The Parental Leave Playbook 10 Touchpoints to Transition Smoothly, Strengthen Your Family, and Continue Building your Career

Support your growing family without losing professional ground—a proven approach

The Parental Leave Playbook helps parents take control of their leave and make the most of what's considered a career timeout, but is actually a vital "time-in" for your life. If you're an expecting or new parent concerned about how your leave and return plans will affect your visibility, candidacy for promotion, work relationships, and performance (not to mention your identity and home life), this book will guide you into the smoothest transition possible. Most importantly, this book will help you as you grow and strengthen yourself and your family while remaining a professional.

In The Parental Leave Playbook, you'll learn Dr. Amy Beacom's innovative R.E.T.A.I.N. framework and the three-phase, ten-touchpoint model, to coach yourself through the leave process. Beacom identifies the critical points before, during, and after leave where parents and managers must work together, and explains how parents can facilitate success by finessing the way they approach their manager and colleagues. These models are supported by case studies from the author's work in the field with leading organizations like Microsoft, and supplemented by resources such as the evidence-based Parental Leave Transition Assessment (PLTA) sample report, leave action plan templates, reflection prompts, and development exercises to enhance self-awareness and skills.

You'll learn how to:

• Communicate your parental leave plans effectively and at the right time
• Set expectations with managers and colleagues to ensure a smooth transition
• Learn how to maintain visibility, avoid being replaced, and continue your upward career trajectory during your parental leave and beyond
• Grow and strengthen your family without sacrificing your professional gains

All working parents-to-be can benefit from the ideas and proven tools in this direct and practical book.

AMY BEACOM, EdD, is founder and CEO of the Center for Parental Leave Leadership, the first consultancy in the U.S. to focus exclusively on parental leave. Drawing on over 25 years in executive leadership development and coaching, Amy consults with Fortune 100 companies, international organizations, working parents, and more to transform the way our companies and our country engage with the parental leave transition.

SUE CAMPBELL is a writer, author, and coach who has worked with the Center for Parental Leave Leadership since its early days, helping to communicate the transformative impact of their core mission. Her writing, often focused on issues important to parents, has been published in many outlets, including Prevention, Good Housekeeping, Scary Mommy, and Mamalode.

Author’s Note ix

Introduction xiii

Chapter 1 Parental Leave Is a Mess—Let’s Fix It! 1

Chapter 2 The 10A Transition Touchpoints Framework 13

Phase One Preparing for Leave: Work Focus 31

Chapter 3 Phase 1: Preparing for Leave Overview 33

Chapter 4 Touchpoint 1: Announcement 39

Chapter 5 Touchpoint 2: Assess 51

Chapter 6 Touchpoint 3: Action Plan 67

Chapter 7 Touchpoint 4: Acknowledge the Transition to Parenthood 97

Phase Two During Leave: Parent Focus 109

Chapter 8 Phase 2: During Leave Overview 111

Chapter 9 Touchpoint 5: Appropriately Keep in Touch 115

Chapter 10 Touchpoint 6: Advocate 125

Chapter 11 Touchpoint 7: Arrangements for Return 143

Phase Three Returning from Leave: Working Parent Focus 155

Chapter 12 Phase 3: Returning from Leave Overview 157

Chapter 13 Touchpoint 8: Acknowledge the Transition to Working Parent 163

Chapter 14 Touchpoint 9: Adjustment 171

Chapter 15 Touchpoint 10: Access to Career Development 189

Rounding Out the Human Experience 205

Chapter 16 Additional Challenges and Resources 207

Appendix 1: Values Exercise List 219

Appendix 2: Free Resources from the Center for Parental Leave Leadership 221

Appendix 3: An Emerging Working Parent Support Ecosystem 223

Appendix 4: Recommended Reading 233

Endnotes and General References 237

Acknowledgments 253

About the Authors 257

Index 259

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