How I Planned for a Stress-Free Parental Leave: With Data, Diaper Reviews, and Development Tools
We are planning to meet our first child very soon, and gratefully there is no shortage of advice on the internet on how to prepare for the birth of a new baby. For example, there’s a plethora of information on which diapers to use and strollers to buy. Yet top of mind for me while preparing for a new role as a mother, was how I would effectively step out of my professional role at the same time. How could I set up my team for success during my months of parental leave?
Understanding What My Leave Could Mean
We didn’t want my team to “hold down the fort” while I was gone, but we also didn’t want to have urgent or frequent contact through my leave to solve problems. The best outcome was to see my leave period as a transition point for the whole team, for each of us to grow into new parts of our roles, expand our skills, and maximize our potential. In other words, we wanted to use this time as a chance to empower, coach, and lead in a whole new way.
Data-driven Planning
At Pinsight, we practice what we preach; we make our selection, promotion, and development decisions based on objective, fair, and scientific assessment data using the same assessments we provide to our clients and partners. We combine the reliable evaluation of skills, personality, and learning ability to provide decision-makers with a vast array of insights into their team members. This data can help decision-makers take action to improve their team’s work performance, improve the team dynamics, and access the untapped potential hidden within their crew.
To plan for my absence, I looked specifically at our team analytics on personality, capabilities, skills gaps, and strategic bench strength. Then I used that to plan out with the team:
- Who would take over which projects with natural ease;
- What new stretch assignments would tap underused skills;
- Who should team up for peer coaching;
- How the team would communicate and get the support they would benefit from; and
- Which skills would be the focus for individualized development using The Pinsight App.
Reassuringly, much of the data reinforced what I intuitively understood about my team’s potential, attributes, and their abilities. But it was reassuring to know from the data that my team will naturally embrace the opportunity to learn new things, they will work through novel problems, they will keep calm under pressure, and care for one another at the same time.
Key Takeaways
I don’t yet have complete confidence in my skills to parent, but I do have sureness about our plan and the enthusiasm and abilities of my team to flourish during my time away.
Are you planning for a leave of absence, transition, restructure, or succession? Join us for a call to explore the data that can inform and solidify your plans based on objective, fair, and scientific assessment data.
