What's it like being a partner of a WoMo? Are you ever ready for that commitment of partnering a WoMo?
These are the two questions that people ask me regularly if I am honest. Now my particular WoMo is an incredibly strong and determined person, but then I guess all WoMo’s are as that is surely the definition of this particular gaggle of girls.
Now I am not here to write about how amazing my particular WoMo is, despite being the driver of her own business alongside managing to balance the trapeze of having a new born and a toddler, and the attention and care they need. This balancing act is actually very impressive as I get to drift off for an hour's relaxation on a train in to Central London everyday and in those moments I get to be alone in my mind despite being surrounded by others. Running her own business, my WoMo does not have this LUXURY and I stress that word as, despite my efforts to argue otherwise at times, that 60 minutes is a lot less taxing than the morning routine or the end-of-day routine.
Now this is where things get cloudy as, in my opinion, the only way that you can be a real Partner to a WoMo is to be the other player in their team.
Clearly in a team there are leaders within and I have noticed that the balancing act for the partners is to be that supporting member of the team. I hold my hands up and say I am certainly the supporting act in this team for 75% of the time and the other 25% is making sure that I can give a little bit of respite to my WoMo. Simple actions and gestures seem to have the biggest impact on people and this does not change with a WoMo as far (as I can see anyway).
There is, and has always been, a selfish element in human nature and that itch always need a scratch. What do I mean by this in the context of a WoMo? Well, in my experience giving someone the time to have a bath whilst the child/children are taken care of is a small but powerful offering.
There is no way that I could be a WoDad and balance my business and children and so why would it be remotely fair to expect someone else to be able to do it? This takes me back to it being a team effort clearly. Now I have a vast exposure to the team environment across business and sporting fields but one truth always comes out. This truth is that it is not always the team with the best high-powered individuals that are successful but the team that is running smoothest together and has the common goal and drivers.
I knew that my WoMo was an Alpha style female and to be honest this was part of the charm, and so to expect this to change after having a child would be remise of me. Remember they always had the "WO" part and just because they added the "MO" part does not change the beings they are. Their identity was there before and it will always be there after children. So forget the idea WoMo is only doing it for the income immediately, as that is just part of the story. There is a deeper and more determined nature to these creatures than just the prize of money. A point is being proven and they are winning, and in this world - yeah there might be a reward with it but I am almost certain they would do it regardless.
So what am I trying to get to in all this rambling that I have mentioned already?
Well simply put :
IT IS A TEAM GAME SO ACT LIKE ONE
I would certainly not be able do what my WoMo does and I have my fingers crossed that my WoMo would say she could not be as successful without my little bits of intervention. The world is tough and challenging enough so if we can partner with a WoMo properly let's buckle up and enjoy the ride as we know it will never be a dull one!
Big thanks to PoWoMo James Tindall - former GB hockey star, double Olympian and Director of Ad Idem Consulting.