Maintaining Credibility: How to Deal with People Who Try to Devalue You

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By Nicki Gilmour Executive Coach and Organizational Psychologist

What happens when someone tries to discredit your work or disqualify you as a contender for a job?

Not just in politics, but in the workplace too. It is hard to believe that we still have to talk about this matter, but its still lurking. Whether it is overt sexism, a micro-aggression or even worse, the impact on the person on the receiving end is real. In the societal context, women ( and other minorities) are not believed and the benefit of the doubt usually goes to the perpetrator due to their status and biological sex/race/orientation (i.e. legacy dominant position that people do not like to challenge their implicit authority). In a work context, it means less pay, lost promotions and general unnecessary emotional stress. This is the stuff that causes a drag on individual/ team and firm performance and no amount of words about diversity from the CEO or drinks in the women’s network will fix the heart of what diversity work is; power and who gets it to have it , keep it and be believed.

Often people with issues (this is the kindest version I can print) will try to discredit you as a person and they start with your social identity, which means your grouping characteristics such as which gender you are, which ethnicity you are, and which orientation you are. Even if you personally don’t feel massive affiliation to these categories because it can be a shock to people with no intersectionality that you too could be just trying to live your life as a human and do your work without considering yourself (insert what you are here: a woman/black/gay etc).

Remember, it is often about you according to them and their stereotypical notions of who you are and absolutely nothing to do with who you actually are and what you are actually capable of. Equally, the people who i am referring to who feel like they are a threatened species, often benefit from their sex, skin color via positive stereotyping ( someone once said, its not a glass ceiling, but a thick layer of men). It is worth noting that anyone can do it even if they are a woman themselves because internalized misogyny and desire to protect traditional power structures have never been so obvious than this moment in history. But, whatever other people’s paradigms are, remedial attitudes or baggage, it should not have to be at your expense.

Why is this career advice? It is something that you need to be aware of because unfortunately one day you might stumble up against a less than evolved individual who will directly or indirectly try to lessen your credibility or devalue your work based on nothing more than your social identity.

How this plays out is that they take a shot at you based on their perception of their superiority and appropriateness regarding legacy positions for women, people of color and LGBT people. For example, at a recent social gathering, a fellow who had previously said offhand comments about women at work and LGBT people, decided to directly spit out a challenge starting the question with “who?” when the who was very obvious so it was not actually a question, it was a micro-aggression against a gay family structure.

Furthermore, bias is regularly disguised as ‘values’ because if you look at how values are formed, it is easy to see that constructs come from past norms, socio-conditioning and current cultural messaging. What did their granny tell them when they were nine? Chances are, they are operating heavily on familiar programming completely unaware that they have inherited things that they might not even truly believe if examined.

So, what do you do if you find yourself facing a person who is intentionally trying to devalue you.

There are strategies to pursue and which road to take depends on three things:

1. The overall systemic environment.

Where is the whole group at regarding their own ability to honestly digest how individual behaviors impact ongoing norms and actual humans in the group? The denial levels for untoward behavior in the workplace or socially are reducing as we have seen this year with sexual harassment. But, overall the ability to deny wrongdoing on micro-aggressions are still high. Look at how tolerant of bad behavior is the manager of your team? What flies? What are the group norms?

This is workplace culture and crucial to your next move when bringing up what happened. Will you be believed? The worst thing is not being believed or being told your experience couldn’t be true or is somehow invalid. Will you be shushed as excuses from you are wrong /you misunderstood them fly from people who are supposed to listen to such things? (HR , leaders, mentors, friends). Take the temperature as your truth is your truth, but group theory (Bion) suggests the group will protect the legacy structures, unless there are reasons not to.

2. The standing of the individual and their power based on them as an individual but also the power and authority assigned to them due to their social identity which adds benefit of the doubt privilege. Extreme cases are Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby- they thought they were untouchable due to the social currency. But, everyday bias and derogatory stuff is what we are talking about here, so relay the transgression to people who have mental complexity and can hold two conflicting realities in their head at the same time. That is to say, they can experience that this guy is great with them but bad to you as simultaneously true versions of reality and use their one subjective personal data point as an objective truth.

If no mental complexity is there ( as defined by Kegan, the Harvard development psychologist by the way, not just being rude here in saying they are not advanced), you will risk the high denial element again as these folks might have high IQ and make lots of money but are completely remedial on EQ, SQ and connecting the dots and you might as well be arguing with a small child.

This can be a depressing piece of work as there are many people who are capable but just have never had to do any real joining of cognitive, emotional and psychological processes because they can just stay in their ignorance as they have had no direct experience of what it means to be in the non dominant group and intersectionality doesn’t touch them. Also congruence is comfortable for everyone so its not their fault how they got there but it is their responsibility to figure out how to develop knowing that the world is full of many different types of people who historically didn’t have any power – see Kegan and Lahey again on the socialized mind in Immunity to Change. There are still so many men and women who cant help but protect the status quo for so many reasons. If you want to see this in action, participate in a contained social experiment- go to an AK Rice Group Relations conference on Power and Authority!

