4 tips for working moms and also for dads with shared parenting responsibilities.
Define your priority for the week. What is important this week? Do you have a children's act, a parent meeting that you can't pass up? Organize your week taking into account that day and how it will impact your work. With as much anticipation as possible, cancel or postpone meetings, reorganize your schedule and check if you will be on time to deliver your obligations or if you have to do some work another day or ask a colleague to cover you.
Prepare for the unforeseen. It may happen that you have to run away because one of your children got hurt at school or they call you because they are not feeling well. This is unforeseen and you cannot plan it. But what you can do is always have a contingency plan prepared so that, when you have to apply it, you are as calm as the situation allows and you know what to do. For example, someone who covers you in certain types of meetings, another person who handles your calls or your clients. Choose who can cover you in what situation and let them know that person is your contingency plan in case something happens for that particular situation. When the unforeseen happens to you and you have to run, you won't have to worry with who will solve the work situation or leave it unattended.You will only search for your contingency plan and make a call to the right person. In 5 minutes you resolve the situation. No crisis, no stress.
Handle yourself with respect in your work environment. No one in your office is going to think that you are a bad employee because you put a situation that involves the safety of your children, an illness or an important act. But you should know that around you you will have colleagues who do not share your same needs or priorities (and that does not make them better or worse person or employee), and just as you expect them to be empathetic with you and understand your situation, you should also do what same for them. Just respect their time and organize as best you can so as not to impact them if you ever have an unforeseen event and should cancel or postpone a meeting. But make sure unforeseen events really are important situations, and not just getting theater tickets for winter break,which is something that even being a mom (or dad) you can do in your free time.
Play with the same rules that you impose. Surely you hope that your classmates, your boss or collaborators understand that you must attend an important event in the children's school, that an unforeseen event arose or that you stay at home because your son is feverish. At that time, that's your priority. But you should return the same understanding when one of your colleagues goes through a similar situation with her mother, father or brother, because at that moment that is her priority.
