When I look at the roster of AME volunteers, staff and speakers, I’m always inspired by the number of mothers in our ranks. All parents balance personal and professional responsibilities, but mothers stand out for their ability to find creative ways to make things work.
So perhaps the proverb “necessity is the mother of invention” isn’t quite right. Maybe mothers themselves are the mothers of invention.
It is rare to come across any parent, particularly a mother, who isn’t juggling multiple tasks at home while still crossing things off the to-do list at work. Mothers always seem to find ways to get things done. With support from others—both female and male—mothers have faced our challenging times and delivered positive outcomes because they’ve stayed agile and found creative solutions to the challenges ahead.
This, of course, harkens back to the “yes, and” lesson that Jon Colby shared during his sessions at the 2020 and 2021 AME International Conferences, but I’m certain that mothers were doing this before improvisors coined the phrase.
Whether you’re a mother or not, you can find inspiration in the can-do attitude and inventive spirit that comes from being a mom. As we celebrate Mother’s Day, one way to celebrate moms is to become a creative problem-solver.
And if you’re in a leadership role, consider what you can do to make your work environment more welcoming to moms and parents. Can you offer hybrid work? Are asynchronous work hours a possibility? What is your maternity (and paternity) leave policy? Do you have pumping rooms for new moms—and no, a bathroom stall is not a pumping room!—to access when they return to work? Are you accommodating when childcare gaps unexpectedly arise?
Mothers bring so much to a workplace and have the right attitude and skillset to help us overcome obstacles and project manage the expected and unexpected. It is incumbent on us to provide the space for them to thrive.
Whether you are a member, a volunteer, a Home Team member or affiliated with AME in some other way, I wish all the mothers reading this a special Mother’s Day.
As always, please stay safe and keep looking out for one another.
