Maternal skills

Today, I was leading a discussion on conflict management in the workplace. It was a lively discussion and we were talking about ways to assert your thoughts and opinions without being aggressive or hostile. Driving home afterwards I was thinking about how life had taught me to be more assertive both at home and in the work place. Many situations sprang to mind including:

• When I waited for half an hour for the manager in a supermarket because the apples were labelled English on the shelf and were actually French. I think he thought I would go away and give up - I didn't and he eventually changed the shelf label; and
• The time I sat on the floor in a shop for twenty minutes because I had said my son couldn't have sweets and he said he wouldn't leave the shop without them (He did in the end).

Having children has definitely made me more assertive as I have had to fight their corner for them on occasions and also at times had to reinforce my role as the person who was "in charge". I think that sometimes employers  disregard women returning to work  but if they have  been at home helping their  children to learn life skills  then they themselves have learned some very useful skills employers could benefit from including negotiation, communication, and conflict resolution. The problem is that sometimes both the women themselves and the employers don't recognise the mutual opportunity and benefits.