Far from taking away from your expertise in the office, being a parent often provides the opportunity to boost skills that will have a positive impact in the workforce.
While having children doesn’t immediately make you a better manager, many of the skills you use at home can also be used in common office scenarios.
Here are six ways parenting skills can translate into big wins at work:
You Become a Master of Multitasking
Being able to focus on many things at once is one of the calling cards of parenthood. Beyond just keeping track of day-to-day routine, at any given moment there are likely multiple tasks which vie for a parent’s attention. The same level of focus that allows a parent to keep track of the after-school activity schedule, homework deadlines, volunteer meetings, and family outings can also be used to keep track of project deadlines, the latest financial numbers, and that presentation that’s due at 2 in the afternoon.
Prioritization is an Everyday Reality
Very rare is the individual who can check off every item on her to-do list each day and start fresh with a clean slate the next morning. The reality of both work and home life for most working adults is that there are simply too many things to do and not enough time in which to do them.
While everyone learns to prioritize to some degree, being a parent means not only prioritizing for one’s self, but also for the needs and wants of another individual who can’t make those choices on his own. This additional layer of understanding can be invaluable when translated into competing goals in the workplace, especially when faced with the onus of deciding which project takes precedence.
There are More Opportunities for Emotional Intelligence
Infants are the ultimate masters of non-verbal communication. Without uttering a single word, babies are able to express a range of emotions, needs and desires that parents soon learn to decipher. Attention to body language and context are invaluable skills to be an effective communicator whether in the nursery at 3 AM or the board room at 3 PM.
And while there’s no silver bullet for authenticity or empathy, being an effective parent means that we open ourselves up to both in ways that can enrich all of our relationships, both personal and professional.
Creative Compromise Comes (Almost) Naturally
Sharing. Taking turns. Reciprocity. Positive reinforcement. Compromises of all kinds follow a similar path, and whether at home or in the office. In resolving conflicts successfully at home, parents reinforce the skills needed to ameliorate conflicts at work. Combined with the ability to listen with empathy, successful conflict resolution can happen more consistently over time.
Your Overall Perspective Broadens
When you become a parent, you take on a new perspective. Even if you are the sort that can plan things far into the future, being responsible for another human being often creates a unique frame of reference – one can make plans for the day-to-day and plans for the future almost seamlessly.
This new perspective, once harnessed, can be a major asset in project management. The ability to comprehend the broad perspective of overall goal completion and then reconcile this with the day-to-day activities of managing a team of people is what makes projects hit and exceed their targets.
Solutions Become the Order of the Day
Becoming solution-driven as a parent can happen almost without thinking about it. In attempting to help our children solve their problems constructively, we often seek out solutions that allow the greatest ‘win’ on both sides.
Whether it’s finding a way to balance after school interests and grades, or chore lists and reward systems, there is a level of balance that must be obtained. Companies that have implemented policies that offer flex time, or set aside time for pursuing interesting projects are using the same kind of balance and flexibility.
While work-life balance is the holy grail for many working parents, the two areas can overlap in ways that are unexpectedly beneficial for all involved. Are there any skills you’ve developed as a parent that you see yourself using in the office? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
