The People Impact Podcast: Recent Episodes
Lisa Dempsey & Marjolijn Vlug
Welcome to the People Impact Podcast... because your impact on people matters.
This is for you if you are interested in expanding your perspective on people in your organization - and yourself as a human being.
We explore ideas about impacting and improving the way people lead and work together in organisations today.
For all of you out there who are open to new views, visions and dreams.
Featuring Lisa Dempsey and Marjolijn Vlug. We used to be HR Matters, now we are taking a wider view.
We often talk ourselves into believing that growth is something that just happens. Almost as if growth is automatic and just unfolds - like magic. ✨
In this episode, Lisa Dempsey sits down with Jesse (Jesus) Hernandez to discuss his transformative journey and what he has learned about what real growth takes.
Jesse shares his journey and insights gained from his experiences. From being an apprentice plumber to starting his own business, Jesse's story is one of growth, learning, and embracing discomfort.
Important lessons for growth:
💥Accepting we are all more alike than we are different
Jesse shares his journey, starting as an apprentice plumber and transitioning through various roles in the construction business. His experience has taught him valuable lessons, including the realization that regardless of background or credentials, we are more alike than different. He emphasizes the importance of valuing the ability to connect with others on a human level.
💥Stop undervaluing your own life experiences
Jesse recounts a pivotal moment in his career when he challenged his boss's perspective and offered a different viewpoint. This courageous move led to a shift in dynamics and opened up opportunities for meaningful conversations and collaboration. He highlights the importance of speaking up and challenging the status quo, especially as you move up the organizational ladder. It’s easy to polish up stinky news, it’s much harder to get uncomfortable and tell the truth in a way that’s digestible. Don’t underestimate this power.
💥Lessons from Mistakes
One transformative moment for Jesse was when he stopped negotiating away his own power. He learned the importance of guiding and supporting others through their own change and transformation, both personally and professionally. We often can do something well, because we got it wrong for so very long. Jesse's journey highlights the significance of being open to change and growth, even in the face of discomfort.
💥Mindset Shifts for Growth
Jesse shares two powerful mindset shifts that have helped him in his journey:
- "I'm either going to win or I'm going to learn." This mindset encourages taking action, knowing that there is value in both success and failure.
- Asking the question, "What could also be true?" This helps to shift perspective from a negative mindset to a more positive and open one.
Jesse's story and insights serve as a reminder that growth and learning often come from embracing discomfort. By embracing discomfort and being open to change we can all navigate challenges and achieve genuinely transformative growth.
More about Jesse Hernandez:
Website https://www.depthbuilder.com
LinkedIn http://linkedin.com/in/jessedepthbuilder
Order "Becoming the Promise You Are Intended to Be” https://www.depthbuilder.com/2nd-first-book
More about People Impact:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
And a new Co-host TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON!
Reach us at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
Have you ever felt like you are working in a complex, yet primitive place?
You are not alone. Drew Jones is a cultural anthropologist and workplace strategy consultant who studies workplaces through the lens of anthropology.
In this episode we explore the overlap between business and cultural anthropology and the importance of understanding and influencing organizational culture.
Drew emphasizes the need for creating conditions for culture to develop organically, and provides examples of companies with successful organic cultures.
In the latest episode of the People Impact podcast, Lisa Dempsey explores with Drew Jones the primitive yet complex space of the modern day workplace.
⚒️The Power of Intentionality and Autonomy
Jones emphasizes the importance of intentionality across an organization, highlighting how empowering individuals to manage their own energy and output can lead to greater effectiveness. He stresses the need for intentionality from the top down to the shop floor, with everyone taking responsibility for their own actions.
⚒️ Balancing Autonomy and Community
Addressing the challenge of balancing conflicting human needs for autonomy and community, Jones points out that giving employees choice over when and where they work is crucial. He advocates for a commitment to start with choice and build workplaces and teams around peer-to-peer self-organization and radical accountability.
⚒️ Encouraging Innovation and Experimentation
Jones suggests implementing an innovation program that allows employees to dedicate time to coming up with new ideas for internal processes, products, or services. He believes that providing time for innovation teams to use their creative brains can lead to valuable contributions to the business. This approach also aligns with the idea of fostering autonomy and experimentation in the workplace.
⚒️ The Importance of Choice and Collaboration
By fostering a culture that values choice, collaboration, and experimentation, leaders can create environments where employees can thrive and contribute meaningfully to the organization. There is genuine value and potential for employees to flourish when given the opportunity to contribute to the organization in meaningful ways.
For more insights on empowering organizational culture through intentionality and autonomy, be sure to tune in to the People Impact podcast and explore Drew Jones's work in workplace design and cultural anthropology.
