gives them the upper hand. When I went out of my way to share information and context, colleagues were extremely appreciative and provided more avenues for me to share my expertise. While the instinct may be to keep information from others to improve one’s status as “one who knows,” I’ve never seen information hoarders do well in the end.

Apply chess to key interactions

Being strategic and thinking two or more steps ahead sets one up for success, especially in potentially difficult or complex situations. When I was going into a performance review or important meeting, I prepared by thinking through every point I wanted to make, what I expected reactions to be, and then developed convincing responses to each potential retort.  I would jot down these “chess plays,” even on a scrap of paper. This could go several rounds depending on the situation. Doing this groundwork also helps alleviate the anxiety that comes with such meetings.   

Insecurity is at the heart of poor management

With the many managers I had, I found those that are insecure as a person or in their position tend to be the most unreasonable, harm morale, can be unjustifiably vindictive and make the worst bosses. My best managers held extremely high standards but provided good direction, empowered but did not micromanage staff, were available when obstacles or confusion arose, gave others their due credit, and had the guts to protect and defend staff from senseless demands and higher up drama. I also had my share of insecure managers who were so self-absorbed that they could not see how lifting everyone up would improve their own performance and reputation. Managers who exude authenticity — even if demanding, prickly or unorganized — are preferred to insecure types.

It’s okay to fake it

As a non-technical person in a very technical organization, I sometimes had to pretend that I understood the technology more than I did. But because I was not an electrical or other engineer, I could relate to what a layman would not understand about energy. I would often be the one to provide Energy 101’s for other Federal agencies or other organizations since I understood that you have to start at a basic level and not imply knowledge that I knew most non-industry folks did not possess. While I wasn’t fully versed in the complexity of energy technologies, I still knew enough in many settings to be the expert in the room.

Being collegial and cooperative is a superpower

I never worked on an issue or deliverable that did not benefit from working cooperatively with others. Teams almost always do better when they consider multiple perspectives and approaches. Contrary to what bosses think, nothing could really get done without getting others at the staff level to buy in. There was too much to do, and so it took individual relationships, born of previous teamwork experiences, traveling together (a thing of the past?) or hanging out at lunch or after work, to get the cooperative level of effort needed. These close-knit collaborations turn out to be exponentially helpful, whether for future work collaborations, as a sounding board, and/or for job (or social) referrals or references.

When I served as a Special Assistant to a senior manager, I learned that being as useful and deferential as possible to those reporting to my boss would help me gain their trust, accomplish whatever task I was engaged in and maintain my bona fides when I went back to the trenches. Acting imperious, as some close to power do, can be disastrous when one returns to the common ranks.

Plus, it’s more fun to work with collaborative, approachable colleagues.

Empathy and non-conventional views need to be considered when addressing key policy challenges

In my years at DOE, economists and modelers most often approached questions in very dispassionate ways, which helped to preserve their perceived neutrality and economics’ place in science. However, relying exclusively on known data or prevailing assumptions can lead to misplaced results, especially in a policy context.

There were many times when we tried to get economic modelers in the Energy Information Administration (DOE’s statistical arm) to make bolder future assumptions about renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies, beyond their standard “advanced” scenario of 10% better than current performance or cost. They too often dismissed non-conventional possibilities, thereby completely missing massive innovations and cost reductions in solar, wind, transportation and buildings that in reality hit the market years in advance of their projected analyses. Having more inclusive assumptions and results might have impacted related policy decisions, which in turn could have accelerated progress even more.

For me personally, I had more than a few of my traditional economist colleagues question my purchasing of an early Toyota Prius hybrid vehicle. It might not have made economic sense at the time, but my motivation was not simply economic. Rather, it was tied to sending a message to the then George W. Bush Administration that I and many others cared about reducing dependence on fossil fuels.  The energy saving attribute of the Prius was not easily appreciated or accounted for in economic models.

During the Obama Administration, the prevailing view was that there were too few workers in building trades, such as welders. In a very instructive (for me) meeting with the AFL-CIO, they made the case that trades wages had declined so much that workers weren’t willing to accept substantially lower salaries compared to what they had made in the past. Had the US Government taken this perspective more to heart, really addressing the aggrieved working class who has suffered most due to globalization, I doubt Trump would have convinced so many blue-collar workers to align with him and against their own economic interests, given his wealthy-first policies.

Luckily, we’re at the point where economists, modelers and decision makers finally are appreciating the labor issues and shortages we’re seeing today. They are also finally baking in changing attitudes toward climate change and economic and environmental justice – attitudes that had not been well characterized in traditional economic and policy-making analyses. Hopefully very soon, Congress will pass desperately needed legislation to address these existential issues.