3. The third factor is your personality? Are you a confronter or a keep the peace person? You need to know your own comfort zones and abilities and what you are going to be able to take emotionally as revealing bad people can take strength, energy and there are stakes at play sometimes ( the bully/bigot knows that the stakes are low or them and high for you).

So, once you know the above, you can work out what the best course of action is. Sometimes it is about doing something and sometimes is it is not.

For extra reading, I recommend Leaders Guide to Leveraging Diversity Capabilities or leave this book on your boss’s desk to prime the pump for people who want to make things better so you build a cultural coalition of people who know how to deal with everyday problem children at work. I quote Maya Angelou in high regard, because “when you know better, you do better.”

If you are dealing with difficult people or a culture that has systemic diversity issues in it, I would be happy to work with you as your executive coach. Contact me on 646 6882318 or nicki@theglasshammer.com for an exploratory chat.

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Transitioning into Life as a Working New Mother

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Guest contributed by Sydney Miller

Over the past decade, we have seen a significant increase in the number of working mothers.

Mothers are the primary money earners in 40% of households with children under 18 today, compared to 11% in 1960. Choosing to be a full-time working mother isn’t always an easy decision to make, but it’s often a necessary decision. With the cost of living on the rise, it’s important for families to plan for their best financial future. This is especially true for single mothers.

Recently, we’ve seen great strides made towards better maternity and paternity leaves globally. This allows more parents the ability to take the necessary time off postpartum. It’s crucial for new mothers to have time to bond with her newborn and recover. When this leave is over, it’s time for her to return to work. This transition can be very hard. She’ll need time to cope with the emotions of returning and getting her head back into the work mode.

Are you or someone you know a new mother who is planning to return to the office soon? If so, follow our tips for getting back into your comfort zone at work.

Talk to Your HR Department

When you have a confirmed date in mind for returning to work, ask to set up a meeting with your HR department. You’ll want to work out all the details and paperwork with them ahead of time. Ask them all your top of mind questions now so you’re prepared. They’ve most likely been through this before. Ask if your company allows for flexible hours or telecommuting. Also, ask them if they have a private room available to you for breastfeeding needs. They may also have benefits set up for new parents, so be sure to go over all the details with them.

Sit Down With Your Team

During your maternity leave, appoint a contact for yourself in your office. The two of you can remain in communication during your time off. They’ll be able to fill you in on any important news and projects that you’ll want to be aware of. Going back to work prepared shows your commitment to the job and your flexibility.

A week or two before you go back, arrange a meeting with this coworker and/or your supervisor. Grab a cup of coffee out or come into the office. At this meeting, you’ll want to sort out the details of your work when your back and what their expectations are for you. If there are any limitations to your return, make them aware of them at this meeting. For example, if there’s a day of the week you are unable to work or any physical limitations you may have.

Look and Feel Your Best

The best way you’ll be able to acclimate to your new life as a working mother is by being confident in yourself. It’s important for new mothers to take care of themselves. Even the simple idea of having time for a long shower goes out the window when a new baby arrives. Although, you must look and feel your best to be your best. This is true both at home and at work. Show your employer your commitment to your job by being the best version of you.

Do your professional clothes still fit you well? If not, shop for a few pieces that you’ll be able to make many outfits out of instead of spending more than you need to. If you’re breastfeeding, you’ll want to invest in a versatile nursing bra that works with your work outfits. You should feel comfortable in what you wear but also professional. Treat yourself to a new haircut or take a long bath the week before. You deserve to rest before your life becomes hectic again.

Plan and Organize

Organization will be helpful to you during this busy time. At the top of your to-do list, should be arranging for childcare. Pick a center or nanny that you trust. Do a practice run getting into the routine of taking your newborn to where they will cared for. Then head to your office. Time the whole process. This way you’ll know what to expect come the first day. You should also have a backup plan in case. If you’re stuck at work one night or your child is sick, who can pick them up? Find an emergency contact to fulfill this duty and be available if they cannot reach you.

Put everything down on a calendar. Whether it’s pickup schedules, working hours, or important events. You’ll want to be on the same page as your significant other. If you find there is overlap in schedules, this will be a great way to plan this out.

Find Your Support Team

You’re most likely aiming to be supermom, right? You want to spend as much time with baby as possible of course. But you also want to succeed at work all day, be a great friend/wife and then come home to cook and clean everything. However, this isn’t always realistic. There are so many hours in the day and you’re only one person. Take a deep breath. No mom or employee is perfect.

Find a support group that can help you through the difficult times. If there are other moms at your office that have small children, start a support group. They’ll be able to give you advice for acclimating back into work life because they’ve been there. These are the people who understand best what you’re going through. Set up playdates or much need girls nights.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. Your family, friends, significant other, and supervisor will all be there for you. If you need a day off, ask for it. If you need a sitter to go to the store by yourself for once, ask for it. Never feel alone in this process, someone will be by your side to help.

