A couple of generations ago that women We are inserted into the labor market as much as men. While there is still a gap that we cannot deny, more and more are those that study and train, build a successful career, ascend to leadership roles, have equipment in charge or even create their own companies. And many of them are also Mothers.
For a woman who has been putting much of her energy in her professional development, the moment she learns that she will become a mother is usually a break. Priorities change. A pregnancy – specially, a first pregnancy – invites us to look at us, to observe with other eyes the place where we live, our routines, our links and, of course, our work.
A belief that appears frequently in the minds of women is that motherhood will “limit” their productivity or labor capacities. Many face fears. How will my business work if I am not so present? How will my team be after returning from the license? What if the company realizes that I am not so necessary? Will I keep growing in my career or will I stagnate? How can I serve my son if I have to be at work eight hours a day? And all these doubts appear together with so strong emotions and the physical and biological changes of pregnancy.
In the 25 years that I have been working with organizations and professionals, motherhood is something that has appeared several times among my clients, and I had the honor of witnessing transformations that arose from a pregnancy. In all cases, The fact of becoming mothers did not make women less productive, but it was an opportunity to review priorities and incorporate a new perspective that promoted very valuable transformations.
Maternity, an engine for change
A case that appears is frequently that of the businesswoman, manager or leader who finds out that it will be a mother. He has been building a successful race, he loves his job And a pause had never been taken. Suddenly, in addition to his usual tasks, he has to deal with many other things: family, new routines, child care, etc.
If this woman plans this entire transition process, you can find solutions to many of her concerns and cross it with less uncertainty: strengthen her team so that things work in her absence, look Receive your child and then, at the time of returning to work.
Another case that usually appears is that of women who, from this new role, decides to make a radical change. When you see or imagine as a mother, you look differently and realize that your current work is not aligned with the lifestyle you want to have. He struggled for many years to get where he is and, although some things did not close him, he had not even raised the possibility of developing professionally with another format.
In these years, I accompanied many women who decided to give up their work in a dependency relationship to create their own businesses independently and thus have greater freedom and flexibility to be closer to their children. Many times motherhood is an engine for this change, because it invites you to rethink the link with the work and what we dedicate so many hours of the day. Those who make this decision design the future they want and act to make it possible, reach very large personal satisfaction, which goes beyond “Time won” To maternize.
In both examples, motherhood meant for these women to have to look and self -decide to achieve what they wanted. In one case, learn to delegate, to believe and create a containment network that continues to work beyond it, strengthen your team and contain it in a different way. In the other, change jobs, incorporate new learning, advise yourself to undertake and take over that decision.
In a different way in each one, there was a change of perspective that invited them to take into account their own preferences and desires, challenging beliefs that limited them and rethinking the meaning of “success” labor. The challenge is to understand that we have the ability and freedom to create a different reality, with other paradigms and other answers that before, perhaps, were not in sight, and guide us for our own values, not the imposed by society or other people.
What is amazing is the “waterfall effect” that occurs, because the transformation is systemic. While these women are the main beneficiaries of the change they embody, there is an impact on all their relationships: with their partners, parents, children, colleagues, bosses or teams. All benefit from leaders’ learning.
It is natural that, with a pregnancy, many doubts and fears appear about how we are going to develop labor. The important thing is that these feelings are not paralyzing, but an engine to look at us with new eyes and connect with the desire of life we want, knowing that there are alternatives. From there, it only remains to plan and act to make it possible, incorporating the skills and tools that we need, and accompanying these transformation processes is what I am most passionate about being a professional coach.
Senior Professional Ontological Coach Specialist in Leadership.
Source: Ambito
David William is a talented author who has made a name for himself in the world of writing. He is a professional author who writes on a wide range of topics, from general interest to opinion news. David is currently working as a writer at 24 hours worlds where he brings his unique perspective and in-depth research to his articles, making them both informative and engaging.