The biggest revelation: Our limited human brain

A huge revelation for me was when I realized that we humans are just animals that have major deficiencies even given our immense intellectual abilities. This was reinforced during the 2009-2011 period – during the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act – when decisions about spending billions of dollars had to be made by the 1-2 people at the top, creating severe bottlenecks that delayed action. While bureaucratic processes were partly to blame, the real delays came from the inability of one or two brains to take in so much information and make quick decisions. It was not a reflection of the abilities of the people making the decisions but of their limited human (animal) brain power.

Despite our materialistic preeminence, we continue to display actions and ineptitudes that demonstrate how many commonalities, limits and dependencies we have with other parts of the animal and natural world. We’ve been driven to our knees by a microscopic virus. Note the vulnerability of our food supply to the still unknown syndrome that is harming bees. Our limited human brain is evident when we see how many Americans are fixated on their individual right to reject Covid vaccinations, illogically and selfishly ignoring the substantial risk that they will contract the Delta variant, pass it on to others and possibly die. While the prevailing notion may be that we are the dominate species, humans are showing how frail we really are.

While my insights are tied to my time in government, I hope most will resonate for those in business, other organizations or no longer in the work world. Looking back at your work experiences, what revelations have you made? I’d love to hear them and your reactions to mine.

Recent Media recommendations:

I was inspired to write this blog from listening to Ezra Klein’s podcast episode: This Conversation with Richard Powers is a Gift

Maria Shriver’s latest Sunday Paper blurb. I highly recommend subscribing to this (it’s free). She’s incredibly insightful and deep.

Boundaries are a hot topic right now.  For folks working remotely, how does one know when to end the workday? What’s the best way to manage kids’ or other family member’s needs when on work time? Is there a designated workspace that is easily separated from family communal space?

I haven’t had to confront the Covid-19 remote work issues, having left the formal work world prior to the pandemic. Still, during my thirty years in government, I constantly evaluated my boundaries. I hope my experience will be valuable as you navigate yours.

My Role Models

Before I became a parent and needed to set work limits, I watched some influential senior folks do just that. In one case, my boss, a father to 3 boys and husband to a strong wonderful woman, was finding himself working too hard and putting too much on his wife and kids. He approached his boss, a Senate-confirmed Assistant Secretary, and explained how his long work hours were harming his home life.  In a move that made an indelible mark on me, this Assistant Secretary announced at the next senior staff meeting that no one should work past 6 pm on her account. She wanted no divorces on her watch.

In another case, a very senior State Department lawyer and mom figured out how to share a management job and set limits about when she worked and traveled. This was in the 1990’s, when senior level women managers and lawyers were few and far between. She was so revered that the State Department would do anything to retain her and her expertise, so hers was the test case for a new work arrangement. Everyone who worked with her readily accepted her schedule.

Similarly, a colleague at another agency took paternity leave of 3 months. This was the first time I had ever seen a man take advantage of the Family Medical Leave Act, which passed a few years earlier in 1993. It was especially dramatic as many of us across the US government were traveling all over the world in preparation for international climate change negotiations that led to the Kyoto Protocol – something we couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to miss. It spoke volumes about the importance he put on his parenting and husband responsibilities. Rather than recede, his stature swelled. 

My turn

These individuals stood up to conventional norms and set boundaries.  Their example served as my guideposts as I made decisions about what I wanted when I became a mom.

By that point, I had been at DOE for 10 years, and built up a good track record. Right after my first child was born, I asked for and was granted a 4-day schedule, with the 5th day as “leave without pay.”  About a year after my second child was born, I went down to a permanent, 3-day schedule, which lasted about 12 years. Then, and I believe now, working part-time in the US Government is decided on a case-by-case basis, so I was lucky to have enlightened leadership that supported my wishes. It goes without saying that I was extremely fortunate that my husband and I agreed we could afford a 20-40% hit on my salary.

Lessons from my experience

A key lesson I learned was that colleagues adjusted well and got used to scheduling meetings on days when I was there. I never worked on Fridays, which was not a big meeting day anyway, since so many took that day off for their alternate work schedules.  My Wednesdays off were more of an imposition, but it almost never seemed to be a big deal. I am grateful for that.

A lot of thought went into how flexible I should be.  Prior to my schedule change, I would have thought being flexible and moving around my work days to accommodate others would be the best way to be considered a good, loyal team player.  Yet, I really did not want to come in on my days off, especially in the early years when I was taking a scheduled mommy and me class with my daughter — so valuable for the other moms I met. Being flexible would work against why I made the decision to go part-time.

So, I stuck to my guns and made it clear my days off were sacrosanct.  I still checked my blackberry (“the” device at that time) frequently, but I was inflexible about the days I came into work. I promised myself that I would only acquiesce if there were a national or international meeting that was out of my control, or if a very senior DOE or White House person set a meeting on one of my days off.

