Ya-Who; Ya’-What?

Is It Just ME, or do you, too love the classic Neil Armstrong quote as he stepped on the moon?

Yahoo CEO, Marissa Mayer, announced earlier this week that all work-from-home employees must return to the office.

One small step for Yahoo; one giant leap backwards for working mothers?

I had to digest this announcement…it took a while to realize if I couldn’t swallow it, there was no way I could digest it.  This doesn’t make sense.

Seven months into her “…one of the most powerful women in the world…” (Fortune) position, Ms. Mayer dropped the mandate that ALL work-from-home staffers MUST return to the office and work from the office.

Smart, I thought that this was an across-the-board decision that would preclude her raising the ire of any particular group, but, come on…statistically it will most likely have a greater toll on women; particularly, working moms. 

Marissa, a working mom herself, returned to the office just two weeks after giving birth.  WOW!  Rumor has it, she built a nursery next to her office – a luxury afforded only to the “most powerful….”  Good for Marisa, no doubt she is working very, very hard to raise her child as well as breathing new life into Yahoo.

Here’s what I don’t get:  millions of people rely on this communication giant to keep them up-to-date on a full array of categories: news, politics, sports, finance…yet, they seem to have difficulty communicating with their home-workers!  I just don’t get it.  Credibility!

I admire all companies that took/take that leap forward and plant their feet firmly on a yet unexplored territory; why go backwards?  Shouldn’t a company that relies on technology to communicate with the world be able to rely on the same technology to communicate with a microscopic segment of it?

Ms. Mayer is quoted as ordering her priorities as God, family, Yahoo; good show!  So, for God’s sake, think of the families of others and keep Yahoo moving forward, not backwards.

It is awesome that Marissa Mayer succeeded another woman at the helm on Yahoo’s bridge and I know her ability to steer clear of self-inflicted wounds is what will keep Yahoo moving and growing.  It’s a great lesson in the importance of holding one’s course, staying focused, waiting out the storm, and navigating to the ultimate destination.  Ms. Mayer undoubtedly earned her Captain status; maintaining it is harder and plugging holes early on is what keeps a ship from sinking – she can do it! 

 

So, IS it just me, or do you, too, feel that no company should yield too far to the ways of yester-year, lest they fall off the moon!

I ‘m cheering for you, Marissa…you go, girl!