So yesterday morning I called my mom to double check what I was supposed to bring for Thanksgiving dinner.  I had on my shopping list all the ingredients for pumpkin pie, a yummy strawberry Jello dessert, and ham, as had been assigned to me during our last Family Thanksgiving planning meeting.  At this point it is helpful to explain that prior to yesterday’s conversation there had been four different Thanksgiving plans, and probably two dozen phone calls between family members sorting out and weighing in on the various options. Again, with only six of us involved, planning Thanksgiving should not have been hard, but for some reason, my family really does struggle with agreeing on details and putting a plan in place, so four different Thanksgiving plans led me to yesterday’s conversation.

The phone call went a little something like this:

Mom: “I know we already have a plan in place, but your uncle just called and he would really love to have all of us over for Thanksgiving because his girls are going to be there this year and it would be fun to have the cousins together.”

Teri: “So are you thinking we would go over there instead of having Thanksgiving at your house?”

Mom: “Well, do you think Scott would agree to it?”

Teri: “Well I better talk to my husband. If we do change the plan, what do I need to bring? I’m headed to the store today.”

Mom: “I don’t know. I’ll call you back.”

And thus began executive planning for Thanksgiving Plan #5. As I write this (an entire day later and two days before Thanksgiving), I still am not sure where we are spending Thanksgiving, or what I’m bringing. But although I am a person who really likes a concrete plan with well-defined details, I am working at not being bothered by the randomness of this Thanksgiving.  The reason for my Zen-like state?  The willingness to be flexible.

Although it does not come naturally to me, I am learning that flexibility is an important key to success in both my personal life and my work life. Flexibility enables me to quickly shift from one role to another, and also allow “my plans” to shift and morph as needed to accommodate the situation. Presently, as our nation faces enormous changes in economics and business, flexibility gives me strength to walk without fear, knowing that if my current career path hits a dead end due to the economy, I will be able to adjust, seek out new opportunities, and move on.

 Most of you reading this article will have not only many different jobs during your lifetime, but also several different careers.  You are almost certain to experience an unexpected shift in the “plan” of your career at some point. Like the Kaptein Thanksgiving plan, you may find yourself re-defining your career path four, five, or even six times as you work around the unknown variables that are bound to pop up unexpectedly. You will find that your career decisions become a mix of action and reaction, and that the ability to be flexible may become your most important asset as you navigate the waters of the business world.

Sometimes, being flexible may even mean letting go of a job or situation that you have invested a lot of time and energy in. One author puts it this way: “When you have done everything humanly possible – with a project, with a business, with a relationship – then the only thing left to do is to let it go.” (Jones, 157). Flexibility allows you to do just that – let go and move on when a plan isn’t working and change is needed.

So brush up on your business Pilates and take stock of whether you are really allowing yourself to be flexible in both your immediate work situation and your long-term career plan.  You may find that “letting go” makes a huge difference in how you approach your life…and Thanksgiving!

Teri Whilden

Jones, L.B. (1995). Jesus, CEO. Hyperion: New York.

I met a lot of students that morning, but two young men stick out in my mind.  I approached them the same way I had been approaching other students that morning: “Do you have any questions about NNU?” I asked with an especially smiley face.  They hesitated, obviously trying to walk past me without having to talk. But I was persistent: “Do you have any interest in NNU?” I asked again.  “Well,” one of the young men replied, “I guess if I have to go to college, NNU might be alright.”

I froze, astounded at his simple statement. “If you have to go to college?” I thought to myself incredibly.  “If you HAVE to go?” By now the two young men had slipped inconspicuously away, and I was left pondering this nonchalant statement.  Did these young men not understand what a privilege it was to go to college?  Not just NNU, but any college?  Did they not realize that there are men and women around the world who will never learn to read, and yet most of the high school students swirling their way around this college fair would have the opportunity to study at a university and maybe even go on to earn advanced degrees?

