I couldn’t entirely relate to Valerie Jarrett’s story detailing the discomforts of being nearly nine months pregnant and stuck working at an uncomfortable conference table until 2 a.m. But, like her, I do clearly remember the stress of trying to make it home in time for activities with my children when they were little. Valerie, a senior advisor to President Obama, told a great story at Monday’s White House Summit on Working Families about having trouble focusing in a meeting with her then-boss Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, because she was worried about making it to a Halloween parade at school. That’s something to which every working parent can relate. The mayor noticed and asked her what was up, and she candidly explained. So, what did he do? He asked her why she was still at work and urged her to go quickly, before she missed the cute photo-ops.
We don’t all have bosses like that, but we should. Valerie said after that, she worked twice as hard for the mayor and his causes. [PwC Chairman and Senior Partner Bob Moritz via LinkedIn]
