Careers often take a backseat for women with children, at least in the early years. If mothers decide to go back into the workforce after a hiatus, they often feel unemployable or that they don’t have the relevant skills to be successful. Businesses may overlook these candidates. However, mothers and employers alike should look at this time out of the workforce as a tremendous asset. Mothers can turn any negativity on its head and learn to market the skills they have gained through the role of mom.

A Mother…

1.  Knows the value of a moment:

Being away from their children means that mothers understand the value of their time. But here’s the best part: they value yours, too. Mothers will work for efficiency and productivity to maximize everyone’s work time.

2. Prioritizes:

Mothers are constantly evaluating household needs and have learned to make time for what is most important in each moment. In any given moment they are asking, “What is my one thing to do right now, that can add the most value to my situation?” instead of succumbing to the tyranny of everyone else’s urgent.

3.  Gracefully handles conflict:

Developing effective strategies for managing conflict is a crucial motherly duty. Moms know how to get to the root of a problem and address it head on in order to move forward.

4. Knows that “we” is better than “I”:

Moms recognize the power of the team. Teams have the potential to elevate the creativity and productivity of the group above what any of them could contribute individually.

5.  Is a logistical superstar:

Moms are used to juggling it all, and they can translate that skill into managing the many aspects of a business.

6. Accurately identifies obstacles:

Problem-solving is an important skill, but to do it effectively requires an even more crucial skill: problem identification. Mothers know that it is important to discover root causes and identify the right problem in order to come to the most effective solution.

7. Provides Goldilocks frameworks that are “just right” for people to struggle and grow:

Mothers know that giving someone a task that is too hard can be discouraging, and yet they know how to get their team or co-workers to the next level by giving them something just challenging enough to grow.

8. Can make a two year old understand:

Moms are used to distilling information to its most basic forms. Explaining complex thoughts to young children gives mothers an edge in clear, thoughtful communication.

9.  Frequently doles out positive feedback:

Mothers know that you attract more bees with honey than with vinegar. They’ve learned from parenting that a solid foundation of building people up yields significant results.

10. Does whatever it takes to get the job done:

There is no job that is “below” a mother if it means reaching a goal or accomplishing a task. Mothers are willing to pitch in and do what needs to be done.

11. Thinks “outside the box”:

A mother who has been out of the workplace for some time has not been inundated with corporate policy and the way things have always been done. They aren’t tired of the pendulum swing of every new thing that has come along in the past 5 years, so she has a fresh perspective on your business.

12. Cares about co-workers:

A mother often has a unique bent toward caring about the concerns of others. She will put forth extra effort to strengthen relationships through interest in others’ lives. This engenders loyalty and helps strengthen teams.

Moms are a tremendous asset to any business, and it is crucial that moms themselves recognize the strengths and skills that they offer. Likewise, businesses put themselves at an advantage in considering the value of mothers in the workplace.