Even in the United States, there is often a misperception that everyone has the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree. But that is not the case.  The U.S. Census Bureau reported in 2005 that 46% of Americans had never taken a college class.** This means that even if you only attend college for a year, you will have attained more education than 46% of the population.  Of the remaining 54%, almost half never graduate, attaining only “some college.”

Jeremy Sullivan, a Ph.D. student at the University of Maryland, recently wrote an article on this very topic.  He notes that research shows there is a correlation between attaining a degree and average earnings for individuals.  As he puts it: “Mean [average] earnings for an individual with a bachelor’s or advanced degree is more than $54,000 a year, while individuals in the “some college” category average around $35,000. Folks without any college at all – remember, that’s about half of the population – have mean earnings of less than $30,000. It seems clear that the incomes that correlate with middle-class prosperity are much more likely to be earned by those who have bachelor’s degrees.”**

So to all the future students reading our Business Department Blog I have this to say: If you have the chance to attend college and earn a degree, jump at that chance! It is a privilege that not all are afforded.  A bachelor’s degree alone can visibly raise your lifetime earnings and provide you with valuable opportunities for advancement in the workforce.  Plus, seeking a degree can be a wonderful time of self-exploration and intellectual growth.  It is an experience not to be passed up or taken lightly.

Whether you go to NNU or find someplace else that suits you better, the key word is, “Go!” Go learn, Go grow, and Go graduate!

To check out Jeremy’s entire article, clink on the link below.  And don’t forget to leave me your thoughts in the comment section.  I’d like to hear what you think on the subject of the privilege of higher education.

Blessings,

Teri Whilden

Article by Jeremy Sullivan:  See the source article.

** Statistics taken from Higher Education: A Rare Privilege, by Jeremy Sullivan. Published October 13, 2008, in the Diamondback Online, Maryland University’s Independent Daily Student Newspaper

Question: What do the following 3 jobs have in common?

• Human Resources Manager
• Entrepreneur
• Personal Finance Advisor

Answer  –  They are three of the highest paying jobs for women today, and a business degree from NNU can prepare you to be successful in any one of these three fields!**

Although women have made much headway in the world of business over the last several decades, the U.S. Census Bureau recently reported that in 2006 women were only making 77% of the salary earned by their male counterparts. ** This means that although more and more women are landing those top-paying jobs, there is still a wage gap between men and women.  Additionally, some work situations may be more challenging for women as they work to balance full-time employment situations with raising a family. 

With six female faculty members who have all worked in the world of business prior to making a move into education, the NNU School of Business recognizes the unique situations facing our female students as they graduate and begin their careers.  Because of that, we are committed to helping them prepare for success by providing opportunities to explore this issue of women in business. 

Recently, several of our female faculty and staff members joined six of our undergraduate female students at a dinner and forum designed to highlight and discuss the unique situations facing women in business.  Speakers included, among others, Carolyn Holly, a local news anchor, and Barbara Morgan, Idaho’s own Teacher in Space.  The women on the panel took time to answer questions and discuss situations that they had faced throughout their highly successful careers, as well as providing advice for the young women just starting out.

As a female attorney and professor, I was astounded at the commonality that was highlighted as each speaker shared her story with the audience.  All of the women on the panel had the same advice to share: Be Prepared to Work Hard! Each agreed that their paths to success had not been easy and had required much time, energy, and sacrifice.  But each also agreed that the hard work had been completely worthwhile.  “Pick a job you love,” was another theme of the evening.  If you are going to work hard to be successful, you should love what you are doing.

Perhaps the greatest lesson I took away from the evening was some advice Carolyn Holly shared.  “Don’t ask what your company can do for you.  Figure out how you can add value to your company.”  Being successful in business isn’t about using a company to get to the top.  It’s about learning how to be the best employee you can be, and continually adding to your skill set to make yourself more marketable and essential to employers.  What a great lesson for both the students and the faculty!!

Teri Whilden

**Information taken from: McIntyre, K. (2008) Top Salaried Jobs for Women: Five Reasons to Return to School. Retrieved September 26, 2008, from http://encarta.degreesandtraining.com/articles.jsp?article=featured_top_salaried_job_for_women&GT1=27001