IMAGINE you're a ball facing a ladder. Your goal is to climb it to reach other balls resting on the branches of a tree. You manage the first few rungs but then a broken rung makes it impossible for you to go higher, leaving you with no room for better opportunities. In business, this kind of obstacle is common and is called, what else, "the broken rung."
Despite modern society continuously propagating equality, there remains a notable gap in the discourse surrounding the intersectionality of motherhood and female leadership, especially when climbing up the corporate ladder. Hence, they often deal with the broken rung. The Women in Business 2024 report, for example, found that just 19 percent and 17 percent, respectively, of chief executive officer and chief operating officer posts were held by women.
Other senior management roles occupied by women also fell in the range of 5 percent to 39 percent, which indicates a dearth of women in leadership positions. The report said that in some cases, women, specifically those who were mothers and leaders at the same time, were not able to reach senior management roles due to the struggles of balancing both roles.
Efforts to achieve parity regarding the representation of mothers in executive roles must be modified, given that mothers possess unique abilities that are applicable to the business sector. For instance, mothers are multitaskers. They are often role models for others due to their adeptness at time management and ability to discern the most subtle complexities in a given task. Mothers are often perceived as having an ideal obligation to provide care for their children; when they inevitably resume employment, this obligation is then transferred to the business world and its prospects for achievement.
A Key Search article said that working mothers, whether they partake in leadership roles or not, bring skills developed and perfected as moms to their careers. Before my admission to the partnership, I was already a mother obligated to be very meticulous regarding my children's day-to-day needs and activities to ensure that they are safe and nurtured. When I became a partner, I incorporated these intricacies into my work.
Every decision is critical, and to prevent errors in the business, every detail must be examined. These two highly important roles widened my perspective and enabled me to notice both the slightest details and the grandest of things.
Additionally, multitasking and time management became needed skills for me. I consistently maintain a meticulously planned routine because my professional obligations no longer benefit just my family and colleagues at the firm but also contribute to the improvement of other families. My experiences prove that support and additional opportunities for mothers to maintain executive positions will ultimately contribute to the success of businesses. This solidifies research that shows that there are certain skills that working moms in senior management roles apply:
Team players. Support is the greatest gift one can bestow on a mother. My family, fortunately, encourages and supports me in all I undertake. They help in taking care of the children, thereby mitigating challenges that arise. At work, being a team player is crucial for sustaining personal relationships. Transparency, cooperation and trust should exist for both parties to foster a more positive work environment for all.
Active listeners. It is imperative that the development of healthy boundaries be incorporated into daily lives. Implementing this in the workplace ensures that every employee's concern, no matter how minor, is acknowledged, comprehended and acted upon. Actively listening can contribute to an employee's professional development.
Crisis managers. Difficulties within the household are unavoidable. Preserving composure in the face of such situations, whether at home or the office, is a fundamental ability that mothers possess. Mothers assume leadership roles in both domains because their children and their employees turn to them for counsel and prudence.
Diplomatic leaders. Lastly, it has been demonstrated that female leaders with children are also diplomatic leaders in any industry they are in. In addition to finding solutions that work for all, maintaining a sense of authority while being attuned to the concerns of all employees while keeping a level head are unquestionably abilities that mothers have perfected at home.
Motherhood does not diminish the leadership capabilities of women; on the contrary, it serves to enrich and fortify the qualities that render them effective leaders. But in order to assist the business as a leader, a mother must first be supported as a parent. It is delightfully noticeable that the firm has consistently demonstrated its commitment to this by offering remedies.
The firm has maintained an unbiased stance toward gender when it comes to promoting individuals. Rather than considering gender, their qualifications and accomplishments are priorities. In return, our tasks as working mothers are to not only serve more people in practice but also provide them with care and an environment conducive to development, just as we do for our children.
Chams Villamora-Dacanay is an advisory services partner at P&A Grant Thornton. One of the leading audit, tax, advisory and outsourcing firms in the Philippines, P&A Grant Thornton is composed of 29 partners and 1,600 staff members. We'd like to hear from you! Tweet us at @GrantThorntonPH, like us on Facebook at P&A Grant Thornton, and email your comments to pagrantthornton@ph.gt.com. For more information, visit our website at www.grantthornton.com.ph.
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