Disclaimer: The opinions and views of guest contributors are not necessarily those of theglasshammer.com

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What to Do When the Goal Posts Move at Work

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By Nicki Gilmour, Executive Coach and Organizational Psychologist

Recently, Fast Company published an article on unclear goals and what to do with the boss’s instructions are lacking or confusing.

As a coach, organizational psychologist, there is a piece of advice I offer everyday to my clients and it is something my own mentor told me many years ago. What is this sage wisdom? Never take a job where your responsibilities and your authority to execute (resources, power, ability) don’t align. Literally, do not accept the role of protecting the free world, if you can have the big red button to press if you need it. This analogy feels much more edgy these days than when I used to say it, which in itself is a reflective moment on whether we need a new analogy. Words matter!

So, say you take a job that you thought you were given the ability to execute on but it turns out that other people hold the resource, or the tools or the actual sign off? What do you do? You are already in the seat and the goal posts feel like they are a moving target!

It is key to explore your options and understand their potential future payoffs and consequences.

This is where good coaches can really help you.

I look forward to hearing from you since matrix organizations, company dysfunction etc means this is often much more common than we would like to believe.

Book an exploratory coaching call with Nicki here: https://calendly.com/nickigilmour/evolved-people-exploratory

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3 Ways to Boost Your Success in Your Career Using The Lattice, Not The Ladder!

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Image via Shutterstock

By Lisa Iarkowski

Take a moment to picture your career path.

Do you see an arc? A lattice? A rock climbing wall?

No matter how you picture them, today’s career paths look very different from the traditional steps up the ladder. The career lattice has become a prevalent career path model for both individuals and organizations seeking to remain valuable and competitive in the 21st century. While there are clear benefits to the career lattice, navigating a career path on it can sometimes seem anything but clear. But there’s a way through. By developing three career competencies, you can learn to master the lattice and strategically create your own career success with it.

The Lattice: You Are Here

Even though we are living in it day-to-day, the lattice can feel like a city we are visiting for the first time. So, let’s first get our bearings. According to Deloitte’s 2018 Global Human Capital Trends report, 21st century careers on the lattice focus on a series of developmental experiences, each offering a person the opportunity to acquire new skills, perspectives, and judgment. Instead of the traditional “up the ladder” progression of narrowly defined job paths and skills, careers here develop along alternatively vertical, horizontal, and diagonal paths, and are shaped by experiences and learning agility. This is defined in the report as “the ability and willingness to learn from experience, and then apply that learning to perform successfully under new situations.”. The lattice is dynamic and agile. It is adaptive, and “built for flexibility and movement.” To be successful within it, we need to be the same.

The potential benefits are impressive. These include more personalized career paths, ongoing growth and skill development opportunities, increased value and employability in internal and external labor markets, and improved personal career-life fit. The lattice affords the opportunity to create a highly-individualized career path, with the freedom to make professionally and personally meaningful career development choices based on our own unique career goals and personal vision of success.

3 Ways to Master the Lattice

Befriending the lattice and managing our careers in it is essential to our career growth and success. Research on contemporary career paths suggests that to do this effectively, we need to develop strength in three career competencies: Reflective, Communicative, and Behavioral.

Way #1: Your Reflective Competency

Imagine you want to take a trip. To choose a destination, you’d probably spend some time thinking whether you want to relax or have an adventure, and about the activities and sites that might interest you. Similarly, developing your career on the lattice involves reflecting on what you want and what’s important to you.

Give yourself ample time to reflect on your motivations, values, and passions with regard to your career. What does success look like to you? What matters most to you? Because the lattice is built for flexibility, it can support your personal vision of success–now and in the future. Also reflect on and assess your strengths, skills, and potential shortcomings. Doing this will allow you to be more intentional and strategic about moves on the lattice. And it will help you identify the best experiences to learn and develop new skills and perspectives, while also magnifying your current strengths and skills.

As you think about your skills, also think about the skills most needed in your career area now and in the future. According to Deloitte, McKinsey, and others, 21st century skills that are increasingly in demand are those that pair with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation. Most desirable is a blend of cognitive abilities such as creativity, learning, and problem-solving along with social skills such as teamwork, collaboration, and adaptability to change. Seeking out experiences that will help you further develop high-value skills can be an investment in your career growth and longevity.

Plan on doing some healthy reflection on a regular basis to foster continuous growth and to stay aligned with changes in your career area as well as your own career aspirations.

Way #2: Your Communicative Competency

A strong communicative competency allows you to effectively communicate with others to improve your chances of career success. Networking and communicating your value fall under this competency.

