Meet Lori: Associate professor of management, mom of a son, 5
“Help, help, help your colleagues as much as you can! Whether it’s sharing a technical tip, covering a meeting or sending a kind note, we all have something to give.”
Lori Hockley, associate professor of management
- What do you do at HACC?
I teach management courses online and serve as a lead for the business-related disciplines in our department.
- How old are your children?
My husband and I have one son, 5 years old
- How are you effectively juggling your professional duties and your personal duties of having your children at home while you work?
I had to rethink my version of what it means to be a working mother. Even though I teach online, I was accustomed to coming to campus for my meetings, grading assignments, discussions and advising appointments. Normally, my personal and professional life are kept rather distinct from one another. I thought about my own mother (currently isolated in an assisted living facility and unable to have visitors) who, as a real estate agent and insurance broker in the 1970s and ’80s, would carry me on her hip to show houses or have me sit at the conference table by her side during settlements as a small child. We lived in an apartment above her office, and so at the time, the lines between her mothering and her working were blurred – yet she was able to be effective at both.
I had to let go of my old “professional” working mother expectations I had set for myself. For example, if my son had interrupted a Zoom meeting in the past, I would have been mortified and felt guilty for not having my professional boundaries “tighter.” When he popped into one of my more recent Zoom meetings, I swooped him up on my lap so that he could see what was going on and be close with me for a few minutes. I didn’t feel embarrassed, knowing so many of us are in the same boat. Sometimes, we snuggle on the couch while I grade or respond to emails. Other times, I have to prioritize playtime and pre-K schoolwork and defer my work tasks until later in the afternoon, evening or weekend. I realize that my online teaching position affords me that opportunity, and I don’t take it for granted. When all else fails, being able to take the laptop outside to work while he runs around or plays on the swings is a blessing to us both!
- What tips (things to do and things to not do) would you offer to other parents who are struggling with this?
Help, help, help your colleagues as much as you can! Whether it’s sharing a technical tip, covering a meeting or sending a kind note, we all have something to give. But, admit when you need a break and ask for it. Also, especially if you usually hold yourself to really high standards, try not to be afraid to ask for help from your co-workers. For example, I was recently scheduled to present on a topic for Center for Innovative Teaching Excellence and my son came down with a very high fever. All I had to do was ask, and colleagues were ready to help me. Special thanks to Pat Hanahoe-Dosch, who stepped into my place to facilitate the presentation with short notice.
- Is there anything else you would like to share that we did not ask?
In management class, we talk about the “Total Person Approach.” That is, organizations employ the whole person, not just the person’s job skills. It’s especially comforting during these times to feel embraced as a “person” in the work place, not just an employee, and to feel such care from our chair, deans and administrators.
