Right now, corporates are reaping the rewards of mothers working from an authentic place as they balance their highflying careers being present for their children. Before Covid-19 they were used to hanging their motherhood hats at the door of their corporate job. Now they are juggling several hats at home with their children- those of being a mother, a teacher and a corporate employee.
They are still suffering from mum guilt, for working whilst being around their children but feeling proud nevertheless. Why? Because somehow their productivity has increased; their vision for their corporate role has become laser focused; and they are proving that by being true to their version of motherhood, they are being more present- with their work and with their children. They feel like they can finally be a mother AND be successful in the corporate world.
So what changed?
While working from home, mothers don’t need to be multitasking and juggling roles that aren’t physically in one place. We know that multitasking effectively is an oxymoron at best. So imagine what mothers go through while multitasking within their corporate roles along with trying to balance their roles as mothers. They may have had to find last minute alternative childcare or have left a crying child at the doors of the nursery only to be delivering a client pitch a few minutes later. Now, with the Covid-19 situation, mothers are less worried about the care of their children because they are physically present with them. This brings a whole new level of easing multitasking.
But how is this beneficial to the corporates? Here are the top 3 ways that the corporates are gaining out of this:
1. Work quality and productivity have improved
The corporate woman has always had to find a balance once they become a corporate mum. This has often led to the compartmentation of roles and constant multitasking in these roles. When our brains are focusing on a multitude of tasks, especially across roles, we are running processes across all these tasks. We are not focused. We are not at the peak of our productivity; hey we aren’t even at a high productivity.
Now with all the roles in one place they can have laser sharp focus on each task. By going with the flow we can move from one task to the next even during interruption and back again without losing separate focus. This is because each movement through the flow focuses on the one role. Guess what the result is? Mothers are producing higher quality work and in shorter time frames.
2. A dip in stress hormones enhance creativity and productivity at work
The most successful people plan, plan, plan and then back it up with powerful habits. The corporate mother has had to have exact procedures in place to juggle her roles.
Adapting to planning her day at home and sectioning it into her separate roles was a fluid action.
Her working hours now fit within her life rather than the other way round. This instantly relieves her of stress, instantly reducing cortisol and adrenaline levels within the brain. Whoever thought high pressure creates high productivity doesn’t really understand the chemistry of the brain well. Our brains are most productive when it’s in a state of flow - the sweet space between productivity and pleasure. When we feel fulfilled, we create our best work. This is what the corporate mother is finding herself in currently - the pure enjoyment in her career that fed the fire in her soul to be the successful woman she is.
3. Here is the BIG secret- by forcing them to take a BREAKS, productivity increases
As a corporate mother, breaks and lunches were often skipped or taken at the desk whilst desperately finishing a task to be in time to attend the school play. How many frustrated hours were wasted in the corporate world with incomplete tasks of a stressed employee and a guilt ridden mother finishing the day- feeling like a failure as both a corporate woman and as a mother. Only to return to the office the next day and the light-bulb moment when the task becomes clear and is completed in half the time struggled over the day before.
Working from home, especially with children, means regular breaks. Meal times become a time when you can connect with your family and take time out to relax, or change focus and take up the role of teacher. This moves the awareness of your brain from one area to another. You are literally rebooting your brain with a fresh perspective.
The role of mothers in the corporate world has an equal if not greater value than the role of flexible working in her life. The corporate woman has proven her adaptability and capability in these very different and difficult times, which undoubtedly is an asset for corporates across the globe.
Has Covid-19 impacted on your daily role at work and home? Let us know in the comments below.
This article is a part of a series by Nixie Foster.
Nixie Foster - The Motherhood Mentor.
The Founder of the exclusive online baby group Baby Wellness Member’s Club and the mentorship program Highflyer to Confident Mother.
I assist highflying career women find their natural identity as a mother and give new mothers the secure, loving bond with their baby which allows them to confidently be their unique version of motherhood.
All opinions published in this article are the author’s own.
