Moms, it's ok to un-mute.

The other day, I was on a group conference call when I heard a baby cry in the background. Within a second, my colleague muted her mic and then came back on to apologize. My heart broke at the thought that this young mother's instinct was to silence the realities of life in fear it would interrupt our call.

As a result of the continued impact of COVID-19, millions of people worldwide had to adopt a new way of working, and, with schools closed for the foreseeable future, families are now juggling caregiver responsibilities on the home front. Overnight, the lines between work and home have merged to create a single lane that represents our new normal.

While COVID-19 has certainly been a disruptive force, it has also served as a reminder that there are many dimensions when it comes to our employees, and we cannot expect people to turn their life on and off to serve our business needs.  

I have long said that you don't leave your life at the door when you come to work. And I don't believe it's a coincidence that colleagues are now tapping into a heightened sense of creativity and ingenuity to keep our customers connected. I am convinced people are cooking up their best ideas because they are bringing their whole self to the table. 

With Mother's Day around the corner, I think the greatest gift we can give to moms (and all parents) is to make sure they know that their whole self is welcome at work. To be sure, this is not an easy request to make of moms. For many years, our responsibilities as caregivers were largely considered a weakness, not a strength. However, we have the opportunity to rewrite the rulebook and show up for our employees in a big way.

So here's my advice on how to embrace the next normal, so your employees feel empowered to share their full lives.

Be Human

As a mom of four, these past few weeks have been an adjustment for everyone. Many people are working remotely for the first time and sharing their workspaces with kids attempting to do their schoolwork or wanting to go outside while we are all being told to stay home.

Most employees feel pulled in a million different directions trying to tackle deadlines with realities at home. While dealing with an over-programmed life isn't necessarily new, quarantining plus working from home with kids tests the strength of even the most patient parent. Amid the backdrop of the pandemic, we can redefine business as usual by making our culture more human and our policies more empathetic for parents trying to do it all. 

For starters, begin every conference call by reminding your team members that it's okay and even somewhat expected to hear their children, partners, or pets in the background. Given our current climate, those sounds are a sign of life and a soundtrack of reality.

Just this past week, I hosted our HR Leadership Forum and welcomed the family members of my colleagues on-screen so that we could all acknowledge what our world really looks like. Three of my four kids were beside me with my dog Lily because you have to lead by example. Your employees will mute their mic when their baby cries if you don't outwardly remind them it's okay and reciprocate by turning up the volume when your life kicks in.

Now, more than ever, we have to reinforce kindness and celebrate each other's circumstances. 

Push balance

A downside to working, parenting, and even teaching in the same space is the lack of boundaries in which everything starts to blur together. I find that it's much harder to carve out a balance while working remotely, and I miss my car ride home, where I had some downtime to rest and recharge before the next shift started.

Balance is easier said than done. It's even harder if you're a single parent or have two working parents playing a game of tag based on deadlines. And, you can't ignore that with 30 million people filing for unemployment, having a job is a privilege.

With that being said, employers should be setting the tone when it comes to balance. Introduce flexible work arrangements so your employees can go to the grocery store or help their kids tackle schoolwork. You should also set aside time for self-reflection (in my house that's also code for laundry), creating space for your colleagues to have meeting-free time to breathe and reboot. Most importantly, keep reminding your staff that their home life comes first and that their self-care is important. Introduce a wellness program or ask an external thought-leader to speak about mental health amid these challenging times. Any small investment in the well-being of your colleagues will go a long way.

We know there's work to be done, but when and how it gets done is an opportunity for employers to promote flexibility so that our teams can find the balance they need to stay productive both personally and professionally. 

Celebrate Joy

There's a great quote from the late Dana Reeve, "Find the joy inside the hardship." The strain of this pandemic is intense, but there is joy to be found watching the world come together, and that includes how companies are caring for their employees. 

As we map out what our next normal looks like, we need to dial-up our compassion and celebrate what we have and what we can do. We have the opportunity to support our colleagues in new ways by tossing out the rulebook and blazing a new trail that bends with the needs of our people and embraces their full reality. When this is over, the companies that have infused a sense of humanity across their culture will continue to win. These are the actions that matter and will be remembered by your employees for years to come. 

Reassure your colleagues there is room for their whole self at work, and that the signs of life around them—a baby crying, a dog barking, or an elderly parent asking a question—makes them a stronger contributor and an even greater asset. It's their tapestry of life experiences that allow them to connect with customers on a deeper level and approach their work with a multifaceted perspective.

And to the moms out there, I see you, and I hope you take time to appreciate the integral role you play at home and work. Have a Happy Mother's Day, and thank you for all that you do.