Networking in particular can help you identify potential experiences that may not be obvious. Forbes, payscale.com, and others indicate that as much as 80% of job opportunities are not advertised (i.e., the “hidden job market”) and are obtained through some sort of networking activity. If the prospect of networking gives you pause, think of it instead as an opportunity to build mutually beneficial relationships where you both give help and receive it. Networking also gives you an opportunity to learn more about career areas or potential moves that you are considering, both inside and outside your organization.

As you seek out experiences on the lattice, you will need to communicate your value—your personal knowledge, abilities, and skills—to the internal and external labor market. If you’re not sure where to start, take a first step by creating or revising your elevator speech. This is a targeted, succinct, and powerful way to communicate your value and get someone interested in what you can offer, especially in networking situations. Also, think about how can you take greater advantage of LinkedIn to publicly share your value on your profile and by expanding your network with individuals and relevant groups.

There are many ways to network and demonstrate value, so it makes sense to be strategic and intentional with how you do both. Make networking more inside and outside your organization something you do ongoing.

Way #3: Your Behavioral Competency

This competency focuses on your ability to shape your career by proactively taking action. This competency is critical because in the lattice, you are squarely and unequivocally at the helm of managing your career. And many organizations are simply not providing sufficient career management support. In Deloitte’s 2018 report, 72% of organizations report having a nontraditional hierarchy, yet only 18% say they give employees what they need to actively develop themselves and their career paths. Even with help from your employer, it’s increasingly expected that you are responsible for managing your own career.

You can build your behavioral competency by focusing on two areas: work exploration and career control. Work exploration involves actively exploring and searching for those work and career related experiences that will build your skills, abilities, and knowledge—i.e., those that increase your value and align with your career goals. Since the lattice is adaptive and flexible, these experiences can take many forms. They can be new internal or external experiences, lateral or vertical job moves, short term project work in a different team or functional area, a role in a new industry, and even skill building or job crafting in your current role. Exercising career control, you actively influence your learning and work processes by setting goals and planning out how to meet them. Try SMART goal setting to proactively create a plan to achieve your short and longer term goals. And revisit your plan regularly to track your progress and to set new goals as needed.

Mastering anything takes frequent practice and repetition. So, aim to strengthen your career competencies through frequent and regular use. Make them part of your routine, and you will soon master your career on the lattice!

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Think Sustainable and Ethical Returns, Think Female Leaders

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Latina

Guest Contributed by Lawler Kang, CEO, League of Allies

Socially responsible and impact investing models have been around for decades (centuries, in fact).

What has changed is the amount of money that is being managed to these ends. CalPERS and CalSTRS, two pension funds for the State of California employees that manage upwards of $550 billion, are on the forefront of integrating ESG factors into their investments and the NYC and NY State pension funds, worth roughly $350 billion combined, are nipping at their heels. And European pension and sovereign wealth funds, some with a trillion in the bank, are considerably ahead of the United States.

Larry Fink, CEO of Blackrock’s recent clarion call to capitalism that managing “environmental, social, and governance [ESG] matters demonstrates the leadership and good governance that is so essential to sustainable growth” should not fall on CEO deaf ears. The proxy shareholder voting power in those companies in which it actively or passively invests (with $6 trillion under management) means companies who don’t make concerted and palpable efforts to service their communities as well as their stakeholders they could find themselves with a new board, and management team, who will.

What is behind this shift in thinking? Doing the “right thing” aside, immense amounts of research from organizations such as Sustainable Accounting Standards Board (SASB) reveal that proactively coming up with ways to either minimize or mitigate businesses’ impacts related to ESG issues can have material positive effects on financial performance, traced down to the level of income statements, balance sheets, and costs of capital. And while there are a few frameworks companies can use to measure and report, leveraging women and talent appear across the board in the mix of proscriptions companies should use to deliver these performances.

What has this got to do with women at work?

In the returns context, McKinsey estimates a $12 trillion bump in global GDP by 2025 if management gender parity were realized. A Credit Suisse study of 3,000 listed firms reports companies with 50% senior front office management who are female outperformed the growth of the market index from 2008 to 2016 by upwards of 60%. A MSCI review of 1,600+ public firms has correlated companies with three women on their boards in 2011 as outperforming those with none by median gains of 37% EPS and 10% ROE over the last five years. Certain prescient asset managers, such as Boston Common Asset Management, founded by a woman, have been generating market-beating returns for 15 years.

It can be argued that there is no other singular factor can have such a pronounced impact on company performance, again irrespective of industry, as gender parity. And what’s more, women are not only accretive to financial performance, they are at the core of the sustainable and ethical part of the equation.

