Are you here, but not here? - The Power of engagement

"Dad, you are in the room, but you are not here with us."

This statement that came up several times in the interviews was that business dads struggle to be engaged or be present in each activity.?

At work, they often think about family life; when with the children, they think about business. How many times have you been playing with your children, and your mind wanders to business?

"Oh, I must remember to email that client about x," or "I wonder if that staff member spoke to that client", or "that's an excellent idea for a new product".

It isn't easy being a leader or founder. You are a creative person, and there is clear evidence that the best ideas come when we least expect them.?

The opposite, of course, can be true. Most of us, if not all, are doing some work from home. There are distractions all the time, and it becomes challenging to influence that environment. Sometimes it can be hard when you are entirely focused and working on a project, and your child walks into your workspace and asks you to fix their lego. You can't tell them to go away, and you want to be the best dad you can be.

"It feels like pushing a boulder up a hill all the time, knowing if you let go, you will have to start all over again."

This was a comment that one person said. It's this idea that we always need to be "on," always driving things forward, never taking a step back or having a rest. It all comes down to being present. But I want to talk to people about how engaged they were in that activity. Of course, your role requires you to be present, but we need engagement to truly affect the situation.

Practising and having this idea in your mind when approaching a task can be super helpful. And that is the key, practice. Make sure you create the idea of reducing distractions at home or in the office.?

Whatever it might be, it's tough to be engaged. Most interviewees mentioned they were tired, primarily due to lack of sleep. This was the case for some business dads with young children interrupting their sleep most nights. To combat this, they consume a large amount of caffeine to mask the tiredness that builds up during the day.?Again this is not ideal.

Three simple ways to enable engagement.

1. Reduce distractions - phone out of the room, complete one task at a time
2. Plan you most important tasks
3. Create are environment for performance

If you are interested in an open conversation please feel free to reach out to me at [email protected]

Or book a call here

Keep moving forward.

Lee