Moms are the masters of multitasking, so it may not come as a shock to too many people that a number of new studies on women in the workplace have found that moms make better workers. One study from Microsoft revealed that once women become mothers, their essential workplace skills are dramatically improved.
Two-thousand women and 500 employers were asked how women's performances had changed after having children, and over half of employers said that they felt moms made better team players than their childless colleagues; nearly a third said their employee's team work improved after having a baby; and 32 percent said their multitasking skills got better. Thirty-four percent also revealed that they appreciated their colleagues and clients more after they became mothers.
When I initially read the headline, "Becoming aMother 'Makes Women Better at Their Jobs by Sharpening Their Skills,'" I dang near spit out my morning smoothie. As a working mom, I often feel harried, exhausted, pulled in two directions, and like I'm half-assing every aspect of my life. How has that made me a better worker since becoming a mom? But after processing the information more, it started to click and make total sense. (And, yes, I am sure that there are puh-lenty of childless people out there who are much better, more effective, team player-y workers than I. Just speaking personally here.)
After going back to work, I became a master of time-management on the job. When my daughter goes to bed at night, or before she wakes up, I take time to organize my following, or current, work day. I get things in order. I prioritize. I send and respond to emails. I take care of the things that can be taken care of in advanced, so nothing gets overlooked. Why? Because I want my work days to run smoothly and according to schedule so I can spend time with my child and not pay the babysitter an extra $900 every week. I never did this pre-child. I'd come home from work, plop myself down, and the only thought in my head was, "What should we eat for dinner?" It isn't a relaxing existence, the one I have now, particularly when I think about the fact that I haven't "taken a lunch" since the birth of my daughter, and my keyboard always has the faint sheen of salad dressing on it, topped with a sprinkling of crumbs. But technically speaking, I am more efficient at my job now that I have a daughter. It certainly doesn't always feel that way (hence, my initial guffaw), but when I do the math, it does appear to be that way. And I assume it's the same for many other working moms.
So, like many things in moms' lives, maybe we're doing better than we think at this whole life thing. Maybe we shouldn't internally berate ourselves and compare our lives with others, because, what do you know?! We're doing okay -- actually, sometimes better than we thought we were. Sometimes, we just need to hear it from a group of big-brained scientists with fancy degrees, that's all.
Do you feel you're a more effective worker since becoming a mom?
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