Moms make marvelous managers!

Moms make marvelous managers

Have you seen a mother on a shopping trip? She usually has an eye on her toddler who is running nearby, while keeping an eye on her shopping, she is directing her children while packing the goods, paying for the purchase, being friendly to the till operator. She breezily walks away with her children, her shopping cart, the buggy, her handbag and most importantly... Her sanity! That is management in action! That simple scenario is an example for how successful mothers have demonstrated key managerial attributes including resource, time, people and financial management. 

In this article I explore the key reasons why I think mothers can make excellent managers given the right support mechanisms. There are four main characteristics that are crucial for success as a manager and good mothers naturally demonstrate these as mentioned below:

Keeping sight of the big picture:

Any good manager or leader will know that long term success lies keeping sight of the strategy. If you focus the energies on getting the big pictures right, the little details often work themselves out. Mothers are great at this. While they are dealing with the ongoing little chores for their little ones, they naturally and instinctively are focused on the big picture. In the example above, the mother may have chosen the products, packed them, paid for them and chatted with the staff, but at the back of her mind, most likely, the driving thought will have been about finishing the shopping and getting back in the car with the goods and the kids. That's not all, it would be very natural for her to thinking about how she is going to sort, store and use the goods in the most efficient, least time and energy consuming way. These are great managerial skills - being focussed on the strategy, planning the most effective use of resources, thinking forward and being driven by results.

Natural jugglers:

A key competency of a manager is the ability to effectively manage being pulled in different directions. It is quite common for managers to be writing reports, resolving issues, solving problems, keeping staff motivated, preparing budgets while dealing with external challenges. This ability to manage multiple priorities whilst juggling different balls comes very naturally to mothers. Every morning routine of a mother usually includes dealing with sleepy kids, persuading them to get ready, preparing breakfast and packed lunches, often helping their partner find things, listening to the news on the  radio while keeping an eye on the time. This ability to multitask, act instinctively on setting priorities and checking status of the various activities is an extremely beneficial skill to have.

Natural negotiators and innovative influencers:

Managers have to be good at negotiating and influencing a wide range of stakeholders.  Whether it is to get a good business deal or to get buy-in, managers have to try all sorts of tactics to succeed.  Mothers do this with such ease and often do not think twice about changing their tactics to influence and get results from their child. If you are a mother of a fussy eater, or even if your child isn't fussy, it is almost a guarantee that you will have tried persuading, reasoning, threatening, bribing, cajoling, distracting, playing devil's advocate and many other such tactics to ensure that your child has eaten the greens and drank the milk. It is an innate ability amongst good mothers and they often don't realise such a key competency this is in business. 

Won't give up or give in:

When the times in the industry are tough, it often falls on the managers to strive against all odds.  To persist and to persevere, to give bad news, to make tough decisions and to keep the team motivated and moving along sets apart a good manager from the rest. Mothers often and quite expertly deal with such situations.  Most mothers will be used to the 'battle of the wills'.  Your child wants to spend time on a tablet/ ipad and you want them to finish their homework or be more active.  Hence begins a routine of discussion, persuasion, arguments, tantrums, negotiation. The tenser the situation, the greater is the mother's will to not give in or give up. The transferable skills that all mothers gain from these battles are invaluable in strengthening key business skills.

The four competencies above are present in every good mother.  And yet, in the business, world you still see fewer women managers than men. The difference between those who break the barriers and strive ahead successfully and those that stay behind is the way in which the former actively and consciously think about their behaviours, analyse their situations and learn from their actions. Given the right exposure, I believe every woman can leave her positive mark in the workplace.