Flexible Working Week: Danielle's story

By Danielle Keane, US VMS Implementations Manager

​I’ve been at Guidant for 12½ years, having held a variety of roles.
As the manager for US Vendor Management System (VMS) Implementations, I lead up a team of five who are responsible for getting implementations with our VMS technology partners configured in line with our clients’ business requirements.

In 2012, when I had my first daughter, I started working remotely on a part-time basis.
This eased up my commute time and allowed me to spend those hours traveling in my car and on the road with my daughter instead. In 2015, my husband was offered a position that would require my family to relocate from Michigan to Wisconsin. At the time, I was also pregnant with my twin daughters.

I honestly thought I would have to leave Guidant because of the move.
I wasn’t exactly sure how it would be possible for me to continue working at Guidant as I was about to move 450 miles away with two babies due. When I told my manager about my relocation, to my (pleasant) surprise, I was asked to stay on!

The team were also more than happy to accommodate to me working remotely. So of course, I accepted the offer. While I was happy to stay, part of me felt unsure about how it would work. I’ve worked from home before, but not for five days at a time every week.

When I first started working remotely, I didn’t know how long I’d last.
I missed being in the office and having lunch with friends. My commute time had been spent talking to friends and family, and without the commute, I had lost that extra bit of social time as well.

However, the challenges that come with adjusting to working from home on a full-time basis were not just about the social aspect. On reflection, the initial isolation I felt came more from the relocation, juggling two new born infants and a toddler running around the house. While I felt I had taken a step back at first, I’m so glad I gave it time to let it all even out. My twins are now nearly five years old!

They’re currently at preschool and will be in kindergarten next year. I’m glad that I’ve been able to maintain a position with the company where I’ve been given increased responsibility over time, even though I haven’t been physically present in the office.

Working remotely has made me more confident in proactively discussing issues as they arise.
I speak to so many people on a daily basis whether it’s through phone, email, Skype or WebEx, because the footprint of our company is huge and the programs that we support span across the world. With everyone so spread out, I’ve noticed that my approach towards how I connect with others has evolved.

But there are also other upsides to working from home!
If someone schedules a conference call on a Monday morning at 7, I’m so thankful I can set my alarm fifteen minutes earlier and make a cup of coffee while dialling in. I love that I can have groceries delivered during the day and be here for a repair person to drop in during non-emergency hours.

I put less mileage on my car, save money on gas, and most importantly, grab lunch from my own refrigerator (or have Chipotle delivered to my house!).

Working remotely is not for everyone.
Whether I’m at school events or at the store, people are always telling me how lucky I am to work from home – and I definitely am.

But working from home comes with many distractions, so focus is necessary. That said, identifying the distraction isn’t always easy either. In my case, I notice that work is far more of a distraction to me and the house, than my house is a distraction to work.

Having a home office also means I’m not always good at switching off. If an issue comes up in the evening or over the weekend, I’m likely to look into it. Switching the work phone off is something I’m still working on.

As a working mother, I have been there for nearly all of my children’s ‘firsts’.
We’ve had a day nanny in the house since the twins were born. Having her with us has allowed me to work from home and have my girls with me too. I can’t even begin to express the gratitude that I have for the company in giving me this incredible opportunity to not only keep my career, but experience so many ‘firsts’ with my oldest daughter and the twins.

I have been here for it all.

I have, on occasion, had to find places to hide when the kids wanted to chat while I was busy. They would try and walk into the office while I’d be on a conference call, but our nanny would typically grab them just in time.

For those wanting to, or are working remotely from home…
Do keep all lines of communication open – and this goes for both work and home. I rely on my husband and kids to tell me if I’m giving too much attention to one over the other. If they do say something, I take it seriously and re-adjust to the best as I can.

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