Counterintuitively, inflexibility led to increased respect for me and my schedule. In practice, knowing I wasn’t available on specific days helped narrow down times that worked for all, in a way making scheduling easier. Also, senior level meetings were so often cancelled or shortened that I’m glad I rarely scrapped my days off.

Know thyself. Knowing myself helped me when I worried about how this could impact my career. There were times I needed to give myself a pep talk. I had to accept that I gave up being on the senior management track, as those jobs go exclusively to full-time folks at the US Department of Energy. I missed many important meetings that would have been valuable to me and my visibility. When I questioned why I did the things I did and whether it was worth it, I reminded myself of my personal core values. That is, for me, I would only be happy and consider myself successful if I had a foot planted firmly in each world – my work world and my kids’ world. Less work hours meant I got to take long, treasured walks with my dog and had time to hang out with my girlfriends – both nearly impossible when working and commuting 50+ hours per week. Neglecting friendships is unfortunately the price many full-time working moms must pay.

Disclaimer: I don’t want to offend anyone who likes or needs to work full-time and feels that their parenting or friendships are little affected. I so respect those who beautifully and tirelessly manage a full-time job and their kids’ lives.  I just knew I don’t have that type of energy.  I accepted my limitations and created a schedule that worked for me .

A 4-day schedule is very different from a 3-day schedule. I worked very efficiently, so I was able to accomplish as much in 4 days as most do in 5 days.  However, I really had to slim down my range of responsibilities and assignments when I went down to 3 days. I was not able to volunteer for new challenges as I had always done.  Also, because I wasn’t around 2 days a week, I was careful to never miss a deadline because of my schedule.

Paying it forward, I made myself available to share my time and experience with anyone who approached me about career advice, and certainly about work/life balance. This is probably what has led, in a circuitous way, to this blog that is devoted to sharing my experiences and perspective.

And now?

Things have changed so much in two years.  I’m not sure that I would have felt compelled to reduce my schedule if working remotely was as accepted as today.  I had a +2 hour commute a day that would not be the case now. I could have more easily been around to give my kids rides or go to their practices, games and performances.  Would the pressure of a full-time job have been too much during their formative years if I had the option for remote work?  It’s so hard to say. 

Of course, my situation was pre-covid. Setting boundaries is made so much more difficult right now, during a pandemic. This is especially true for parents of school age and younger kids. They have to balance jobs (if lucky enough to retain them) with home schooling; serving as substitute playmates; fear of sending under vaccination age kids into schools without mask mandates; dealing with mental health, racial and gender bias issues, etc. The best we can say is that there is much more humanity around melding work and home, especially for those whose jobs allow them to work remotely.

In my boundary setting, I focused on the days I went downtown to work. Yours might be around whether you can stay remote rather than going back to the office, whether you can remain living in another location, when you are expected to read emails and slack messages, how much advance notice is provided around varied schedules, or a myriad of other issues that are rising up during the “great resignation” phase we’re now in.

I hope this blog is viewed as “paying it forward.” The real perspective I would share is to be self-reflective about what’s truly important to you and be real about your abilities and limitations.

From a statement made in the first podcast referenced below, this captures my message: “Communicating boundaries guarantees a self-determined, happy and peaceful life.” I wish you the courage to carve out boundaries that avoid burn-out and ensure a workable and happy life.

Recommended Listens:

From Jean Chatzky’s Her Money podcast, “Becoming A Boundary Boss: You Can Say No”

“Our mental “surge capacity” is maxed out,” from the Make Me Smart podcast

As I did last year, I’ve reserved my August blog for my recommended podcasts. I’m often asked for podcast favorites since I subscribe to many, of all stripes. As you embark on your August vacation and need to start listening to podcasts, or update your own library, please see my new list. (See last year’s list here.)

I’ve changed my list a lot since last year. In some cases, I removed podcasts, not because I no longer like them, but because either they are discontinued (but still available) or are not as relevant now that we’re no longer dealing with daily Trump anxiety. These are just my favorites — not my entire library .

If I’m walking, I tend to listen to them at 1.5 speed. If I’m driving or cooking, I don’t change the speed.

My Podcast Recommendations

Note: I’ve asterisked (*) those that are new this year. Also, there are no embedded links since everyone uses a different source to download podcasts.

General Interest:

*Now & Then: If you’re familiar with the brilliant, social media superstar Heather Cox Richardson, this is the show for you. She and Joanne Freeman (of my old favorite BackStory podcast), both professors of history, put in perspective what’s happening in our political and cultural spheres. If you don’t follow Heather Cox Richardson on Facebook or Twitter, I urge you to. She posts almost daily on what’s happening and why it matters.

