If you have ever tried to convince a toddler to put on a coat or pick up a room full of toys, you know the power of tapping into what motivates people. With each child, you quickly learn that what motivates one person may have little effect on another, and you adapt your methods accordingly. As a mom, you become adept at motivating different personalities and temperaments in order to achieve desired outcomes, responses, and behaviors.
Those motivational skills come in handy at home, but have you ever thought about how you can use them in the workplace? Being able to successfully motivate others fosters productivity, increases performance output, and boosts morale. It is not surprising, then, that it is a valuable skill employers look for in potential employees. If you are considering a return to paid work, be sure to highlight your motivational skills in your resume, cover letter, and interviews. Follow the talking points below to show how the motivational skills you’ve honed as a mom transfer to the workplace.
How to Transfer Your Mom Motivational Skills Into the Workplace
As a mom, you know how to motivate your family - you do it every day! That ability to guide and inspire your family is useful at home, but it is also valuable in the workplace. Here are a few ways you can position the motivational skills you’ve developed as a mom into a must-have asset for potential employers.
You know how to provide vision and purpose to your “team”.
As captain of the ship at home, you set the course for your family. You know how to clearly communicate what you are working towards, as well as what each member needs to do to achieve family goals. For example, you might share how household responsibilities contribute to a smoothly running home, or what needs to be done to prepare for a vacation. In the workplace, this ability to communicate goals and cast vision gets everyone on the same page, unifies them in a common purpose, and motivates them to work hard to achieve those objectives.
You are experienced at fostering teamwork.
Whether it’s cleaning the house for company, taking family pictures (a true test of cooperation), or building a loving family environment, you know how to rally the troops and encourage everyone to work together. Teamwork is essential for strong family bonds, and you are experienced at cultivating common purpose, accountability, appreciation of differences, and mutual trust and respect. In the workplace, the ability you’ve developed as a mom for bringing together diverse personalities and viewpoints to achieve a common goal will help you engage your coworkers and encourage them to work together to carry out team objectives.
Your high emotional intelligence will build trust and positive relationships.
Your toddler’s tantrums or teenager’s mood swings may have stretched your limits, but they also developed your emotional intelligence. As a mom, you’ve learned how to manage your emotions and maintain your composure, even in the face of meltdowns and outbursts. You also know how to empathize with your kids when they’re upset and connect with them at a deep, individual level. These abilities to regulate your emotions and build strong, positive relationships not only help you motivate your kids at home, they will also help you motivate adults in the workplace. As an emotionally intelligent leader at work, you will make your coworkers feel valued, inspire their trust, and influence their performance.
You will encourage and empower your team.
Mom life is full of teaching new skills, and you’ve spent years empowering and inspiring your kids as they grow and develop. You’ve learned when to be hands-off and when to give guidance, when and how to praise and correct, and how to build confidence in their abilities. You know how to nurture each child’s skills for productive purposes, and in the workplace, this ability to encourage and empower will produce a team that is highly motivated to perform at their very best.
You are experienced in tailoring motivational methods to unique personalities.
If you have multiple children, you have seen how different individuals can have widely different motivators. Where one child may be highly motivated by praise, another may be more motivated by new responsibilities. After a few years of parenting, you have become well-versed in various motivational methods, and you know how to apply them to your children. This ability to tailor motivation strategies to unique personalities will be a valuable asset to future employers as you bring out the best in every person on your team.
Other Mom Transferable Skills
Motivational skills are one example of transferable mom skills, but there are many others! When preparing your resume, cover letter, and interview talking points, consider your other mom skills, such as research and problem solving, adaptability and agility, strategic thinking, communication, and organization. For even more mom skills that transfer to the workplace, click here.
And if you need a little extra motivation in your job search, then join us for THRIVE! Learn more about how this program can help you as you return to paid work below.
A Solution For Returning to Paid Work: THRIVE
Get the help and support you need to return to paid work with THRIVE group coaching!
THRIVE is a supportive community of like minded returners going through the same thing you are, returning to work after a career pause. THRIVE connects you with other talented, paused parents as you explore career choices, define your strengths, learn how to leverage your skills, and get excited for this next chapter in your life.
Join us for this 3 month return to work program in the fall of 2021! Let THRIVE be the catalyst for you to move towards what’s next.
Dates: Wednesdays October 6, 13, 20, 27, November 3, 10, 17, December 1 & 8
Time: 9am PT/ 10am MT/ 11am CT/ 12pm ET
Location: this THRIVE will be online through Zoom so you can join from anywhere!
