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Finding fulfillment at work, evaluating your relationships, how to dress professionally and the best advice when searching for a job!
Mother's Day is only a few days away! Time to order those flowers and dust off the old pancake griddle!
I truly have such an excitement and appreciation for Mother's Day now that I am a mother. Sure, birthdays are great and make us feel special. But all we did to earn that birthday was be born. And guess who did all the work to make that happen….
Mother's Day and Father's Day are the only holidays where we get to be celebrated for our greatest accomplishments. Mother's day honors everything on the mom spectrum from carrying a child for 9 months, going through 23 hours of labor, the sleepless nights, the tantrums, the morning snuggles, the tickle fight giggles, the supermom powers that come to life when your child is hurt or sick, and the unsolicited “I love you mommy” moments that make all the craziness completely worthwhile. Mother's Day honors all the tough parts of having and raising children, and most importantly celebrates all of the most wonderful parts of being a mom.
And as much as us moms love all the attention on Mother's Day, we would be remiss not to share the spotlight on our special day with the ones who paved the way before us - our moms. Or better known now as Gigi, Mimi, Nana, Gramma, Meemaw, GaGa, Honey, etc.
Outside of my appreciation for a good glass of Chardonnay, I have inherited many of my mom's "mom traits" and have learned some great mom tips over the years. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, right? I learned the difference between clean and "mommy clean", how to make the world's best meatloaf, how to use an Excel spread sheet to plan for and prepare a Thanksgiving meal, the benefits of organizing your spice rack alphabetically, how to get butter to room temperature faster by holding the stick in your arm pit for a few minutes (wrapped in plastic wrap first!).
But out of all the nuggets of wisdom my mom has passed down over the years, where she has had the most profound influence on my adult life has undoubtedly been in my career. My mom was a working mom. Growing up, she was the primary bread winner for our family, provided the steady income, benefits, company car. Being a stay-at-home mom was never an option for her. She has worked her way up the corporate ranks, surviving and thriving through multiple major acquisitions and mergers, and currently works for one of the world's largest supply chain solutions companies known for its big brown trucks.
She has always been my go-to for career advice for as long as I can remember. So in the spirit of the occasion I have narrowed down all the best morsels from mom into a top four list.
Click the arrow next to each title to expand and read!
Top 4 Personal Leadership Tips From My Warrior Mom:
#1 - Dress For the Job You Want, Not the Job You Have.
What a classic mom tip, right?! The basic idea here is pretty self explanatory and, you would think, a widely accepted and understood principle of professionalism. However, from my experience in the workforce, people of all ages could use a refresher.
This concept is a bit trickier than it used to be 10-15 years ago, because so many companies have adopted more casual dress codes, and so much of the workforce is working from home. And what is business casual to some companies may be completely different than what other companies consider to be business casual. And there are still some companies out there that are true business professional, especially in finance or banking or large enterprise corporations.
So no matter where your company falls on that spectrum, here are two quick tips to help you dress for the job you want, not the job you have:
Be Observant
Find somebody at your place of business whose job you want to have someday and observe them. That could be your boss, the CEO, the head of HR, a marketing director, a VP, etc. Someone who you look up to, respect, that you consider to be a success and whose career path you aspire to emulate. What are they wearing on regular business days? What are they wearing on casual Fridays? Does their appearance differ on client facing vs. non-client facing days? You will start to observe a level or standard of professionalism that you can then use as a measure for your own professional appearance.
You don't need to adopt their entire style; you can still be you, have your own style and self-expression. Just try and align your style and sense of expression with that level or standard of professionalism.
Be the Best Version of Yourself
No matter how old you are, what your style is, what your look is, your self-expression - we all have a put-together, polished version of ourselves, and the "I just rolled out of bed" version of ourselves. Work is not a place for our "just rolled out of bed" look. Dressing for the job you want is also about your appearance beyond the actual clothes on your body.
You can be the hardest worker and deliver the best results, but unfortunately if your appearance doesn't match then your potential for advancement could suffer. If your appearance is lazy and sloppy, many will assume that your performance is as well. If your appearance is disheveled or unprofessional, many will assume you put the same level of care into your work.
If your goal is to grow in your company and be seen as a leader, you should be the best version of yourself everyday.
"If you look good, you feel good. If you feel good, you play good. If you play good, they pay good." Deion Sanders
#2 - What Are Your Non-Negotiables? The Best Advice When Searching For a Job!
#3 - Are You a Contributor, or a Consumer?
#4 - It's OK Not to Love Your Work, If Your Work Allows You to Do What You Love.
As Mother's Day approaches, I encourage you to take time to think about your Warrior Mom and the lessons, tips or morsels of wisdom you have learned from her that have had the greatest influence or impact on your life. And if you are able to do so, share them with her and let her know how much you love and appreciate her. She will probably cry, which means you totally nailed Mother's Day!
Share your best tips from your Warrior Mom on social and use the hashtags #mywarriormom and #peoplewarriors so we can hear them, learn from them and most importantly celebrate your Mom!
Moms - you are the ultimate People Warriors! Happy Mother's Day!
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