MELLISSA EDNEY
Parenting: The ultimate business skills bootcamp for the entrepreneur inside
Did you realise that everyday parenting skills can transform into powerful business assets?
Join me on my journey as a working mother to discovering the remarkable crossover between parenting and business, and how to work past the limiting beliefs holding you back.
In today's fast-paced world, it's fascinating how the skills we use in our personal lives can unexpectedly become the secret sauce for our professional success. Take social skills, for instance.
We've all heard of "business skills," but what if I told you that many of these skills are everyday social skills in disguise?
In this blog post, I'll share my discoveries as a working mother and how you too can realize that the skills you employ daily in raising your children can be transformed into your most powerful assets in the business world. So, join me as I explore the remarkable crossover between parenting and business.
Face the fear and do it anyway!
As a parent, the idea of diving into the entrepreneurial world feels a lot like stepping into an ocean which is well over my head. I have my share of doubts and fears. However, what is helping me overcome these anxieties is the revelation that the skills required for business success so similar to those I use when parenting.
Take communication, for example. Engaging in conversations with my children is not so different from my discussions with clients or business partners.
Recognizing this parallel has given me faith in my business abilities and allowed me to move towards embracing entrepreneurship. I know that I already possess many essential skills, which in a way act like my safety shute. Sure it's an ongoing journey but I am finding that facing the fear and doing it anyway is helping to remove the fear holding me back.
The Cross Overs
By stopping and thinking, I have discovered many different skills overlap between parenting and business; whether that's your own business that you're building or working in as an employee.
What specific skills overlap between parenting and day-to-day business?
The main skills that seamlessly overlap between parenting and business are:
Active Listening
Attention to detail
Negotiation
Empathy and Problem Solving to name just a few
Active Listening & Attention to detail
In day-to-day business, active listening helps parents understand customer needs, and from that, they can work to either meet or exceed those needs.
An example of when I've experienced the benefit of active listening in the home environment was the time when my eldest son came home to tell me about the upcoming mock exams.
It was crucial that I marked off the correct dates on the calendar so I knew when he needed to be at school and where. By practising active listening, combined with attention to detail, I was able to absorb what he was saying and arranged for him to be at school at the right times.
Negotiation
Have you ever tried to get your child to do their chores, homework or go to bed on time? I'm sure if your children are anything like mine, that a lengthy negotiation about the bedtime, minimum requirements for chores or time spent on homework is definitely on the cards!
Well, just remember when they're trying your patience and testing your endurance, that they are actually doing you a favor and allowing you to hone your negotiation skills!
Empathy & Problem Solving
Empathy, whether for a customer or your child, fosters better relationships, which results in more effective, lasting results at both home and work.
And problem-solving? Parents are experts at finding creative solutions to everyday challenges. It is a great exercise to practice stretching the problem-solving areas of your brain especially when negotiating compromises between arguing children or customers who want the best deal possible.
Personally, I have found by applying these skills in both my parenting and work roles, I have found success in creating stronger relationships and finding creative solutions to challenges.
Parenting - a test case in entrepreneurship
The real beauty of this revelation lies in the fact that because parents are already using these skills daily, they are honing very valuable skills that can be applied in any workplace or entrepreneurial journey.
When you soothe your child's fears, you're honing your empathetic skills.
When resolving a sibling dispute, you're simply practising problem-solving and negotiation.
Every bedtime story you read involves storytelling, - gaining attention, holding attention and leading to a closing point - all a vital marketing skill!
By recognizing and appreciating the business value of your parenting experiences, you can become better equipped and more confident in your ability to excel in both roles.
Conclusion
Ultimately, I've realized that the line between parenting and entrepreneurship is delightfully blurred.
Embracing this overlap provides a valuable opportunity to gain the confidence and tools needed to thrive in the business world. The skills you develop as a parent can easily transform into invaluable assets for any entrepreneurial journey. You just need to taken a new look at your daily life and and see yourself from a different perspective...you've got the ability and skills to take you wherever you want to go, sometimes, you just need someone else to remind you of that!
Personally I have found that parenting has been my proving ground for my entrepreneurial journey and is rapidly dispelling the fears holding me back.
I hope that this knowledge provides the same jumping off point for you too.
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