From Google Sheets to Crib Sheets - A Quota Carrying Dad’s Guide to Parental Leave

??Pat Leave Edition!??

Hello to all the working parents and parents-to-be out there! Welcome to another “Pat Leave” edition of? “Mat Leave The Newsletter” - your place to hear stories, find wisdom, and build community with Parent Professionals.? Today’s newsletter features Brandon Jensen , Senior Agency Account Manager

??Meet Brandon Jensen ? -?

I'm a husband and father of 4 wonderful and crazy kids. My two boys are my bookends, and then I have two girls between them. They definitely keep me and my wife busy. But for those that know me there are five kids in the family as I'm very much a large child myself. Work-wise, I've been in Ad Tech and Marketing for just a little over 10 years now. I love building relationships with my agencies and coming up with new out-of-the-box strategies to help them with their clients' marketing campaigns to grow and scale.

How did you manage your workload and responsibilities during your parental leave?

I’m going to share my experience with my last child. He came 6 weeks early in the middle of the night at what my wife and I had thought would be a quick check by an ER nurse as she was having some more pain than usual. Little did we know our little guy decided he was sick of being in the womb and was ready for some more legroom. Because I had been through this experience before and it was getting closer to his delivery date, I had created a Google Sheet in which I kept all of my details for each one of the agencies I managed and normally in the past would record a video explainer as well. You could find my point of contact and their contact information, the revenue numbers, notes on strategies and personality, etc… That way whenever someone needed to take over my book it would be easy to do so. Normally I’d help split things up for my team and manager based on budget and personality fit but I didn’t have the ability to do that this time. But having all of that information organized in the way I did allowed for my team to easily reach out and get connected to my agencies and know exactly where each one was at and what they needed. And if they had questions they could slack me and I’d try to get back to them within 24 hours. But luckily they didn’t need to do that often.

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What strategies did you find most effective for balancing work and family life upon your return?

While I was out on paternity leave I asked if my team would update my Google Sheet with any new details so when I came back it would be as smooth as possible so I wouldn’t be worried about trying to do extra catch-up work after work hours. That was the other thing I made a rule for myself that I still abide by today. The rule is, once work hours are done, they are done and I am present with my family. But if I had any slow time during work, I’d try to help my wife with the baby when I could for a few minutes here and there. Luckily I was blessed to be able to work from home so I could do that. Also on my lunches, I’d take the baby so my wife could get a small nap in. I was lucky enough to have a great manager as well who was aware of all of this and was totally ok with me helping when it was slow or I caught up on my work. So making sure I talked with him when I got back so we were both on the same page and my team was crucial in this. He allowed me to miss some meetings as well, so I could go to doctor's appointments with my wife. This made balance much easier to come by.?

Were there any unexpected challenges you faced when returning to work, and how did you overcome them?

There were definitely a few. When someone else handles your book of business they manage it differently. That is totally fine but that comes with challenges and your client might have a different process they are using now, or maybe your client is upset with how things are going and shopping around at other companies. Sometimes it’s a point of contact change so you don’t have a standing relationship with a new person. But my approach to these challenges has always been very similar. I created a process I call U.C.E. It stands for Understand, Common Solution, and Expectations. I try to understand the person and where they are at with what they like, don’t like, goals, etc… everyone wants to feel heard so it’s important to make them feel that way and understand their perspective. Then with that, they are more open to talking and finding a common solution that works for both parties that will help meet the client's goals. That leads to the ability to have a very open and honest conversation about expectations. It is so crucial for you to establish proper expectations with goals, response times, and any other thing that needs to be discussed and this is a great time for them to be more open, understanding, and accepting of these expectations. This method served me incredibly well when I came back from paternity leave but in many other situations.?

What support or resources from your employer were most helpful during your transition back to work?

I think the biggest help for me was an adjusted quota so I didn’t feel so stressed about coming back. They also allowed me to get my book of business back a little at a time over roughly a 2 week period so if there were any fires or new challenges I could take care of them without all of them stacking up.

What tips or advice do you have for working parents-to-be as they prepare for their upcoming leave?

HAVA PLAN! Put yourself in the shoes of your manager and team and think of what they will need to be successful in your absence and what possible objections or challenges they may come against while you're gone. Create a sheet now and keep it updated. You never know when your baby is going to decide to come. If you have info that’s always updated you, your team, and your manager can rest easy. If you’re able, make an explainer video as well to give extra details that your team can go back to and watch as a reminder later. When you do go on leave but also when you come back always show you are grateful to anyone who helped. If you want, go the extra mile and get them a thank you treat or gift. Remember they have their own work and then added yours onto their plate. Make sure they know you’re grateful for that extra effort on their end. Last but not least, give yourself some grace. Whether you’re a first time parent or had children before, it is tough to take care of a baby. You’re tired and anxious, but so happy and filled with joy. It’s an emotional rollercoaster that doesn’t come with a manual. So make sure you know you’re an awesome parent and it’s ok to feel overwhelmed but know it’s so worth it. You’re awesome and you got this.