How becoming a mom helped me grow as a professional

The title sounds like a paradox but when I look back at the past 25 months, I can safely say that I have grown tremendously as a person and a professional.

Although, at the outset, I must mention that I am not comparing professionals who have kids with those who don't. Each person has his/her own journey and experience. This article is purely based on my experience and learning as an individual.

Better time management: Besides learning to shower in 6 minutes, parenthood also teaches you how to prioritize tasks and better manage the 8 hours at work. The motivation is to not open the laptop at home, as much as possible. To get more done, I developed an email rule to check and answer emails in 3 blocks through the day, rationalized the number of meetings by either consolidating or shortening the meeting time and sending out pre-reads and agenda with anticipated questions for productive use of everyone's time. I even optimized my driving routes for dropping and picking up my son to save even 5 minutes, where I can.

The discipline that results from a predictable routine helps with the character building of kids. My son knows that he has to stay away from his parents for 9 hours in a day and he has his own routine to follow in the meantime. He trusts that at the end of the day, his parents will pick him up, no matter what.

More mindful at work and at home: This is an offshoot of the first point. In order to get more done in the same amount of time, you have to be fully present. By giving your 100% undivided attention you grasp things in one go, retain them better and become generally more efficient. At home, you become more perceptive of your child's emotions and needs by being with them sans the phone or the laptop. I've been in both situations and I have experienced first hand that even a 2 year old can tell when you are distracted. My son has devised ways to express his discontent if I am talking to him and sneakily checking my phone. I've also learnt that being consciously present in whatever you are doing is a form of meditation and if you master this skill, you don't need to search for time to meditate.

More empathy: I believe that being a mom helped me understand others' emotions and situations better. It helped me build compassionate empathy and not just cognitive empathy. More than ever, I proactively reach out to colleagues who have recently endured a loss or a setback and offer to help in whichever way I can. I also better appreciate the nuanced emotions that can stem from a situation and how they vary from person to person.

For example, I teach my kid that he is not always sad or mad. He could be upset, afraid, anxious, confused, angry or hurt. Similarly, at work, it helps to look deeper into a whole spectrum of emotions beyond what you may see superficially. Addressing pain points at the source is always more effective and builds productive and enduring working relationships.

Consumer insights: What kind of marketer will I be if I talk about an experience without gleaning consumer insights from it. DIY was a buzzword for me until I became a mom. Now I seek out ideas for birthday parties and nursery decorations on Pinterest and Instagram and also follow influencers that subconsciously make me form opinions about products. With nearly 82% of moms shopping online, delivery expectations and reviews (including word of mouth) are of paramount importance. Businesses should focus on their online reputation and reviews across all platforms as moms can scour the whole world wide web to buy a wipe for their babies! Also, 'non-GMO', 'non toxic', 'organic' are not just labels, they are an assurance that a mom can hand out the food item or toy to their most precious one. Highlight those aspects clearly on the packaging. With so much to do, time is of essence so moms can shell out a premium for convenience, service and 'mom friendly' policies like hassle free returns. We don't always know that our 6 months old baby will fit into 9 month old's size!

To achieve all of the above you need a support system, both at home and at work. I am blessed to work for an organization that allows me the flexibility to work from home when my son is under weather and despite having a nanny to take care of him, he still needs one of his parents around him. I am fortunate to have a husband who is an equal partner and steps up whenever I need him. We are lucky that he works for an employer that grants him the flexibility to be at home to support his family when we need him.

You see it's an ecosystem that needs to work in sync to encourage moms to join back the workforce, stay there and thrive by being a better version of themselves.