Recently, we hosted a fireside chat with Joann Lublin, the former management news editor of The Wall Street Journal, and author of its career advice column for nearly 30 years. During her esteemed career, Joann won the Pulitzer Prize and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Gerald Loeb Awards, the highest honor in business journalism. Her new book is Power Moms: How Executive Mothers Navigate Work and Life.
Julie Binder, Maven’s SVP, Brand Communications, talked to Lublin about the state of working mothers today and how they can take charge of their careers and time. Watch the recording here, and check out our key takeaways below:
1. How to Succeed Working Remotely with Children at Home
Lublin uncovered some valuable ideas from women who had experience working remotely but needed to set boundaries at work now that children were in the home 24/7.
- In one case, a woman told her employer that she wasn't available between 7:00-11:00 AM every day—this was her protected time. During this time, she gets what she needs to get done and ignores any Slack messages, Zoom calls, or anything else work-related., Her employer was okay with that.
- Another woman Lublin talked to also pointed out the importance of communicating with coworkers when it's most convenient for us. No one needs to be “on” for others at all times.
Lublin added, “When your kid interrupts you, don't give yourself a hard time about it. You deal with the issue that is the most pressing at the moment. And if it's your child, it's your child.”
2. How to Communicate Your Changing Needs as a Working Parent
Lublin stressed the importance of working parents updating bosses and peers on what they need to succeed at work when the responsibilities of raising kids consistently change your schedule. As children age, they require different activities and forms of attention, and their needs are constantly changing during the academic year and then into summer. So, Lublin recommends clarifying your changing needs and availability and knowing that it's okay to say "no" once in a while.
Lublin stresses that, especially in a time where everyone is working from home, “Now is the time for parents to be clearer than they ever have been about what they need.”
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