As the founder of Croft Coaching, Deborah Croft, has a passion for helping people overcome challenges, embrace change and live life to the full; with an ethos of “work hard, play hard”.
Croft Coaching is a Coaching and Training organisation, dedicated to inspiring and empowering Individuals and Groups to play to their strengths and honour their values; so that they are truly engaged, energised and present; inside and outside of the workplace.
Croft Coaching partners with Organisations and Individuals who are seeking to evoke positive, long term transformational change; grounded in greater self-awareness, clarity and conscious choice. In partnership with Viva Consulting, they help organisations include and embrace the impact of the transition to parenthood in their diversity programs.
By Debbie Croft, Croft Coaching
Inclusiveness and gender parity is fortunately a key focus for astute organisations. One strategy deployed considers how to better support professionals during the challenging transition to parenthood; so that they feel it is possible to continue with professional aspirations and successfully juggle family life. This is not specific to female talent. As the next generations of male leaders emerge with clear expectations on the role they want to play as a father, organisations need to demonstrate their appreciation of family values to attract and retain top talent.
All this is great news for parents – there will be a significant positive impact on reducing the stress and overwhelm that is typical of this period, frequently losing to resignation &/or burn-out. The danger is that this stress is transferred to Line Managers and Team Leaders, who need to adapt to frequently changing needs of a team and movement of people within the team. So, how can this group of Leaders be adaptable and agile, to effectively manage and support new flexible working policies?
Image courtesy of franky242 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
By Debbie Croft, Croft Coaching
First of all, congratulations! For each parent, this is such a personal journey that there is no script to follow. Instead here are some tips to help you be mindful of and embrace the changes.
As the Professional woman:
- You hopefully agreed boundaries before your maternity break and they are being adhered to. It may be that you have changed your mind and you want more or less contact – let people know so that you maximise this time. It is worth considering which colleagues are key influencers and always keep abreast of the political landscape – a coffee/lunch with them can quickly bring you up to speed with developments at work.
- Remember that this can be a great opportunity to develop new skills and learn about topics you never have enough time for in a typical working week. There is an abundance of interesting articles, discussions, forums etc you can access or explore an on-line course as a possibility. Please be mindful that this may be unlikely in the early days of maternity – you’ll find there is quite enough to do!
Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
By Debbie Croft, Croft Coaching
This phase really does feel like a rollercoaster to every woman: excited, energised one moment; sick or tired and fearful of the future the next moment; coupled with a changing body shape and rather adhoc emotions. It’s no surprise that it is a somewhat confusing period in our lives ….(imagine how it is for partners watching on!).
There are many factors that you will not be able to directly control, so focus on what you can control and influence, starting with a positive perspective and taking ownership. Here are a few pointers:
By Debbie Croft, Croft Coaching
This is the first in a series of blogs, which looks at the juggling act between working professionally and becoming a parent. Accompanying the transition to parenthood requires a change in assumptions, beliefs, behaviour and motivations on the part of the parents concerned.
For a woman, it is probably one of the most challenging and exciting transitions; amplified by a great deal of mental and physical changes and unknowns, with associated fears; especially with the 1st child.
Fathers however, are often overlooked during this transition period; despite their conflicting desires to spend more time with family, whilst upholding professional aspirations. So, in Part 1 of this blog, I am going to start with how Fathers can better balance parenthood and professional work.
Image courtesy of hywards at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
By Debbie Croft, Croft Coaching / Geneva Coach Alliance
“Maximising Christmas Events and Parties!”
In part 1, we explored ‘what is networking and why even bother with networking?’. Hopefully, you took away the fact that creating conversations can lead to doors opening, directly or indirectly; in a professional search. With the Christmas party season upon us and a peak of events, this is a great opportunity to put those ‘elevator speeches’ into action. The secret is to also enjoy it and feel comfortable! Below are some useful tips to help you present your ‘best, most confident self’:
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