A study by the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business of 1,500+ traded firms concludes that companies with women on their boards are more likely to address a litany of ESG factors. A research paper coming from The University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management found that women bring six important skills that have been lacking in board composition and that are vital to decision-making: corporate governance, an eye for regulatory/compliance issues, human resources, sustainability, politics/government relations, and risk management. Of note, the last four are presently the least represented of all skills on boards. Another report from MSCI cross-referenced gender board composition with a likelihood of “fewer instances of governance-related controversies such as cases of bribery, corruption, fraud and shareholder battles” and general overall reductions in risk. Dealing with these issues, many of which result in fines, can be distracting and expensive, in both outlays and reputation/brand. Findings published in the Journal of Financial Economics noted that female directors have better attendance, can actually increase men’s attendance, and are more likely to be assigned to committees that monitor performance. The same study found that boards with more gender diversity are more likely to hold CEOs’ feet to the fire for sub-par execution.

Where are the women going to come from?

A recent Lean In/McKinsey report reveals that while 45% of the entry level workforce is female, only 37% are Manager level, 27% are Vice Presidents, 17% occupy C-level positions, and the vast majority of these roles are in Administrative functions: Human Resources, Legal, etc. Women run only 5% of the S&P 500 and represent 22% of those companies’ Board seats. To say that opportunities for advancement aren’t abundant is akin to postulating our climate is not changing. The problem is the pipeline: the entire system, from recruiting to manager training to development and succession planning, is institutionally biased in a variety of unconscious and conscious ways. Expanding and re-weighting our definition of leadership and the skill sets required to succeed, per the afore-mentioned Board study, is a great example of a change that will have profound ripple-down effects on the entire system’s mechanics. And there are many more dials that can be turned, levers pulled, that will increase the flow of diverse talent that increase profit and valuations.

In his February letter Mr. Fink stressed the importance of diverse boards, and in that same month BlackRock requested all companies on the Russell 1000 in which it has positions and that have less than three female board members to share their rationale. State Street, with $2 trillion in assets under management, made similar Board-related waves when it unveiled its Fearless Girl statue last year and a similar call to action. And organizations such as The 30% Coalition and Paradigm 4 Parity are making great strides in signing up backers from both the investment and corporate communities who are taking the pledge to increase female representation in executive and director ranks. The stage is being set.

Mainstream momentum for sustainable and ethical business is growing. PE shops and hedge funds are now donning ESG garments and are flaunting them to both investors and the general public. Mutual funds and ETFs with organic flavors are flooding the market; Barron’s recently had a cover article on the top 200 sustainable funds, though marketing and reality must be further examined.

We must let women lead, because if parity is left untested, we have much to lose financially and otherwise.

Disclaimer: The opinions and views of guest contributors are not necessarily those of theglasshammer.com

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How to Be Productive Without Feeling Stressed

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women stressed

Guest Contributed by Anna Whitehouse

Keen to be more productive?

Constantly trying to squeeze every drop out of the day could leave you feeling incredibly stressed. So what’s the solution? Read on to discover how to achieve more without sacrificing your mental health.

Learn to be present

In 2005 Arianna Huffington founded the Huffington Post. Two years later, she had collapsed due to stress and burnout. It took a breakdown to make this highly successful woman realise that she needed to slow down.

As well as starting to sleep properly, Arianna learned to be fully present in each moment. She began to appreciate the simple pleasures of life and became passionate about the connection between well being and productivity at work.

So if you need time away from the demands of work, the constant chatter of social media and a busy home life, why not find a tranquil spot in a local park or garden and experience the power of being fully present for yourself?

Once you’ve found your spot, start by drawing a deep breath and letting it out through your nose. Next, relax each part of your body and become aware of your surroundings. Feel the sun on your face, listen to the birds singing and simply enjoy being in the moment.

Stop multitasking

In our busy society, the ability to multitask is often admired. However, according to Paul Towers of Task Pigeon, “our brains are designed to focus on one thing at a time. We are not like a computer where we can successfully run multiple applications simultaneously.”

While constantly switching between tasks might seem like a good idea, it actually leads to procrastination and lack of concentration. These can affect our productivity at work and our relationships with those we love.

If you want to become more productive, try tackling one thing at a time, as losing yourself in a particular task leads to creative flow. When you allow this to happen, you’ll actually complete your task more efficiently and to a higher standard.

Say no more often

Is saying yes your default setting? Then you’ll probably end up feeling resentful and stressed because you’ve taken on too many projects. If your goal is to become more productive, learning to say no is crucial, because you’ll then be able to say yes to the things you’re passionate about.

TED speaker Derek Sivers sums this up nicely with this statement: “if you’re not saying “Hell Yeah!” about something, say no.”
Saying no can be tricky to start with, but being able to set boundaries is a sign of maturity. Most people will respect the fact that you know your limits and you can always point them in the direction of someone else who might be able to help.

Write effective lists

To do lists can be very handy when it comes to being productive, but they can also cause a great deal of stress. To avoid this, we recommend prioritising each task on your list. Tasks with an impending deadline should always be placed at the top, as these need to be dealt with urgently. Non urgent but important tasks go next in line, followed by jobs that can be left for a little while.

If your list is becoming ridiculously long, delegate! Focusing on the jobs that you do best means that you’ll be able to give someone else the chance to develop their skills.