*Sisters In Law: this is a relatively new podcast by the MSNBC legal whizzes – Joyce Vance, Jill Wine-Banks, Barbara McQuade and Kimberely Atkins. They talk about the latest legal, political and cultural issues and provide fantastic insight from their years of working at the Justice Department as prosecutors, in law firms and as law school professors. Best for those interested in legal issues.

*Hell and High Water: John Heileman, one of the most articulate and wise political pundits, and a host of Showtimes The Circus, interviews folks shaping our culture, especially in the political sphere. He is brilliant, insightful and humorous.

*Sway: This is a New York Times podcast, featuring the hard hitting interviewer and journalist Kara Swisher. She is a thorough and tough interviewer of notable folks in the news.

*The Ezra Klein Show: Ezra Klein, a well known journalist, tackles a number of topical issues, from anxiety to climate change, in an interview format in another New York Times podcast.

Fresh Air:  Many people know this podcast and its host, Terry Gross.  She’s a great interviewer of a wide range of interesting topics.

Think with Krys Boyd:  I discovered this NPR radio station (KERA) in Dallas’ podcast by accident, but I think host Krys Boyd is among the best interviewers out there.  This is sometimes focused on Texas topics, but most often on issues of national importance and interest. 

The Daily:  The New York Times came out with this podcast a few years ago, and it always covers a topic in the news in a really engaging way.  If you miss hearing it on the radio, it’s always worth checking out what Michael Barbaro is covering.

IA from WAMU:  This show took over for Diane Rehm’s daily radio show on WAMU, Washington DC’s NPR station.  It covers really interesting, wide-ranging topics, so I often check to see if there are episodes of interest.

Inside the Hive:  This is a Vanity Fair podcast with famed writer Emily Jane Fox (broke the Michael Cohen scandal) and Joe Hagan.  They cover topical issues in an engaging way.

Personal Finance/Business/Retirement:

Her Money with Jean Chatzky:  This is the only show I listen to religiously and have never missed an episode.  Jean Chatzky is known to many audiences for the financial advice she provides in a friendly, non-judgmental and well researched manner.  This show covers a range of topics related to women and money.  I always feel empowered after I listen to Jean, who’s enthusiastic and encouraging regardless of how financially knowledgeable one is.  I’m even a member of this podcast’s closed Facebook group.  Men should feel welcome to listen too.

*Jill on Money: Jill Schlesinger takes questions on a number of personal finance issues and provides her advice as a Certified Financial Planner.

*The Retirement Answer Man: this is a weekly podcast covering retirement planning from various angles, but mostly focused on personal finance.

*Angels Live: I’m new to angel investing, and this podcast by the Angel Capital Association, covers important issues for those investing in early stage companies or are entrepreneurs in that space.

Macro Micro Michael Marco: Startups at the Edge:  A shoutout to my friend, Michael Leifman, who along with his former GE colleague Marco Annunziata, conduct thoughtful discussions with early stage entrepreneurs who really are at the edge of innovation.  They are great interviewers focusing on little covered aspect of business, economics and technology.

Make Me Smart:  For fans of Kai Risdal and Molly Wood of NPR’s Marketplace , this is a fun, brief podcast focused on discussions about current financial topics. 

Cooking/Food:

The Splendid Table:  This is a very entertaining, light show that has great interviews, information and recipes.  When I’m stressed, I love to listen to Frances Lam’s gentle voice as he takes on a range of food topics.

*Healthyish: This is a new Bon Appetit podcast limited series about food and wellness.

Homemade:  I like the interesting interviews and information around food by Marty Duncan, a former contestant of the Next Food Network Star show.  It is a podcast of Allrecipes, a great place to get good recipes.

A Taste of the Past:  This looks at the history of a range of food-related topics. 

Entertainment/Sports

Awards Chatter:  This is one of the Hollywood Reporters podcasts (and my favorite).  The host, Scott Feinberg, is a great interviewer of famous folks, most of whom are up for one of the big award shows, like the Academy Awards, Tony’s or Grammy’s.  It’s very entertaining and well researched.  Go back to previous episodes – he’s interviewed everyone! [Two other podcasts from THR include It Happened in Hollywood and Behind the Screen.]

*In the Village: For Olympics fans, this started at the beginning of the Olympics and talks to athletes about what it’s like in the Olympic Village and how athletes manage outside of their televised competitions. I just started it and find it fascinating.

*Bridgerton: The Official Podcast: This is a fantastic podcast that goes through each episode of the wonderful Netflix series, with interviews with its stars and a lot of backstage players. I loved this!

