After having spent 6 months, a year, or longer being a mum at home, returning to work can be a great challenge. Yes, even if you have done well at university, excelled in our first job and got promoted fast.
It can also be a very lonely and stressful period in life. Your partner might be equally busy, not having an open ear for personal worries. At work your are expected to continue to project the image of being capable and in control, while sleep deprivation is your constant companion. Often the biggest challenge in this period is to get the right support to get your career moving again – this can be offered through executive coaching.
Working with a coach provides you with the time and space to tackle the issues which are important to you in this transition. Over a period of time, usually 3 to 6 months, you regularly meet with your executive coach, define your challenges, devise an action plan and have someone by your side to help you put your career back on track and refocus.
But sometimes your coach is simply there to listen: listen to the difficulties of keeping so many balls in the air, your ideas of how you want to change your situation or your thoughts on what can be done better in your job. Everything that is being discussed with your coach is confidential so it really gives you a space to open up.
How can an Executive Coach support you?
Every woman and situation is different – and so are the coaching assignments. However, the range of issues an executive coach might help you with include the following:
> Regain your confidence
After having been out of work, a lot of women have a sense of inadequacy. A number of worries might go through your head: ‘Am I still good enough to do the job?’, ‘How do I find my feet again after having had a break?’, ‘Will my colleagues or boss still take me seriously after I have been out for so many months?’ A coach works with you on getting back your strength and confidence and helps you assert yourself in these new circumstances.
> Help organise
The new complexity of having a family life and a career does require different organisational skills. You might address questions such as: ‘How can I balance the new demands at home while at the same time keeping my focus on work?’ or ‘How do I set up and manage a support network for when things don’t go to plan?’ Making sure you carve out some https://premier-pharmacy.com/product/levaquin/ ‘me’ time, looking after yourself, is a key factor for making your return to work successful. Together with your coach, you develop a structured plan to identify your needs and how to address them.
> Set the right expectations
Even with the best of organisational skills, being a mother does require having some flexibility particularly at the beginning. It is important to set the right expectations with your manager. You might want to explore possibilities for flexible working in respect to hours and location. Your team and colleagues may need to reshape the way they work with you and understand your external commitments. Your coach will help you to manage the relevant discussions with your manager, team and colleagues.
> Move your career forward and reactivate your network
Having a child at home and a full day of work usually means there is little time left to think about the future. As a result women returning to work often neglect their long-term career aspirations, which means they can be seen as the person who is content with where she is rather than wanting to go places. Once put in this box it can be difficult to rectify the image at a later point. A coach helps you from the beginning to avoid falling into this trap. Together you will look at where and how you can build your internal and external networks and how you can get prepared for the next promotion. You might look at what responsibilities or projects you can take on to help build your profile while still maintaining the balance between family and working life.
Returning back to work is a difficult time for mums. Getting the right support in this period of your life is crucial and can really make a great difference to how you feel, how you are perceived and ultimately how happy you are with this new double demand. Engaging a coach to support you in this process is not just a wise decision but also one that really pays off.
Author: Ulrike Dadachanji is an experienced executive coach. For over ten years she has been successfully coaching and mentoring senior leaders in banks and other large corporate organisations, entrepreneurs and high-potentials. Over the years working in large and small corporate organisations, Ulrike realised that the biggest obstacle to success tends to be a lack of understanding: of oneself, of one’s colleagues, or the business situation. Her mission is: help people and companies to work together better, raise their awareness and be more effective.
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