Insights
Korn Ferry: The Benefits of Taking Turns Within a Partnership
Evelyn Orr, the Vice President and Chief Operating Office at the Korn Ferry Institute, discusses how working couples who take turns within in their careers can alleviate work-induced stress and help to navigate the challenging dynamics of the business world. Citing the increase of couples with children under 18 years old where both partners are working from only 25% in the 1960s to 60% today, finding the right balance has become essential. Orr looks at Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her late husband as an excellent example of turn-taking, telling of multiple instances throughout their lives where one was presented with a new job position and the other made the move to allow their partner to accept the opportunity.
Orr also lists and discusses the following possible benefits for couples who make the decision to take turns throughout their careers:
- Risk mitigation
- Funding for further education
- Decreased stress on a single provider
- The option of leaving a dysfunctional or toxic work environment
- Social and intellectual exchange