Look after yourself

At the headquarters of Arianna Huffington’s company Thrive Global; employees are encouraged to take a nap during the working day. Her mission is to prioritize the well being of her staff and promote the value of sleep:

“Studies have shown that naps boost our immune system, lower our blood pressure, increase our ability to learn, improve our memory and performance of complex tasks.”

Exercise is another excellent tool for boosting productivity and combating stress. This is because it keeps you mentally sharp and increases your energy, while also releasing endorphins.

If you’re suffering from afternoon sugar slumps at work, a diet rich in fruit, leafy green vegetables, oily fish, eggs and wholegrains will also increase your ability to concentrate.

Any change involves commitment, but if you take the time to follow our tips you’ll enjoy better mental and physical health as well as increasing your productivity.

Anna Whitehouse writes for Inspiring Interns, which specializes in finding candidates their perfect internship. To browse our graduate jobs, visit our website.

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Better Your Business with Better Storytelling

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Elise Valmorbida Guest contributed by Elise Valmorbida

The business world is full of people telling other people that they must tell stories.

They’re right in a way, because we like a bit of drama. We resist or resent dull information. Our attention is more and more a scarce asset. None of us has time or energy to spare. And a brand is nothing if not a story.

But the word ‘story’ gets tossed around like litter in the wind. The great story mavens—from Hollywood screen-writers to wilderness faith-healers—are quoted wantonly in business environments everywhere. Urged to tell stories, well-intentioned organisations too often grow narrative moss: pseudo-stories, shaggy old news pages, voiceless forums, scattered chatter across any kind of social media, unread newsletters, explicit claims of brand “passion” that seduce too few…

Whatever tale you need to tell—elevator pitch, brand history, personal profile, case study, script scenario, project proposal—you can use these tips from the world of literary storytelling to boost your brand success.

Deep-vein authenticity.

Why are you telling a story—this story? What’s at its heart? Think philosophically about the essence. Think, really think, until you unearth its unique truth. If you find a paradox or contradiction, chances are that’s the narrative crux. If embellishment is needed, it will emanate from the heart.

Fresh, not stale.

Samuel Beckett wrote his best plays first in French. He must have been fairly good at French, but it was a foreign language. So why did he do it? He wanted to stop the fluent from flowing. It was a defence against cliché. He compelled himself to think quite carefully about every word, rather than lapsing into lazy ideas or phrases. Try to “think fresh” when you make your verbal and visual choices.

Plot.

Just for now, I’d like you to pretend your brand is a cat.

The cat sat on the mat, and then it sat somewhere else, and then it had a nap, and then…

Yawn.

Instead of “and then”, it’s better plotting to think “so”, “but” or “meanwhile”.

The cat sat on the mat, so the dog had to sit somewhere else.

The cat sat on the mat, but the mat reeked of dog.

The cat sat on the mat. Meanwhile, the dog lurked behind the door.

Concrete nouns.

Welsh-noir author and creative writing teacher Malcolm Pryce writes: “Concrete nouns are judgement free. They don’t tell you what to think, they give you the information and allow you to form your own opinion. Rather than tell me the food was disgusting, which is an instruction to be disgusted, imagine you told me instead, the cook ran out of stock, so she took the bandage off her foot and put it in the stew. Presumably this image arouses disgust naturally within you. This is really what we mean by show not tell.”

Emotion.

Try the cook’s stew above.

Poetry.

Think of a representational still-life painting, where a fly appears to have landed on an apple because the apple looks so real; it’s almost a photograph. Now, think of a more abstract painting—say, a group of apples by Cézanne—and you’re invited to notice the brush-strokes, the gestures of the artist, the qualities of the paint and grain of the canvas. That’s how I think of poetic prose. Beyond the job of information, there’s pleasure to be had in the movements and textures of language itself.

Dialogue.

Voiced utterances are like opening a window and letting in fresh air. “I love spoken words!” the reader says. Think quotation, endorsement, testimonial, user review…

Less is more.

“I would have written you a shorter letter, but I didn’t have the time”—so wrote the 17th-century philosopher Blaise Pascal. When you edit, your story will probably get shorter. That’s good. Each remaining word (or image) will work harder for you. Bonus: your audience will feel respected because you haven’t wasted their time.

Other people’s shoes.

When I write fiction, I imagine the world from each character’s point of view. They have their own beliefs and reasons for doing things—they are not me. Imagine the situation of your reader as they read your story. Don’t tell them what you think they should feel.

Tell your story to one person.

A business doesn’t read your story, a person does.

Action, reaction.

Be clear about your story’s purpose. Are you inviting people to feel, or understand, or spend, or take some kind of action? Don’t overload the narrative with too many wishes—they’ll cancel each other out.

The end is the beginning…

When we finish reading the last words of a good story, we feel a pleasurable little grief. Perhaps we want to read the whole thing again. Perhaps we want to share it with others. Our world has shifted subtly on its axis. We think about things differently now.