*The Crown: The Official Podcast: This is the companion podcast to the wonderful Netflix series. It does a deep dive into each episode and interviews key folks that makes this series so captivating.

*Schitt’s Creek podcast: For those, like me, who adored this show, this is a fun podcast that goes into the making of this small Canadian tv show that erupted in the time of Trump to capture all of our hearts and every Emmy award for which they were nominated.

The Plot Thickens: This TCM podcast, with host Ben Mankiewicz, does a deep dive each season into a historically significant Hollywood personality or movie.  The first season dealt with Peter Bogdanovich’s Hollywood history.  The current season covers every aspect of the making of the Bonfire of the Vanities movie from 1990. It’s more interesting than it sounds and covers a lot of historical characters. 

Even The Rich:  This is a comical view of a range of rich figures, usually devoting 3-4 episodes for each rich family being addressed.  They’ve covered the Royal Family, Jay Z and Beyonce, Princess Diana, Madonna, the Murdochs and more.  It’s a light but well researched take on these folks.

Miscellaneous:

*WorkLife with Adam Grant: An organizational psychologist, Adam Grant dives into the keys to creating a better work life.

*Tiny Victories: this very short (maximum 15 minutes) weekly podcast by my childhood friend Annabelle Gurwitch and Laura House shares how fleeting joys and minor accomplishments can make one’s day.

*Go Ask Ali: Ali is comedian Ali Wentworth, who’s married to George Stephanopoulous. She’s hilarious as she speaks to experts about raising kids and navigating life’s challenges.

Dressed – The History of Fashion:  I love fashion and history, so this is a perfect podcast for me.  The two hosts are fashion historians that cover a range of fashion topics that usually can relate to current times. 

*In Vogue: the 1990s: this is Vogue Magazine’s podcast that takes a deep dive into the dichotomy of popular fashion that existed in the 1990s. I hope Vogue continues this podcast and delves into fashion from other decades.

*Us Among the Israelis: I recently discovered this podcast by two American immigrants to Israel that explore the mysteries, frustrations and joys of living in Israel.

Listening to podcasts makes everything I do more enjoyable — whether walking, cooking, painting, cleaning or looking for inspiration. I hope you find some new ones to listen to. No doubt I’ll have a fresh list next year. Enjoy the last weeks of Summer!

When we realized our recently college-graduated son would need a car during his summer internship in San Diego, my husband and I decided to accompany him on a cross-country driving trip. We had been almost nowhere since before the pandemic, so we welcomed this bucket list trip.

In mid-June, we took 10 days to drive the Southern route, minimizing the number of miles we would need to cover each day, with time to do something outdoorsy and fun in each locale. The idea was to leave the car with our son, then rent a car in San Diego to visit friends and family in LA, and fly home. Best laid plans …

Highlights

It was a thrill to discover cities that I normally would never have reason to visit. I was impressed with how well laid out and sophisticated Knoxville, Little Rock and Oklahoma City were, with pockets of artsy, eclectic areas.  We found vegetarian and vegan options everywhere we went (but a bit harder to find in seedier than expected Memphis). We were enthralled with the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City – it made my Westerns-obsessed husband especially happy. Cadillac Ranch (see photo above) was the only highlight in Amarillo, although seeing cowboys herding cows among the many wind turbines was quite a site. We took some amazing hikes, such as in a state park in Little Rock and the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. We got to visit Bill Clinton’s childhood home city of Hot Springs, Arkansas, also a national park. We loved seeing the signs for changing time zones as well as vast solar farms along our route. Witnessing newborn sea lions in La Jolla was so special and unexpected.  In addition to listening to the many podcasts I subscribe to (subject of next month’s blog) during our drive times, we listened to Barack Obama read much of his 900-page book.

Low Points

While the East coast experienced better than normal cool weather during our time away, the Southwestern areas we went through were shocked by excessive heat. It was nice having the flexibility to modify what time of day we did things, but we couldn’t avoid some sweaty hikes.

We might have spoken too soon about how well our 2013 Kia SUV was doing, as no sooner had we arrived in Flagstaff, Arizona, when our engine went kaput. Fortunately, we were on a secondary road and could coast into a gas station that happened to be right there. A nearby Pep Boys manager kindly contacted an auto shop nearby to help us. We were incredibly lucky to get stuck in Flagstaff, which was a comfortable 80 degrees or less, with a quaint downtown and good restaurants.

We experienced first-hand the impact of the pandemic on rental cars, supply chains and staffing. It was impossible to locate a rental car large enough to lug our son’s stuff.  After much effort and drama, we finally secured a UHaul truck (much larger than we needed) that was 2 hours away, meaning a 4-hour roundtrip trek plus loading time before we could move onto our next location – a day late.  Although we had to alter where we spent our last two days of driving, we still arrived in San Diego on the appointed day.

