Moms Are So Potentially Powerful Because They Care

Moms Are So Potentially Powerful Because They Care

While the fear of a recession is looming, the after math (and continuation) of the Great Resignation continues to be seen and felt throughout the United States and the communities we call home. According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace: 2022 report, workers are dissatisfied, disengaged and unhappy—“only 33% reported feeling engaged—and that is even lower than 2020”. The solution to this expensive problem (which costs the global economy $7.8 trillion each year) is to “think about the whole person, not just the worker”.

This same line of thinking can be applied to any relationship we have—as an employer, as a business owner, as a working mother, as a wife, as a friend—the people in our lives want to feel seen, heard, and valued. They want to know that they matter to you. And here, is the crux. Moms are exceptional at this skill—and it sets them apart in a shifting global economy. Working mothers understand that business is not about data and spreadsheets—but about the very real people that make the day to day happen, and the very real people on the other side of every contract, every sale, and every new client gained.

Gary Vaynerchuck identifies the very real problem leading to 60% of people being emotionally detached at work, as well as the untapped potential in 83% of customers who feel emotional connection with brands they purchase from—when culture, community and connection are present—something moms literally create, seek out and nurture in their personal and professional lives—people feel, and know, that they matter. “You don’t build culture by offering free snacks or a gym membership or open seating. You build culture by talking to people, and understanding what they care about.”

So, how, as working mothers, can we change the face of business and our relationships by harnessing our ability to make others feel seen, heard, and valued? We focus on establishing and extending trust. In his book, The Speed of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything, author Stephen Covey says that trust is one of the most important forms of motivation and inspiration. Trust develops culture, connection, and community because people know that you are a safe place—you model the thirteen behaviors of high-trust leaders enabling genuine and strong relationships with your employees, colleagues, and customers.

High-trust leaders: talk straight, show respect, are transparent, right their wrongs, show loyalty, deliver results, get better, confront reality, state their expectations, are accountable, listen first, meet their commitments, and then extend trust to others. Whether in the office, or at home, mothers consistently demonstrate these traits, and these traits are the foundation to establishing relationships built on trust, ultimately leading to people understanding their worth and valuing their connection to you, your organization or brand, your purpose, and your relationship with them.

Mass resignations and unfilled positions prove that job satisfaction is not merely related to a specific salary, rather people want to know they are known and valued for who they are—they want to be a whole person and not simply a number in an annual report. What are the things you do differently in business –as a working mother— that have paid lasting dividends?

“Everyone wants to be seen. Everyone wants to be heard. Everyone wants to be recognized as the person that they are, and not as a stereotype or an image.” — Loretta Lynch