5 Secrets for Balancing Work and Single Motherhood (Number 1)

Hi everyone –

This is a topic we all struggle with…trying to find some kind of balance between single motherhood and work.  This is the first post in a 5 post series…

Number One: Are you clear on what your company and what your boss need from you?

This may seem like a funny place to start – but it’s not.  We can’t talk about how to achieve balance with work if we don’t know all of the pieces we are trying to be balanced with.  So, are you clear on what your current role or job requires you to do to be successful?  Is it realistic for you to do these requirements?  There are always trade-offs and no one knows that better than single mothers. 

What are the absolute “must-haves” from your company’s standpoint?  At one company where I worked long ago, it was getting to work exactly on time and filing weekly/monthly accounting reports accurately and on the requested days.  They weren’t interested in new ideas, special projects or team building – just timeliness and accuracy.  At another company, getting to work exactly on time was irrelevant; the focus was on getting the work done in a high quality manner and as fast as possible.  And at a third company, it was whatever my boss felt was important on that particular day (that was not much fun and I didn’t last). 

Now, think about the “must-haves” you’ve listed from your company/boss’ standpoint- can you achieve them without spreading yourself too thin?  If not, can you eliminate something else from your day, your week, your life?  (Of course, some of you may be thinking of getting a new job anyway, but that’s not always possible).  

I’ve started this list of ‘5 secrets’ with clarity about your company’s needs and your boss’ needs because I have made lots of unnecessary mistakes in the past – mistakes I could have avoided if I had thought about what that particular boss or company was expecting me to deliver. 

In tomorrow’s post, we’ll talk about our personal “must-have” list.

Tags: Single Working Moms, single working mother, Single working mothers, Working Moms, Working Parents