What has parenthood taught me?

I recently read an article on LinkedIn by one of my connections, Clare Stewart-Hunter, where she discussed the similarities between being a first-time Mum and learning & coaching in the workplace (you can find Clare's article here). For those of you that aren’t aware, my partner (Steve) and I welcomed our beautiful daughter Madilyn (Maddy) into the world in April 2021, so Clare’s post really struck a chord with me. Clare reminded me that going on parental leave doesn’t mean our careers are on hold. Rather, we are learning and developing existing and new skill sets which I hope will not only benefit me, but those I work with when I officially return to the office (or home office!) shortly.

So, what has parenthood taught me?

1. Patience, practice & perseverance: many of you may be aware that my patience threshold pre-baby was minimal. In fact, some had (laughingly) sent me off on parental leave telling me I was about to get the shock of my life. 

While they weren’t wrong, I can confidently say that the last 4+ months has helped me gain a fresh perspective when it comes to patience… expecting a newborn to know how to sleep, feed and play is unrealistic. You essentially need to teach them everything. Repeat everything!

The same rings true for any of us in a commercial environment when we try something new (e.g., cold calling) or undertake a project that is perhaps more complex than before. We need to give ourselves and our colleagues time to understand the how, the why and when before we can expect to see results. As with anything, I have learnt that patience, perseverance, and persistence is key!

2. Communication: I like to think that I am a good communicator, but when you throw in a newborn and mix it with sleep deprivation, I am not afraid to admit I was really tested! Steve and I have had to work on how we communicate, particularly under pressure and in a stressful situation, cue a hysterical crying baby at 3am! There were certainly a few tense words at times but once we learnt to communicate with empathy we were as solid as ever.

Empathetic communication is all about listening to understand another person's feelings and perspective. When you make someone feel seen, heard and respected it becomes a lot easier to work together towards a common goal.

3. Don’t be afraid to admit you don’t know how to do something and ask for help! Despite educating myself with a number of books and YouTube videos prior to Maddy’s arrival, some things just didn’t fall into place like I thought (or hoped!) they would. Culturally we often have a ‘she’ll be right’ mentality and despite initially thinking things would improve with time, I almost got to breaking point and knew I needed to call in the experts.  When I struggled with breastfeeding, I sought help from lactation consultants, when I needed to tweak Maddy’s sleep habits I went to a sleep consultant, and the first time Maddy power spewed I consulted my network of mums! 

As Barack Obama said “asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit you don’t know something and to learn something new”. Everything about being a new mum was new to me and I knew I needed to call on my village for help!

At Colliers, we have so many amazing resources at our disposal, including access to a multitude of industry leaders with such varied experience. I look forward to tapping into these resources on my return and finding new ways to improve my service offering to my clients benefit.

4. Just do it! When your baby has a 40-minute sleep cycle and you have to unpack the dishwasher, wash & sterilise the bottles, throw on a load of washing and complete a 30-minute online gym class, you learn to make every minute count. Procrastination is now a luxury! 

Motherhood has taught me how much you really can accomplish in a small amount of time when you put your mind to something. 

5. Celebrate all of the wins! In a fast-paced environment we are so focused on the end result that we don’t often take stock of the small wins we achieve both personally and professionally along the way. In these challenging times we need to find joy wherever possible. When Maddy self-settles and then resettles in a nap I feel ready to get the conga line going and the margaritas flowing!

There’s no doubting that we work in a competitive environment, but it reminded me how important it is to be each other’s cheer squad.  I look forward to returning to the office and celebrating the wins of those around me, no matter how small. 

And lastly, be present! Whilst some days have felt s.l.o.w and I thought Maddy’s bedtime would never arrive, the time really has flown by and I miss the newborn cuddles already. It has really reinforced that I need to be present each and every day, so I don’t miss a little smile or the start of a giggle. It has reminded me to put my phone down and enjoy the time we have together. It has reminded me not to just sit on the floor next to her while I scroll through facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn, but to get down on the floor and really engage with her. 

Time is one of the most precious gifts you can give someone, and this is certainly true in the office environment as well. How many times have you gone to a team meeting and got distracted by your phone? How many times have you looked at your phone and got distracted by the WhatsApp notifications piling up while you are talking to your colleague? 

When I return to the office, I am making a commitment to be present in each and every meeting. Not only do I want to get the most out of the time I have with my colleague or client, but I want them to walk away knowing I value their time!

As Steve says, “parenthood is like a real-life MBA”. I’m not sure what’s more expensive though!?

With the above in mind I am looking forward to getting back in the office and helping commercial office tenants with their real estate requirements in Australia. If you have any questions regarding your office lease, are considering new office premises or would like to understand how the current environment is impacting the office leasing market please get in touch.