A generation or so ago it was traditional for the husband within a marriage to have a career and for the wife to raise the children at home. While this arrangement may have worked well back then, life is very different these days and both members in the relationship usually have busy careers to consider when planning a family.
The prospect of balancing career obligations with child rearing can be very daunting, but especially so if you are in charge of the business. If you are a senior manager, then you have additional responsibility and decisions to make. It might be difficult to imagine how the business can operate without you, so what is going to happen when you need to take months away on maternity leave?
As the boss, your additional responsibilities will need to be addressed well in advance of your leave and you will need to find ways to manage your time most effectively. Time management, as we know, is critical as a business leader and you will now find that you have two babies to watch - your newborn and your business interest!
By planning how you will manage your priorities, you can put in place effective strategies, standards and boundaries that will help you perform at work and enjoy your time at home fully.
Consider what additional support you will need both as a manger and as a mother once your baby is born and you return to work. If your baby becomes ill and your nursery or child manager imposes an obligatory week away, what might your contingency plans be? Or if you have a nanny, what will you do if (or when) she suddenly becomes ill, goes on holiday or quits? You won't learn this at your ante-natal classes, but it's something that most mums wish they'd anticipated before it happens!
Many senior managers and CEOs make use of professional coaching to help them plan a smooth transition leading up to, during and beyond maternity leave.
Coaching for women in senior positions is now commonplace and is a sound investment in your work life integration as well as your business! You may well be used to working with consultants in other areas of the business to help you run your operation efficiently, so why not consider online life coaching as well?
It is essential to communicate with all stakeholders - colleagues, employees and most importantly customers. If you inform customers of your forthcoming absence and let them know how you intend to cover for this to ensure a seamless service to them, you will grow their loyalty. Now is certainly the time to nurture the relationships with your existing client base rather than developing new ones, as you will not be able to closely oversee the delicate process of rapport building new clients.
As a leader, you are probably well aware of the importance of delegation. However, if this has not been your forte, now is the time to build up your delegation muscle! As you get closer towards your maternity leave, increase the delegation and make sure that you are training your "number two" in as many areas as you can safely hand over.
In short, your four essential success criteria for planning a smooth transition to your maternity leave are:
1. Seek Support
2. Plan
3. Communicate
4. Delegate
Once you've done what you can to prepare for your absence, relax and enjoy your new "promotion" to motherhood!
Amanda Alexander is the Founder and inspiration behind Coaching Mums. She's a distinguished ICF-accredited coach who has been bringing a new feeling of hope into the lives of working moms around the world, showing them how to discard their guilt and rediscover their passions! For amazing articles and truly effective professional coaching tips, sign up to "Inspire", our outstanding free newsletter at Coaching Mums.