From a staffing point of view, we had to wait two hours in a line to rent a car in San Diego because Thrifty only had one person working (until I posted a public tweet that seemed to work — two more people showed up to work the counter). I guess automatic daily cleaning service in hotels is now a thing of the past — this is now by request only.

Impressions and what I learned about myself

I’m ashamed to admit I’m somewhat of an East Coast snob.  I discounted what turned out to be some really lovely cities. I found myself very attracted to smaller cities like Knoxville and Little Rock, who had adorable downtowns, fantastic river front parks, delicious restaurants and little traffic. Even Oklahoma City had a very artsy area with wonderfully trendy restaurants. I actually could see myself living in some of the places we visited, especially since I hadn’t felt the right-wing zeal that I was expecting.

What I learned about Americans: they don’t seem as obsessed with Donald Trump as I’d feared. While we saw some Trump billboards in southern states (and one Biden one in New Mexico), it was incredibly refreshing that politics never came up in our many (albeit superficial) conversations we had wherever we went.

What I learned about myself: my type A personality could be tamped down. I was pretty mellow about what we did and where we went, and only complained a little during our last, oppressively hot hike in the Petrified Forest National Park. I was not the horrible back seat driver I am known to be, helped by doing some watercolor painting in the back seat (thanks to water brushes that prevent messes).

I realized that situational circumstances matter enormously to how I react to a situation. I am proud that I didn’t freak out as I normally would when our car broke down. We could have easily gotten stuck in one of the many sweltering, down-on-their-luck towns we had recently been through. Rather than complaining about our situation, we just felt relief that we got stuck in Flagstaff. Our Kia did a yeoman’s job of getting us 2,300 miles as we put it through its paces – often driving 80+ mpg (the speed limit was often 75) in 100+ degree heat. I kept my cool even when we had to call numerous places to finally locate our UHaul and arrange, at the last minute, to fly our son to San Diego (UHaul’s only take driver plus one). It was wonderful to travel with two people who always stay calm, so it was only me that could have shook things up. We all were determined to avoid letting two bad days mar what was a fantastic 14-day trip.

Weather matters! It was a shock to arrive to the crisp, cool and wonderful weather of San Diego and then coastal LA. You would never know there was a severe heat wave happening in much of the surrounding areas. It is truly bizarre for East Coasters to go somewhere where the raincoats we bring everywhere would never be needed. While I cherish the results of so much East Coast rain – gorgeous flowers and trees and no fear of drought – I loved not having to worry about rain contingencies. Plus, I love succulents. I was thankful no wildfires or earthquakes impacted us – my two biggest fears.

Final Thoughts

I highly recommend a cross-country trek – as long as one takes a new-ish, rugged car and plans for at least 10 days to drive from one coast to the other.  Seeing our varied and fascinating country in a slow, unstructured way felt like a gift. Oh, and if you’re a +50-year old woman, it pays to have a portable, battery-operated fan to allow for restful sleep in what I’ve found to be inadequately air conditioned hotels.  

From this pandemic, we’ve all learned how precious it is to travel and capture memories with people you love.  I am so grateful that my husband and I got to experience this memorable trip with our son, especially as he enters the great unknown of where he will live and work. 

A huge bonus was seeing friends and family along our route — my college roommate Carolyn; nephew David and his bride Abby; past D.C. friends Michael and Margaret; childhood friends Lauren and Barbara; cousin Aliya, Zach and tiny baby Aria; and cousin Marlene. Thank you all for being available and wonderful hosts. Traveling is made even more meaningful when you get to see folks you have not seen in a while, in their environment.

Post-script about our Kia:  it remained in Flagstaff and Kia took full responsibility to not only replace the engine, but also transport it to my son in San Diego. Hopefully, he’ll get a few weeks’ use out of the car that was the reason for our trip. 

Helpful resources for a driving trip:

Google Maps to plan the route

Trip Advisor to identify where to stay and stuff to do at each stop  

Waze app for optimized, up-to-the-minute driving directions

Yelp app to find restaurants

IExit app to find gas, restaurants and other information as you’re driving

Gasbuddy app to find gas stations along the route

https://AtlasObscura.com to identify unique places to visit in any location

As we enter post-pandemic life and many return to their offices, even if just a few days a week, it’s time to restore our observational powers.  In looking back at my years working for others, being conscious of what was happening around me – with colleagues, superiors and friends – brought many career and other benefits that I want to share. Much of this is obvious but not always appreciated for its impact on our success.

Reading the Room

I gleaned so much from observing how those around me operated, especially in meetings.  How thoughts were formulated and conveyed could be either powerful or fall flat – it was very evident.  Those that were most effective tended to speak clearly, cogently and with evidence, and most importantly, in a measured way and without excessive emotion. For most of us, this is a learned skill that takes intentional practice.

