UK executive coaching company, Talking Talent, has launched ‘Top Tips for Talented Working Parents’, a new book for working parents to help them balance parenthood and their working lives. Authors, Jo Lyon and Harriet Beveridge, call it ‘a treasure trove of hints and tips to help balance parenthood and work’.
The 66-page self-coaching resource for parents provides insights from specialist coaches, senior professionals and experienced parents. The areas covered in the book include: clarity around roles, including the theme of role models – copying other people’s strategies, and whether the reader can be a role model for others and give them knowledge. It also covers off areas such as: what I want out of my working life, getting support – managing colleagues and managing stress, and logistics – from childcare, to networks, and creating time to focus. The book also addresses the area of recognising and overcoming workplace challenges.
‘Top Tips for Talented Working Parents’ also provides tips and advice to help parents work through and manage issues. Each chapter also includes a real life quote from senior managers who have navigated the highs and lows of balancing work and parenthood already.
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Tips include:
- “Make sure you talk to your work as soon as you can about the role you want to come back to, about their expectations of you and what you want, in terms of flexible working.” Coachee, Financial Services Firm
- “Returning to work after your first child is traumatic. Having someone independent, knowledgeable and patient to discuss all the emotional, professional and practical issues that arise is indispensable.” Director, International Financial Conglomerate
Jo Lyon, co-founder and director of Talking Talent, said: “Many companies struggle to retain women following maternity. Our programmes help companies and individuals handle better the pre- and post-maternity phase. They cover everything from communication issues, to the support that businesses need to give to employees, through to ensuring the smoothest possible transitions and return to work. We help clients hold on to their talented women and – at the same time – give women the confidence and support they need throughout.
“Many clients have suggested we write a self-coaching resource to complement our coaching programmes and this was the driver behind the book launch. It is also timed with helping companies prepare for the new UK paternity law in April 2011, which will see extended paternity leave and may bring major changes to the workplace. We hope it will be an indispensible guide for companies and their employees.”
Jo Lyon is one of the co-founders of Talking-Talent. She has over 10 years’ coaching experience and is both an occupational psychologist and qualified Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) Coach. She has worked for a wide range of FTSE 100 companies in a variety of sectors including financial services, rail, professional services, leisure and FMCG.
Harriet Beveridge is a director at Talking Talent, with over 10 years’ experience working with senior leaders in a range of industries. She graduated from Oxford University with a BA (Hons) in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, holds a Certificate and Diploma in Coaching and is also an accredited NLP Practitioner.
