“Off to parental leave!”

Many years ago, when I started working for mgm as a senior manager with the goal of building up the insurance business, I was single and wasn’t thinking about children in the foreseeable future. The position and task fit my personal goals and circumstances at the time. I met my wife a relatively short time thereafter. After quickly realizing that it just “fit,” our son was born only a year and a half later. At that time, I decided to take parental leave despite my position and I can recommend it to every father. In terms of projects, I chose a rather noncritical time over Christmas, during which project phases usually aren’t difficult. Clients and colleagues have reacted very positively to my decision and even explicitly supported it. Our second child arrived at the end of 2011 and I wanted to take parental leave again. This time it was during the generally critical phase of a project. The client was not necessarily pleased in this case, but understood my decision, especially since I had already announced it six months earlier and a very good colleague was able jump in for me as a replacement in the project. Parental leave is becoming more and more normal today and is now part of everyday life. However, in the consulting industry, mgm is certainly a special company that not only accepts parental leave, but even explicitly supports it. However, as a manager, it is not always easy to combine your professional duties with parental leave. But where there is a will, there is a way. And if the colleagues all pull together, then it will work out.