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. **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 "The Parental Leave Playbook explains how parents can lead their leave. It's for parents who are worried about communicating their leave plans, and how it will affect their visibility, candidacy for promotion, their relationships, and their performance. It will help expecting parents set expectations for their leave, transitions smoothly, maintain visibility, avoid being replaced, continue relationships, continue their upward career trajectory. And, most importantly, help those professionals strengthen their family. The Parental Leave Playbook uses Dr. Beacom's proprietary RETAIN framework and a three-phase, ten-touchpoint model to coach readers through the leave process. Beacom identifies the critical points before and during leave where parents and managers must work together, and explains how parents can facilitate success from their managers and employers. The models are supported by case studies from Dr. Beacom's work in the field with leading organizations like Microsoft, and supplemented by resources like a Parental Leave Transition Assessment (PLTA) sample report and a sample action plan for parents"-- Provided by publisher