Millennial dads have the power to turn things around

WHAT’S ON DECK

• Tell Me More: Millennial Dads Spend 3X As Much Time With Their Kids Compared to Previous Generations 

• Troublemaker Spotlight: Ciara Dilley, Senior Vice President of Future Portfolio & Occasions for PepsiCo Foods North America

• Dear FQ: My Boss Wants to Do My Job. How Can I Take It Back?

• Poll the Pack: Diversity Is Good for Business (And Your Calendar)

TELL ME MORE

Dads are spending more, intentional time with their children than past generations. And it’s no surprise that a father’s presence and involvement directly affects a child cognitively, emotionally, socially, and behaviorally.

Research shows that millennial dads are spending significantly more time with their children than past generations, and it benefits everyone.

Some positive findings:

• 97% of dads today are changing diapers compared to 60% in a 1982 study

• Dads now represent 18% of stay-at-home parents, up from 11% in 1989

• Since the 90s, the number of dads taking paternity leave has quadrupled

• They’re spending triple the amount of time caring for their children than dads did in 1965

But why? It could point to a number of positive changes, like more women (and moms!) in the workforce, a shift in sharing family responsibilities between men and women, and a flexible work-life balance that benefits families as a whole. Present dads are powerful drivers of their children’s success, social skills, and mental health, so this is a win for everyone!

Where do moms fall? Unsurprisingly, mothers still report spending more time on childcare duties, an average of 14 hours per week. While the numbers reflect a clear gap (dads spend 7.8 hours per week), it’s much smaller than previous generations, where fathers were typically the breadwinners and society expected them to leave the full-time job of child-rearing to the mother. A change in family dynamics has turned this outdated gender norm on its head. The proportion of marriages where the husband is the primary or sole breadwinner has steadily decreased over the past few decades, dropping from 49% in 1972 to just 23% today. 

But it’s almost impossible to discuss the time dads spend with their children without confronting the unequal family leave policies that are commonplace at most American companies. If you read last week’s edition of The FQ Newsletter, you know that we’re still dreadfully behind on protecting paid maternity leave for mothers in the US. The situation for fathers isn’t any better. 3 out of 4 working fathers took less than one week of leave after the birth of their child. But the precedent is often set by company policy and gives fathers little leeway. Only 27% of employers offer paid paternity leave in the private sector, despite the fact that it’s a high priority for employees. 86% of millennials say they’re less likely to quit their job if the company offers paid parental leave.

What’s the impact on children? Studies show that having involved fathers has a host of benefits for infants and kids, from self-confidence to increased emotional health and overall wellness. That’s pretty good news for the kids of millennial dads, and a step in the right direction. Bottom line: Dads are stepping up (we see you, Phil Dunphy). Now it’s up to companies to meet the moment and guarantee comprehensive paid parental leave.

TROUBLEMAKER SPOTLIGHT

Ciara Dilley, Senior Vice President of Future Portfolio & Occasions for PepsiCo Foods North America

Growing up, Ciara Dilley was always encouraged by her father to use her voice. But after graduating law school, Ciara realized that arguing legal complexities wasn’t nearly as enticing as the world of marketing, so she took a job with the famed beverage group, Diageo. The rest is a tale of grit, hard work, and a trailblazing career with illustrious name brands. From her time as a Product Manager at Campbell Soup Company to rising to the European Innovation Director at the Kellogg Company to her most recent role at PepsiCo, Ciara has worked with some of the world's most influential brands. 

FQ: What’s the worst career advice you’ve gotten?

CD: “You should have a clear idea of what you want to do, and where you want to be in your career in 5 years’ time.”

In my mind, this has never been less true. The world of work is evolving at such a pace–companies are adapting more fluid org structures and entrepreneurship is flourishing. We need to harness the strengths and passions of our people to help them grow and to understand how they can contribute most to a company’s growth. I like to say, I hope the role I am in in 5 years time doesn’t even exist today!

What was a “heartbeat moment” for you in your career?

Definitely moving to the North American Foods division of PepsiCo almost 5 years ago. I moved from a global role in New York to a North American (NA) role in Dallas to head up our Permissible Snacking portfolio. I had never had such a large team, such a high P&L responsibility, nor worked in a NA business unit before… it was a lot!

However, I learned so much in that role. It was a wonderful example of “This really scares me—like, really!—but I know it’ll make me stronger. And deep down, I know I got this.”

Imagine you just received the marketing version of an Emmy award. Who are the three people you’re thanking that aren’t at your current gig?

Alison Payne, currently CMO of Heineken USA, has been an incredible colleague, manager, and mentor to me for many years. She’s the person who brought me to the US and to PepsiCo, and is a true example of an incredibly smart leader who exemplifies compassion and creativity.

Rachel Ferdinando, former President of PepsiCo Canada and recently named CEO of PepsiCo, was my manager shortly after I came to the North America role. She is a strong, visionary, focused leader from whom I learned so much. I tell her there’s rarely a day that goes by I don’t ask myself, “Now what would Rachel do in this situation?”

Jane Wakely, currently our Global CMO & Chief Commercial Officer, Foods for PepsiCo, is an exceptional leader who showed me how to dream big, prioritize best-in-class thinking, and encourage others to always believe in more. Most importantly, she’s given me some of the best, most insightful career advice of my professional life.

Looking at this group, it’s not by coincidence they are all smart, compassionate, caring, female business leaders!

Where have you caused trouble?

Oh, there have been a few times! A few years ago, when working on the Stacy’s Pita Chips brand, we partnered with Hello Sunshine and Reese Witherspoon to produce a short documentary about female entrepreneurs.

It wasn’t easy to gain the funding, all the internal approvals, work with a major Hollywood production company, and stay true to the spirit of female entrepreneurs; and there were a few times I had to deviate, ask for forgiveness, and make some hard calls. It was so worth it!

DEAR FQ

Your burning career questions answered

Rachel Apirian of The Female Quotient weighs in: 

It can be extremely frustrating when your potential isn’t being fully utilized, especially in a small business where every role is crucial. It sounds like your boss has good intentions, but is struggling to let go.

Here are a few things you could try:

• Set up a time to discuss your role and how it can evolve to better support the business. Be respectful, but clear.

• Ask for clarity on the tasks that have been delegated and if there are specific concerns. Business owners can feel emotionally tied to certain responsibilities, so understanding his hesitations will help you address them head-on.

• Offer to take on a project that you know is important, and execute it with excellence. Trust is often built through results.

• Suggest regular meetings to review progress on tasks so your boss can stay involved, while also giving you autonomy.

Running a small business comes with a lot of pressure, so approach this situation with empathy. By framing yourself as a partner in easing that burden, you can shift the dynamic.

P.S. Got a burning career question? Serve it up here to Dear FQ to score advice from a powerhouse leader in our network.

POLL THE PACK

Almost all employees believe diverse ideas and perspectives are important in the work they do

Now these are results we can get behind, because diversity is good for business!

Prioritizing diversity leads to top-performing teams, according to McKinsey & Company. Companies that prioritize ethnic and gender diversity at the executive level are 39% more likely to see above-average financial returns.

The success of diverse teams trickles below the executive level, too. Inclusive teams make better business decisions 87% of the time. And those decisions are made faster, in one-half the meeting time of teams that don’t prioritize inclusivity.

To fewer meetings, paid leave for all parents, and a future filled with powerful roles that don’t even exist yet.

Xo,

The FQ