About the author

Elise Valmorbida is a communications consultant, multi-published author and teacher of creative writing. Her latest novel The Madonna of the Mountains (Spiegel & Grau, USA) is a New York Post “must-read” and The Times (UK) Book of the Month. Bestselling author Sara Gruen describes it as “powerful and entrancing, a riveting adventure for the soul.”

Disclaimer: The opinions and views of guest contributors are not necessarily those of theglasshammer.com

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Being LGBTA at Work – Out and Awesome

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By Nicki Gilmour, Executive Coach and Organizational Psychologist

“People are strange when you’re a stranger” or so croons Jim Morrison from The Doors. Being different from the historical majority group still has its challenges, and being LGBT in a world of heteronormativity, no matter how cool people are, can make you feel “other” or outside the core group.

So, how do you navigate the challenges of coming out again and again ( that’s right people, it isn’t a one shot deal!). Here are 3 tips to being out and awesome.

1. Know yourself.

Like everyone else, your preference is just that, its not your actual personality, although both are intrinsic and therefore everyone else should understand that words like choice and lifestyle are not accurate. If you are shy naturally, only work within your comfort zone of who you tell and when. Trust in this area, like other areas is built over time. Equally if you are an extrovert and want to wave a flag, do it! Much of this also depends on where you are at with your own journey, don’t feel rushed one way or the other to express yourself.

2. Know your audience.

Fact; the world is divided into people who have thought about their own mental models and those who just take on whatever stuff their father/granny told them and are still living with values that Sophia from the Golden Girls would be proud of when she says “picture this, Sicily 1923”. Kegan and Lahey- Harvard developmental psychologists write about this subjective lens to life approach in “Immunity to Change” (this book changed my life if you all haven’t noticed how much I reference it). You don’t have to tell people who are just too cognitively/emotionally limited to understand anything outside their own direct experience, or you can choose to. Up to you.

3. Authenticity pays off.

Studies show that hiding can damage your career as it takes massive effort to change pronouns etc. Just be you, as there are so many people who will love you for you. On that note, Allies come out and vocalize your support for anyone who needs it.

Sponsor your LGBT network as an ally, get involved !

We just do not have to tolerate dinosaurs anymore. The revolution will be televised!

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Op-ed: If We Want LGBT+ Talent to Succeed, Leaders and Allies Need to Stand Up and Be Counted

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LGBT flag featured

By Jon Terry, Diversity and Inclusion Consulting Leader, PwC UK

Growing up in multicultural London, I saw how diversity can enrich our communities.

My childhood experiences helped to inspire my passion for strengthening diversity and inclusion in the workplace and focus on doing so within my internal and client-facing roles at PwC. From fresh perspectives to stronger engagement and motivation, the power of inclusion is something I see right across my work with colleagues and clients.

What’s also clear to me is that businesses prosper in an environment that enables all their talent to thrive. For LGBT+ talent, as with all employees, this means ensuring that they can realize their full potential without barriers and bias. It also means creating an environment where LGBT+ talent can feel safe to be their true selves and fully participate in the workplace. Just as I can talk openly about my wife and what I did at the weekend, my LGBT+ colleagues should be able to engage with their colleagues without feeling the need to be guarded or closeted.

Are businesses around the world creating an environment where LGBT+ talent can thrive? Are businesses realizing the full benefits? These are some of the key questions addressed in Out to Succeed: Realising the full potential of LGBT+ talent, a survey of corporate leaders and high performing LGBT+ talent, which was carried out earlier in the year by PwC in conjunction with Out Leadership, the global LGBT+ business network.

The case for inclusion

The business case for LGBT+ inclusion comes through loud and clear from the survey findings. Around two-thirds of the LGBT+ employees taking part believe that having a supportive focus on LGBT+ talent has given their organization a better understanding of customers’ wants and needs. Employers are even more emphatic, with nearly 90% believing that a supportive LGBT+ focus has enabled them to gain a better understanding of customer demands.

In a competitive labor market, inclusion is also a talent differentiator – more than 80% of employees believe that having an openly supportive focus on LGBT+ has provided their organization with wider access to the best talent. Almost all the employers we asked agree.

Being your true self

Yet, while progress on inclusion is being made – more than 80% of the LGBT+ employees in our survey feel comfortable being out at work – support for LGBT+ talent is still falling short in many organizations.

One of the most telling findings is the two-year gap between the median age when gay male participants came out to family and friends (age 21) and when they come out at work (age 23). Among women, the gap between coming out in their personal and professional lives is an even wider at five years with the average age of coming out at work then being 26. This reluctance to be their true selves at work should be a cause for concern for companies that think they’re doing enough to create a safe and supportive environment.