I found it’s best not to waste people’s time with stupid banter during a meeting, but that banter is still important to connect folks before or at the end of a meeting. Thinking before reacting continues to be a golden rule in meetings (although I can definitely be accused of not always doing that). 

What makes zoom meetings so tough is the difficulty of reading the room, which is then made impossible when individual cameras are turned off.  I am reminded of an instance during the Bush Administration when a political appointee was on the phone to a room full of in-person folks. She was trying to impose a policy change that made no sense to those present. She kept pushing her view and failed to pick up the negative reactions. The whole meeting was a bust  — she ruined her reputation and was soon booted out of her job. Her inability to read a room – even when she was present – was what led to her demise.

Advice for those in a new position

I came into the U.S. Government as a Presidential Management Fellow, meaning (at the time) that we were encouraged to rotate to different offices during our first two years of government.  I learned after the first rotation the importance of easing into a new position.

In grad school, we were advised to come in blazing to a new job to make a strong and positive impression. Wrong! I found being too eager to be off putting to those who have been toiling in an office or team, and they rarely appreciate eager young things coming in too gung-ho. 

Instead, what works best is approaching a new position humbly.  Being enthusiastic about a new opportunity is fine, but co-workers tend to prefer a more low-key approach from new folks. Rather than rushing to impress, it’s best to be in a learning and deferential mode. I found it extremely helpful to keep my eyes and ears open for how people interact with each other and observe the pace and culture of the office’s operating style. This can avoid creating a bad first impression, which is hard to overcome.    

Social Cues

To this day, I feel guilty about an interchange I had with an African American friend years ago.  She and I were having lunch together, and she told me how uncomfortable she felt when we walked into the restaurant and felt everyone staring at her.  I must digress and point out that she was a gorgeous woman.  My reaction was that people were staring at her because she is stunning, not because she is black.  I had thought I was making her feel better but I now know that I discounted her feeling and failed to engage in what could have been a helpful discussion for both of us. I no longer am in touch with her, but I’ve thought of her a lot in the past year of BLM discussions.

Another key to success is being sensitive to how best to interact with individuals in a way that they respond to. I found that for the administrative staff I worked with, taking the time to ask them about their weekend or their families before delving into my request was the best way for them to feel seen and me to get what I needed. For others who were extremely busy and not in the mood for chitchat, I learned to dive immediately into what I was there for. Distinguishing what is needed in each circumstance is a process, like building muscle strength through focused effort and time.

Imprinting Observations

So many people I know are either starting new jobs or internships or moving into new roles in the Biden Administration. I hope folks take the time to really examine interchanges that they are a part of.  Take note of what is effective in how people communicate in meetings – whether one-on-one or larger meetings.  Consider how those that impress pace themselves, how much they use humor or a smile, and most importantly, how others react and how their comments affect the discussion. 

It’s equally valuable to recognize and remember what doesn’t work. It’s for this reason that few people would want to go back to their younger self without the accompanying life lessons they’ve accumulated.  Honing one’s observational powers builds these lessons, which hopefully will deliver benefits in the future.

The point of this blog is to encourage interaction, not to intimidate. Participation makes a mark, especially if built on best practices.  It bugged me when I would send someone to represent my team at a meeting and they didn’t vocalize our perspective on an issue. That was a waste.  So, for those who are shy about speaking up, my advice is to prepare and be ready to weigh in at the appropriate time. It’s important to be seen and heard!

Please share your thoughts. I’d love to know views on what is expected as we emerge out of Covid-19 and into a new normal.

Recommended listens:

Fareed Zakaria interview on our post-pandemic world, with interesting insights on the importance of human interactions.

Podcast interview with Esther Perel on the complexities of trust, power and people pleasing, especially in the work world.

As we near the end of the Big Pause, there are a lot of adjustments being made, perhaps permanently, to the work setting – some that Covid just accelerated.

One I wonder about in particular – what will happen to the many informal interactions that happen during the course of regular, in person work environments?  For me, these informal interactions were pivotal to my career progression.  Is it possible to create informal but meaningful interactions  in the virtual work setting?  Will these interactions ever return?  Have they been replaced in a satisfying way?

From what I’m hearing, some teams are actually more cohesive as they’ve made a concerted effort to use Slack and other apps to manage collaboration or institute regular virtual happy hours to help morale and encourage team dynamics.

What I’m talking about is different.  It’s about the interactions that happen outside of one’s primary team or direct line of authority, providing alternative perspectives and opportunities.  This is especially relevant to those working in medium to large organizations.

