The Home CEO

From Household Management to Corporate Success: The Transferable Skills of Homemakers

In today’s world, it has been experienced that the lines between our personal and professional lives have faded considerably and started to overlap.?In my experience, the skills that I learned in one sphere of my life have contributed to the other. People need to understand that the skills acquired by a homemaker are no less than that of a CEO.

A homemaker uses all types of management skills – be it financial, marketing, HR, supply chain, etc. to manage their household. As a homemaker, I ensure my family is happy, well-nourished, and healthy. Our capability to forecast, buy and regulate a continuous supply of all household items as per market availability and family consumption is no less than what a Supply Chain Manager does in your organization.?Can anyone beat us in preparing ‘aam ka aachar’ during summer and ensuring that it is available when you are having ‘sarson ka saag’ in winter? Only we can observe the inflation in onion prices and act accordingly by either modifying the food menu or stocking enough at the lowest available price or even finding a vegetable vendor who gives us freebies in the form of ‘dhania/ mirchi’. Like any CFO, we manage the household finances which include a child’s tuition fees, ‘dhobi ka hisaab’, all the staff salaries, and even save for a rainy day. The skills acquired through managing a household are not only valuable but also transferable to the corporate world.

These skills acquired at home can be seamlessly utilized at work and vice-versa. If we translate this into an office environment, we are consistently capturing data, making market projections, and maintaining cordial relationships with subordinates, peers, and seniors, while keeping the fun at-work element alive.

We have become more aware of ourselves, our surroundings, and the environment, and these habits we develop give us a good standing in the professional world as well. I know this for a fact as after being a homemaker for over 20 years, I stepped into the corporate world without a management degree and excelled at it. I am not saying that education is not important, but learning can be derived from any sphere of life and are not limited to only colleges and universities.

With the change in social structures and an increase in nuclear families, working couples, disposable incomes, and lifestyle preferences, the styles of household management may have changed however, the basics remain the same. Today, we are managing our finances with extensive budgets, using internet banking, doing grocery shopping online, and ensuring that our house helps are happy and productive. We are also managing a growing social circle with a focus on our ‘Me Time’. We are and will continue to, successfully juggle multiple things at any given point in time.

So, whether you're a CEO or a homemaker, never underestimate the skills you've acquired. Celebrate and leverage the skills you've gained outside of work and continue to learn from every sphere of your life.

"Keeping a home not only requires energy, time and creativity, but it also calls for skills and experience." – Dorothy Kelly Peterson

This article has been authored by Mrs. Alka Goel - my inspiration, my pillar of strength, my mother.