At the request of the students, The Hochschule Niederrhein, in cooperation with the Krefeld initiative "Leading Ladies in Town," invited them to the talk "Leading with Women - Reconciling Career and Job." "It is still not an easy undertaking to reconcile family and career," explained Annette Ludwig at the opening. "While childcare in Germany has already improved, we also need a new kind of leadership in companies, because in times of a shortage of skilled workers, the know-how and skills of very well-qualified women are more in demand than ever." Prof. Ralf Kampker, from the Faculty of Industrial Engineering, therefore promised to continue inviting so-called Role Models to the university in the future to present students with reports on the experiences of people "who have achieved something." The roelmodels on Oct. 27 were professionally successful mothers and fathers.
Despite the diversity of their resumes, the most common phrase heard by those in the lecture hall was, "Yes, it works, but it's also exhausting." Still, the contributions in the roundtable discussion were encouraging. Consultant Dr. Inge Röhnelt: "If you have the desire to have a career and have children, go for it!" Just a 20 years ago, she said, people had to choose between career or family; nowadays, the opportunities are optimal, and the job market is gradually moving. Women in leadership have opportunities to shape things, they bring their female perspective to processes in the economy, digitization, society, that is urgently needed," says the former VHS director and mother of two adult children.
Anna Roscina, 35-year-old single mother at Cocus AG, also echoed this sentiment, advising women to earn their own money, define goals and organize the "rest around it." For example, parents, friends or a babysitter could help out when the daycare center closes for lunch or a sports session is scheduled. Neither the partner nor the children should be the sole purpose of life, and with a lot of willpower, every woman finds her way. There it was again, the phrase: "It works."
As a self-employed notary, Dr. Katja Grage didn't mince words that day: "As much as I love my children, it's sometimes a real effort - for me and the family. But I wouldn't be a better mother if I had stayed at home." She said it's not possible without help, so she advised "networking in a good way" by hiring a nanny, enlisting neighbors, friends and parents. With the book title "It's just a phase, bunny," she reminded everyone that every phase marked by frustration and time pressure ends at some point and cautioned, "The inner attitude is important, then many things go easier." Gabriele Drostel, a self-employed consultant with three children, scored points with a list of tried-and-true tips if an additional nanny is not financially feasible: "Ask friends, form carpools, book help by the hour, look for a substitute grandma by ad." Another piece of advice: put time off on the calendar so you don't neglect your own needs. Coach and recruiter Thomas Lüdeke was the only man on the podium to focus on two aspects for both genders: choosing a partner and flexibility. When it comes to topics such as prenuptial agreements, business trips or school, he said, acting as partners at eye level and flexible organization are helpful. Annette Ludwig summarized the contributions in a catchy formula for success: "Will plus humor plus networking plus communication plus flexibility minus perfectionism." Over coffee and cake, the participants were able to network extensively.