Chance interactions can make all the difference  

My initial foray into working in climate change came from repeated corridor conversations with someone who would become an important player in the U.S. Government’s climate change policy.  When he became a bigwig at the US Department of Energy (DOE) in the new Clinton Administration, he asked me to become his special assistant as the Administration began to develop the United States’ first Climate Change Action Plan in 1993.  I had been working in natural gas policy, not the most exciting field for me.  Meeting my future boss and then nurturing that relationship was key to my entering this new climate change field, which is now the defining issue of our time and the foreseeable future.  This recurring interaction started and evolved in an informal setting – the hallway between our two offices. 

Much later, I was working in another office on a less than exciting issue and for someone who I found to be a clueless and poor manager.  I knew I had to change jobs.  Luckily, I ran into a senior leader in the elevator, and lamented my situation.  He happened to need help and offered me a job on the spot.  He also had the authority to move me into a new position very quickly.  This elevator conversation was pivotal to my quick exit from an extremely negative experience into a very positive one. Again, it is doubtful this interchange would have happened if not for its randomness.

There were numerous times that a young person stuck their head into my office, or we talked while walking down the hallway or as we were leaving a meeting.  In every case, this initial informal interaction started a series of conversations that proved helpful to these folks in dealing with a difficult work situation or planning for a new work move.  I’m not sure if these relationships would have happened if not in this low-risk way, given how scary it is to approach someone you don’t know.

This face time makes a difference. There are so many people I met initially or ran into after a long time in this accidental way – in the cafeteria, getting coffee, in the gym downstairs in my building, or just walking inside or outside of work.  I may have been pulled into a meeting that I might not otherwise have been privy to.  Or someone thought of me for a position or team because they had just seen me getting my cappuccino.  Or the kindred connection that is immediately established when you realize you’re in a meeting with someone you usually see in workout clothes in the gym.  

Recognizing some positives from virtual work  

I recognize that there are some positives that have come with Covid.  For many that can keep the same working hours as before, finding two extra hours each day that are no longer needed for commuting has been great for sleeping longer, or gardening or exercising more.  Many prefer the reduced micromanaging from their bosses who no longer can look over their shoulder — literally. Others don’t have to travel all the time and cherish more time spent with their families. 

We are all much more understanding, and actually delighted, when we see someone’s dog or child in their zoom screen during a meeting.  The humanity that we now afford each other is hopefully translating, permanently, into a more generous and supportive work/life atmosphere. This is a welcome change.

It’s hard to prove a counterfactual

In climate change analysis, we often talk about the difficulty of proving additionality – would something have happened anyway? That may be the case here.  Will one’s career really suffer if they don’t have the opportunity for chance interactions? Is it time anyway to evolve beyond this?

Still, I worry especially about the early career folks or someone new to a job, finding themselves in a virtual or much reduced in-person work situation. For my son and others just graduating from college and entering the work world, how will they find informal mentors or expand their networks? How do they build the organizational muscle that develops from seeing how others conduct themselves, or by observing non-verbal cues so crucial to understanding how to get things done effectively? How do they meet folks outside of their immediate office? It’s a different experience running into someone or meeting someone through others than having to set an appointment for a get-to-know you chat.  

Perhaps a lesson from reduced in person interactions is that we must take more initiative to reach out to others rather than rest on the serendipity of running into someone, stopping in someone’s office, or having your colleague introduce you to someone on the way to a meeting.  To what extent do folks now have to become even more bold to make such connections? Or will they stay limited in who they know and what opportunities are open to them?

The value of the wider, weaker circle

I would say that most folks in their 50’s and 60’s would welcome a younger person approaching  them for advice.  It’s just counter to what most junior employees would expect.  It’s intimidating to ask for a meeting when you don’t feel worthy enough to warrant a senior person spending their precious work time with you. 

However, there is evidence that most people obtain jobs not from their inner circle, but from a much wider, weaker circle (listen to first podcast I link to below).  So, reaching out to friends of friends of friends, or colleagues of colleagues of colleagues, or senior folks you don’t really know, is imperative to moving along one’s career path. Taking every opportunity to expand one’s network is just as important now in pandemic times and as we slowly emerge. It’s just harder and takes more guts.

Are informal interactions still as vital as they were to me?   

I would love to hear from you about how your organization has adjusted to informal relationships.  Some managers are making a concerted effort to address this, and team building has been great.  But what about meeting others outside of your team?  How does one foster a wider professional network? How has this changed for you – good or bad? Please let me know your thoughts on this.  I would love to start a discussion about this.

Recommended listens:

Helpful podcast episode on Navigating Career Turbulence

Jennifer Palmieri’s interview with Mika Brzezinski on the common mistakes women make during pay negotiations and how we can fight for what we need.