It’s also telling that even among the openly LGBT+ talent in our survey, a high proportion prefer to cover aspects of their lives and behave in a guarded way in the workplace. Two in five avoid mentioning their life outside work. One in three have kept quiet when they’ve heard negative comments about LGBT+ people. The fact that so many LGBT+ professionals remain guarded not only hinders organizations in recruitment and retention, but, more importantly, this hinders the careers of LGBT+ professionals.

Realizing potential

And this uncertainty extends to opportunities for advancement. Career progression is the number one priority for the LGBT+ developing leaders in our survey. The majority according to the survey, see LGBT+ specific training and development programs as important elements in making them want to work for an organization. Yet, less than 30% of the businesses we surveyed have programs specifically focused on the retention, development and progression of LGBT+ talent. Many of the LGBT+ employees who do have access to such programs aren’t even aware that they exist.

It is our belief that if LGBT+ employees don’t feel they can realize their full potential within their current organization, they will vote with their feet by looking for opportunities elsewhere. In turn, businesses will miss out – only 35% of the LGBT+ employees in our survey believe that their company leverages LGBT+ inclusion for business advantage.

True inclusion

So how can businesses give LGBT+ talent the confidence they can succeed within their organizations? Drawing on the survey findings, the Out to Succeed report sets out five key recommendations for promoting real equality and opening up the full business benefits of LGBT+ inclusion:

1. Set the right tone from the top and engage with CEOs
2. Create clear pathways for career progression
3. Stand up and advocate for LGBT+ equality
4. Build and empower LGBT+ ally networks
5. Create inclusive communications

What comes through most strongly for me is how important it is for leaders to be active advocates for LGBT+ equality and inclusion. When the LGBT+ talent in our survey were asked about their priorities for creating an inclusive organization, more than 90% pointed to a leader who is prepared to be a visible and vocal LGBT+ ally. This includes both LGBT+ and non-LGBT+ executives. Leaders set the tone from the top and ensure that inclusion for all minority groups, including LGBT+ employees, is an organization-wide priority. They can also help give LGBT+ employees the confidence that they can be themselves and succeed within the organization.

Sometimes, however, speaking out and being an active ally creates challenges. There are many countries where homophobia and discriminatory laws are still prevalent. Even in relatively liberal societies I know of colleagues who’ve received online abuse for supporting developments such as equal marriage. In turn, some leaders may be nervous about saying anything about LGBT+ issues in case they say the wrong thing. Yet this can be the worst thing to do, as LGBT+ employees may assume that the silence signifies a lack of real support. Leaders can’t hide or ignore these issues – they should stand up and be counted.

My own experiences as an LGBT+ ally and support for groups such as our GLEE network have been both eye-opening and life-affirming. It’s fun to take part in network events and if people hear me speaking or see me at these events, they’ll know I’m on their side and that they can come to me if they need my support or have an issue at work.

So, everyone has a part to play in creating genuinely inclusive organizations. And leaders should be at the forefront as allies and role models. If you as a leader stand shoulder to shoulder with your LGBT+ employees, they can deliver their full potential in support of your organization.

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Be a Better Champion for Women, LGBT and People of Color (Even if You Are a Woman)

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By Nicki Gilmour, Executive Coach and Organizational Psychologist

In Ireland, we have an expression that says, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions”.

Although this probably comes from some ancient religious threat, it reminds me of diversity and the work that needs to be done by all people.

Most people have good intentions but without action, the status quo prevails. It is not a well kept secret that historical behaviors, norms and laws have not exactly favored women, people of color or LGBT people, so inaction is a form of collusion.

The quote from Edmund Burke, “ The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing,” is a good one for equality. If we do nothing, while other people are endorsing racism, messaging misogyny as a norm and creating homophobic laws as is happening right now in the USA, it is going to be a race to the bottom.

Of course, if you feel that you are not a “bad person” as most of us do, that doesn’t let us off the hook with what we do and don’t do for equality in our circles. This work starts with real awareness of how there are many versions of life out there and that one’s subjective lens is just that. Subconsciously the brain assigns value to everything. A better than and worse than frame from tea and coffee to straight and gay “lifestyles” (Yachting is a lifestyle, not being LGBT.)

Social scientists and neuroscientists finally agree that unless you override your brain, biases will kick in based on what assumptions were built from messaging over time. Kegan and Lahey do a great job talking about this in their book ‘Immunity to Change’, pointing out that the socialized mind can only work with subjective truths while the goal of seeing through your lens while also examining your lens will free you. To see the glass as not half empty or half full will take you to a place of knowing it is just a glass while understanding others are limited to the binary is very valuable.

So, if you want to be a good ally or champion to others even if you are a woman, LGBT or a person of color, start with a hard look at your thoughts, your paradigms and how this comes out of your mouth as words. Your actions have a chance of changing if you know how they are formed because behaviors come from beliefs. Your audio and your visuals need to match or simply put, people won’t know whether you are proactive in making progress happen or if you are a fan of status quo, or worse and we all know what worse looks like as 2018 is the year of explicit examples.

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