Have you ever thought about how your private life learnings can boost your performance at work? Becoming a parent and growing into that role can be of great value for your employer – and your career.
At FamSmart we have gathered insights from all over the globe during our decades as experts in the field of work life balance in general and family/work in particular. Our belief is as strong as it is true: Family smart workplaces are winners – businesswise and when it comes to talent attraction, retention, and development.
– We believe that parenthood and family life in general can be one of your most valuable leadership courses – free of charge, says Tiina Bruno, mother of three and the CEO of FöräldraSmart AB. She has been a missionary for family smart leadership for over a decade and has been conducting hundreds of seminars and parent gatherings for employers, managers, and employees all over the world.
A learning journey of a lifetime
That being said, let’s get back to YOU. During your free time and while you are just living your life in private, you constantly develop – even if you don’t always realize it. We have found that when you become a parent, you are being taken away on a learning journey of a lifetime. Let’s dive into the competencies you will heighten the bar in as a parent!
The competencies trained and upskilled
Here follows some of the competencies you develop in your family life. Think about each of them and reflect on how you have recently faced any of them. Next step: how do you think you will find them useful back at work?
- Prioritization and delegation
- Situational leadership
- Organizational skills and effectiveness
- Empathy and compassion
- Goal orientation and problem solving
- Perspective in life
- Thinking outside the box
- Mindfulness
- Communication and conflict resolution
- Setting boundaries – for others and yourself
- Patience
- Social competence
- Self-esteem
Reflect and communicate your development
To make it possible to reap the benefits from your learning and development in your family life, you can start reflecting on each of the competencies stated (and others not mentioned here). Make it a routine to think about them every now and then and, to make it clear, take notes! Write down examples from when you have trained or learned these skills. You could also pen down how you think these competencies are transferable skills for your profession or job. Once you get back to work, raise the issue with your manager in the reboarding talk. If you are already back at work, take the opportunity in your next performance review with your manager. Put down in words how you have grown these skills and how they may reflect in your work! Why not also ask for a raise, since you have now expanded your knowledge and become a better professional?
JENNIE JENSEN – Journalist and writer, part of the FamSmart team. Mother of two. Educated HR Professional. Firm Believer in the FamSmart Workplace and a better working life, for everyone.
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