LeaderX

Years ago Kylie Denton and I were co-authors on the Leadership Series books. I can't believe it has taken us this long to actually talk leadership together.

The topic is leadership but with the angle of menopause.
So many women drop out of the workforce in midlife and 1 in 10 women going through the menopause considering leaving, 67% feeling like work is negatively impacted, and only 50% feeling like they could share the real reason for their sickness leave or dip in performance, it is no wonder we are losing women from the workplace.

Yet these are women with 20-20 years of experience who are actually gaining a new perspective and elevating their skills as they go through this transition. If we can keep them in post, they will be exceptional leaders and employees.

One question I get asked so much by leaders is, "What do I do when someone doesn't want to change?"
No one changes unless they want to or are forced to, which usually means a lot of resentment and negativity. First, you need to understand why they don't want to change.

➡️They're comfortable
Change can be uncomfortable. It can be scary. Why rock the boat if you're comfortable where you are? As a leader, you must share the reason for the change, inspire, enthuse, and acknowledge their concerns.

➡️They don't see the need
If people don't see a need to change, they won't. Why would they? Everything is going fine the way it is in their world. Why fix something that isn't broken? Explain the need with clarity and hope that they can see what you can see.

➡️They're afraid of change
Change can be scary. It can be unfamiliar territory. People may not know what to expect or how to handle it. This fear of the unknown can hold people back from changing their lives. Listen to their fears and understand them. Give certainties where possible and reassurance and support for the uncertainties. The fear can keep people stuck for years.

➡️They don't believe they can change
People may not believe that they have the power to change. Their habits, behaviours and beliefs are so ingrained that they have forgotten that change is possible. They may feel tired, weary or even hopeless. This lack of belief can be a self-fulfilling prophecy, as people who don't believe they can change are unlikely to take the steps necessary to make changes in their lives. Coaching is a powerful leadership tool to help others to see their full capability and options.

➡️They're resistant to change
Some people are just naturally resistant to change or resistant to you because they don't trust you. They may not like change for change's sake and prefer things to stay the same. This resistance can make it difficult for people to make changes in their lives, even when those changes may be beneficial

Sam had been working with the team for a few months, but she still felt like an outsider. Everyone else hadknown each other from face-to-face working before the pandemic. No one really went out of their way to make her feel welcome. She was sure this wasn’t intentional and could only assume it was because of the virtual work environment was new to them in terms of relationship building.

Sam decided enough was enough—she needed someone who could help her bridge this gap, someone who might understand what she was going through and help her become better integrated into the team.

That's when she reached out to me. I quickly realised that regular communication amongst teammates, regular social activities and human conversations, would go a long way towards helping them stay connected. I encouraged her to share her true feelings with the team, and it turns out they were feeling the disconnection too. And so, we generated ideas to help the team form in a virtual world. Together we set off on our mission: to foster a sense of belonging within the team by creating meaningful relationships amongst its members!

The results were immediate—with more frequent interactions taking place among colleagues, Sam finally started feeling accepted by them (not just tolerated). What surprised us even more was that over time these new friendships developed into genuine bonds which are still standing strong today!

At 3WH, we understand the importance of creating a strong and united team. We believe that having meaningful and supportive relationships among colleagues is essential for success. That's why we have developed creative and practical strategies to help foster a sense of belonging within any team. With our guidance, teams can develop better communication, more trust between members, and a greater sense of alignment.



Contact us today to find out how 3WH can help your team become stronger and more united!

If you want to be an inclusive leader and are questioning how to be an ally to your colleagues you need to be lead with inclusion in mind.

As an inclusive leader, it is important to create an environment where everyone in your team feels comfortable and empowered to share their ideas and perspectives. Here are some practical strategies you can use to foster a more inclusive leadership style:

Make sure everyone is heard: As a leader, it is important to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to speak up and be heard. This means actively listening to all of your team members, not just those who are most vocal or have the most seniority. Include your LGBTQ colleagues, but also include others. Wvwryone needs to listen, learn, adapt and be part of the change.

Encourage collaboration: Inclusive leaders should strive to create an environment of collaboration between team members by encouraging them to work together on projects and initiatives. This will help foster trust and respect among team members, which will ultimately lead to results.

Embrace diversity: It is important for leaders to recognise and embrace the diversity of their teams in order to create an inclusive environment. This means being open-minded about different perspectives and experiences, as well as encouraging different points of view from all team members.

Provide feedback: Providing constructive feedback is essential for helping team members grow and develop their skills. As a leader, it is important that you provide timely feedback that is both positive and constructive so that your team can continue to improve their performance over time.

Lead by example: As a leader, it is important that you set the tone for how your team should behave by leading by example. This means demonstrating respect for all team members regardless of their background or experience level, as well as fostering an atmosphere of collaboration and openness within the workplace.

Sources

https://hbr.org/2020/03/the-key-to-inclusive-leadership

https://resources.workable.com/what-is-inclusive-leadership

https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/topics/talent/six-signature-traits-of-inclusive-leadership

THE POWER PLAYS AT WORK AND HOW TO SPOT THEM AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT THEM

We all know that teams that work well together are more productive, but it's not always easy to get along with everyone on a team.

It's no secret that teams that fight and argue are less productive than those who get along. But what if there was a way to create a healthy team dynamic where everyone felt heard and respected?

Learn more here http://ow.ly/ISu950MEgMz

Our Team Cohesiveness and Productive Conflict workshops can help! Our team workshops will help you learn about your own conflict response style and how to deal with other people's styles in a healthy way. You'll also learn about the different conflict behaviours and how to use them in a positive way. Contact us today to organise your workshop!

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW WHEN LEADING 4 GENERATIONS IN THE WORKPLACE

It isn't easy.
It needs great empathy.
The rewards are great.
http://ow.ly/EN7s50Ls7ej

One of my most popular key note speeches is about generational differences in the workplace.
LeaderX was written as a call to arms for leaders to step up and start leading.

With 4 dominant generations in the workplace, all with different ideas about what work and life is, awareness is key.

What you need to know when leading 4 generations in the workplace - 3WH Each generation brings different talents and skills and working them into your teams enables you to tap into the diversity, combining different approaches, skills, perspectives and outlooks will give you the competitive advantage.

Leadership development at all levels needs to focus on overcoming 5 critical culture killers.
>When people fear consequences, they blame, deflect and defend. The antidote is TRUST.
>When leaders worry about their own positions, image or think they need to be right all of the time destroy others confidence and capability.
>When people can't communicate, chaos, mistrust, mistunderstanding breeds.
>When feedback is feared, honesty goes out the window and poor performance thrives.
>When people lack freedom they feel constrained, diminished and unworthy.

Fix these urgently. Develop your leaders. Change your culture to change your performance.

http://ow.ly/EwuH50Lt0z1

It is international women's day and this years theme is .

Equality means each individual or group of people is given the same resources or opportunities.

Equity recognises that each person has different circumstances, and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome.

I have always been aware that although I had some disadvantages, I did experience a lot of privilege

I was raised in the UK to white British Parents. m
Money was tight at some points but on the whole, we were doing OK in life. With a University education and no disabilities and neuro-typical, I didn't stand out in any way other than my talents and my character and didn't have too many doors shut on me due to my circumstances.

And yet I STILL experienced sexism, inequality and misogyny.

We must strive for equity for all. We must recognise that we need to see equity for all women.