• As a mom of a very small child, it is clear you report to the child (the boss). They are really in charge at this young age.
• Your boss (child) sets your hours. While you can influence this behavior, the boss ultimately decides what time you begin and end work each day.
• Overtime is dictated, not optional. If the boss wants you to work later or start early you do.
• Your job sometimes stinks. No further explanation due here.
• Pacifying the situation is sometimes the best route to soothing the angry boss. Give them what they want and they are happy.
• The boss determines the priority of your actions and is often times not very clear in the direction they give you or how they ask.
• The more they want something, the louder and more demanding the boss gets.
• As your tenure in your role grows so does your influence and ability to manage the process (this has more to do with the boss growing and communicating better than your actual time on the job).
• Your boss never seems to see the bigger picture.
• Like many bosses, your boss has no multi-taking skills and requires you to have massive abilities in this area.
• After a full day at the office, moms need to vent and decompress just like the rest of us.
• Required skills for the role are quite similar to those I use to hire business leaders. I could have taken these skills off most of my company’s job descriptions. They include:
o the ability to motivate,
o leadership skills,
o maintain a valid driver’s license,
o multi-task,
o strong organization skills
o good listener
o ability to present ideas in a sound rational manner
o able to positively influence activities
o budget management
o long and short term planning
o flexibility
I could keep going and expect I will get a few more to add to the list from the moms who read this blog.
In the end, the one major difference is the compensation and benefits. I get a pay check and medical benefits. Moms get something so much better, smiles, hugs and love. Of course they do get to work from home as well, which is sometimes a blessing and a curse. But in the end the real win is in the impact they have on their child’s life and how that pays back for the rest of their lives. What Lisa gives Siena today will benefit us all in the years to come. What I sold last week is already forgotten.
So, Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there, you have a very hard job. A special Mother’s Day wish to Lisa, the new role fits you well and I truly appreciate all you are doing and sacrificing to raise our little girl. She is the best boss either of us has ever had.
