`Arranging your work so that you can spend as much time as possible with your grandchildren.”
That’s Margo Morris’ definition of “grandmother power.”
And Morris, president of Margo Morris & Co., a management consulting firm in Chicago that specializes in the nonprofit sector, should know: She’s done it.
“When my daughter, Erika Erhart, became a principal in my company in 1997–she and her husband relocated to Chicago from California–it was because my business, which I started in 1993, had taken off quickly and I needed help,” said Morris, who had worked in nonprofits for eight years.
“I made her an offer she couldn’t refuse. She’s an excellent writer, a hard worker, has exceptional communication skills, is creative and very funny–all the things that make her a delight to work with.”
There were more delights to come: In 1999, Erika and her husband, Michael, a supermarket manager, had their first child, Nicholas.
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And that’s when grandmother power went into action.
Though both mother and daughter had flexibility in their work schedules, Morris formalized a new arrangement: “I wanted to take time off from work and spend it with the baby–that way I could be with him and also save his parents some baby-sitting money,” said Morris, who is married to Stan Tamkin, a retired business executive.
Morris, who also has another daughter, has four grandchildren, including Nicholas; Tamkin has nine grandchildren.
“In 2000, I started going to my daughter’s home every Monday to baby-sit Nicholas, who now is 3 years old,” she said. “Erika runs the business alone that day. She works five days a week.”
That time is precious. “I try to have an activity plan for my grandson which includes a library day, art projects, cooking and playing sports,” said Morris, who has undergraduate and graduate degrees in art and used to be an art teacher. “Because of this, I’ve grown much closer with him.” And on Mondays, while Nicholas naps, his mother and grandmother brainstorm ideas for their business.
At first, the entrepreneur said she “found it difficult working four days a week, but I became more comfortable as I saw I could do my work and still serve my clients. And, when needed, I work on weekends. Erika is more than my backup–now clients want her. Occasionally, the partnership does dissolve into a mother-daughter thing, but not too often. Our clients are amazed how well we work together.”
Among Morris’ clients are Chicago Botanic Gardens, Chicago Youth Program and Marwen, an arts organization for inner city kids. “Because I work with my daughter, I have more time to see my other grandchildren, too, to serve on boards, such as the Hellenic Museum and Cultural Center and the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance, and to do volunteer work,” said Morris. “Without her, I could never have done these things.”
There’s an added advantage of grandmother power that other employed grandparents might identify with: “Not only does spending time with my grandson bring a continuity to our relationship, from my perspective it also gives me a chance to atone for any parenting sins I may have committed as a mother,” she said.
The flexibility of the relationship also works well for her daughter. “I work five days a week and that means I can’t schedule coffee with a friend, but because of my Mom I feel I’ve struck a balance between work and home,” said Erhart, who works both from home and at the organization’s downtown office. “What I love the most is I can take my son to classes–and still get my work done. I also have time to volunteer, which I love to do. I’m happy I can do a lot of things for my family and also exceed the expectations of my clients without letting either of them down. And that’s not easy.”
Because of her firsthand exposure to it, Erhart has her own description of grandmother power:
“It’s awesome.”
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Carol Kleiman’s columns also appear in Sunday’s Business and Wednesday’s Working sections. She is the author of “Winning the Job Game: The new rules for finding and keeping the job you want” (Wiley, $16.95). E-mail [email protected].