The pandemic caused 1.4+ million working moms to leave the workforce and working parents are signaling to employers that things must change (link to working dads article), which is part of what is fueling the Great Realignment. Whether you’re an employee, entrepreneur, or stay-at-home parent, you can take advantage of this moment of change. Not sure where or how to get started? I’ve got tips to get back into the game your way as a working mom.
Before we start, keep this in mind. This is going to look a bit different, depending on where you are in your journey. Embrace what you need from this list and leave the other things out or engage the other ideas at another time. Ready?
Create a plan
Do not jump to action, even when you know you want to make changes. Take intentional steps. Know what actions will move you closer to your goal. So, yes, at the top of my list of tips to get back into the game your way is creating a plan. It’s helpful to keep your eye on your why. Yes, your answers from my previous post or the Mompowerment Know Your Why Guide will help here too.
Your plan will help you look at how all the pieces go together. It will help you get organized to understand what gets you to your end goal. What will you do weekly? Daily? Do you need to get certified or take courses to learn some new things? Some of the pieces from the previous blog will help you create this plan, so you might want to read that first.
Write out your goals and what you’re looking to change (e.g., permanent remote work opportunity at a specific level). Take the time to think through what steps or actions you can take to get you to that goal (e.g., research, network with X kinds of people, etc.). You’ll find additional things to help you create this plan and start to take steps.
Set aside the time
If you want to get back into the game your way, it won’t simply happen. In most cases, you must put in the work and make the effort. Set aside thinking time and time to take the steps. If you don’t set aside that time, it will be taken up by other things like your current work tasks and/or childcare and household duties. Actually schedule the time on your calendar to ensure that other things don’t fill up your time.
And here’s another thing to consider. Do this work when you’re at your best, not when you can simply fit it in. Schedule a 30-minute strategy session or dedicate the time to making a dent in the tasks from your plan. Don’t assume you’ll get to it after an exhausting day. Yes, I’m suggesting you plan your week and days and include these items on your to-do list as priorities.
Ask for what you need
You must get comfortable with asking for what you need. If you enjoy working at your current employer but you want to permanently work from home or maybe even change into a new role with all of the changes from the Great Realignment, ask for what you need. Want to shift to a part-time role or job share? It likely won’t happen unless you ask. Be strategic with your ask and create a win-win situation so you and your employer benefit from these changes. Yes, I’ve written chapters on this, so I could write about this for days. Grab your copy of the templates I created to help get you started on how to have this strategic discussion.
If you find a new role that you like but you want more flexibility or want to work remotely, you can ask for what you need as part of the negotiation process. Many employers have seen what employees can do working from home. They have watched employees be successful working differently and they might be open to new things or this might even be built into how they now do business. You can ask about these types of things during the interview process.
I would be remiss about giving you tips to help you get back into the game if I didn’t talk about asking for what you want and need at home. As with work, you want to have these strategic and meaningful conversations with your significant other. It could be an excellent moment to reset how you do things at home, especially if you’ve carried the mental load during the pandemic. Grab my Guide for Sharing Household Responsibilities to help you become better partners at home if you need help in this area.
It’s not about perfection
Remember how when you were little, your parents used to say, “Practice makes perfect”? I said this to my kids for years until recently when I heard a different spin. The new way I look at this is “Practice makes progress.” That is where you should focus – progress. Don’t focus on perfect action, focus on intentional action that allows you to progress. This takes the pressure off every single move being the perfect next thing. Keep making progress and you’ll get to your goals. Remember that you can always pivot later.
Looks for clues about a new employer or client
Make sure you don’t jump from the frying pan into the fire when it comes to changing employers. An important to get back into the game your way is to find the right kind of employer for what you want.
There are all sorts of places you can look to see how balance-friendly an employer is. Look at their website, social media, and even their senior leadership for clues. In addition, ask your network. Talk to people currently there and those who have left to get an idea of the workplace culture and how the employer treats employees (before and during the pandemic). Look at interviews with senior leaders who have left the company to get some ideas of how they were supported on their journey at the company. I share more about what to look for in The Mompowerment Guide to Work-life Balance book (affiliate link) and in my article in the Harvard Business Review: How to Identify a Family-Friendly Employer.
If you’re creating your own business, look at the clues about your potential clients. Are they responding to your emails at 1 am or on weekends? Does this happen consistently? Do they want to have meetings at all hours, even the hours you have said you cannot meet (e.g., pick-up time for your kids). Those are red flags. Does a client want you to discount your rate from the get-go? Yes, there are absolutely times to discount your rates, but this could also be a red flag if it’s a requirement for working with them. You want clients who value what you bring to the table and respect your boundaries. You can find both in clients, so look for these clues for how your potential clients will treat you in the future.
Take a step
My final tip to get back into the game your way is to take a step. It’s normal to want your initial step to be perfect. Here’s the thing. All first steps count. You can suffer from analysis paralysis (I definitely do sometimes) or simply let fear take over as you look for the perfect first step. Remember that you can pivot later. Going down a path doesn’t usually require you get to the end of the path before making changes. You can even change your end goal if you want. Take a step. Get the ball rolling or you’re guaranteed to change nothing.
You’ve got 6 tips to get back into the game your way during the Great Realignment. So, how is your plan going? How are you doing with getting closer to your goal? If you’re struggling to make this all come together, how can I help you? Set up a 1:1 strategy call with me to help you get going or to give you some new ideas if you’ve already started and feel stuck.