More about Drew Jones:
Website https://www.drewjones.co
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/amjonesphd/
Order “The “Open Culture Handbook https://amplifypublishinggroup.com/product/nonfiction/business-and-finance/leadership-and-management/the-open-culture-handbook/
More about People Impact:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
And a new Co-host TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON!
Reach us at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
Have you ever paused and asked yourself “where did I learn that belief” with the powerful follow up of “AND IS IT TRUE?”
In this insightful episode Joshua Berry and Lisa dive into the concept of limiting beliefs and the impact they have on personal and professional growth. Joshua shares his personal journey of recognizing and overcoming limiting beliefs, and the impact it had on his life and career.
Joshua also shares practical tools and approaches he uses as a seasoned advisor to help individuals challenge and overcome their limiting beliefs.
🛠️ Practical Tools for Overcoming Limiting Beliefs
- Hypotheses and Experiments: Joshua introduces a practical approach that combines the principles of innovation with the exploration of culture and human potential. By formulating hypotheses and conducting experiments, individuals can gain insights into their limiting beliefs and explore new possibilities.
- Self-Reflection Questions: Joshua emphasizes the importance of self-reflection by encouraging individuals to ask themselves key questions such as where they learned a particular belief, its validity, and the gains and losses associated with holding onto that belief.
- Creating Hypotheses for Change: By challenging existing beliefs and creating hypotheses for change, individuals can take proactive steps towards integrating new behaviors and practices into their lives.
🩵 The Power of Choice and Compassion
- Empowering Individuals: in our conversation we highlight the significance of placing individuals in the space of choice, allowing them to evaluate the costs and benefits of their beliefs and decide whether they want to continue holding onto them.
- Practicing Compassion: Joshua emphasizes the need for self-compassion and grace, acknowledging that every belief, whether limiting or empowering, comes with its own set of gains and losses. By approaching beliefs with understanding and compassion, individuals can navigate their personal growth journey with greater ease.
🚀Embracing Change and Authenticity
- Shifting Perspectives: The discussion encourages individuals to challenge the "we have to do this because" mindset and explore the underlying beliefs that drive their actions. By examining the reasons behind their choices, individuals can gain clarity and make informed decisions.
- Daring to Be Naive: Joshua and Lisa conclude the conversation by emphasizing the importance of embracing authenticity and shedding limiting beliefs.
By daring to be naive and open to new possibilities, individuals can unlock their full potential and lead more fulfilling lives.
More about Joshua Berry:
Website https://joshuaberry.com
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshberrygphr/
Order "Dare to be Naive" https://joshuaberry.com/dare-to-be-naive/
More about People Impact:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
And a new Co-host TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON!
Reach us at – PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
Hey Listeners!
Lisa here with a quick update and important request.
Tune in to fund out more!
“How did you feel when you realised that?”
“I must say, I finally felt happy with it. This is making me happy because this makes sense.”
In this new episode we dive deep with Paul ter Wal, a former lawyer turned leadership developer and professional speaker who is reshaping the workplace through his motto, Happiness Makes Money: the well-being of employees isn't just a nice-to-have; it's a must-have for business profitability.
Paul shares his development journey from old-school top-down manager to a new shape of leadership. Achieving this isn't about quick fixes; it requires transforming traditional management mindsets focused on control into cultures of support. He realised that he needed to rethink our standard approach to human resources, from treating employees as mere resources to recognizing them as individuals with unique contributions and needs. Leaders asking "How can I help you?" instead of "What should you do?"—this is a simple but immense pivot. Paul experienced that something as casual as walking meetings or coffee chats can break down formalities and encourage genuine dialogue about what each person needs to thrive at work.
Reflect upon your core values at work – what are your non-negotiables?
Begin implementing supportive strategies within your team.
Start conversations that matter in our workplaces.
It’s these steps towards understanding and supporting one another that build more engaged teams, successful organizations, happier work lives.
More about Paul ter Wal:
Website https://paulterwal.com/team
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulterwal/
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/
Reach us at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
The right words at the right time can make all the difference—not just in business but life itself.
On this episode, we unravel the concept of radical candour developed by Kim Scott. Radical candour isn't a tool as much as a commitment to authentic conversations that drive meaningful change. It invites us to balance truth with care in the words we use. It is a feedback mechanism and more: a transformative approach to your interactions.
We also place radical candour in a cultural perspective; acknowledging that this will pan out differently across cultural (international) contexts where you’ll work together with people from other backgrounds.
Radical candour is built on two fundamental principles: caring personally and challenging directly. At its core, it’s about finding the sweet spot where empathy meets honesty. It facilitates an environment where people feel respected enough that they're open to constructive criticism. When leaders care deeply about their team members as individuals (not just as employees) while also having the courage to provide and receive (!) clear, direct feedback—even when it’s uncomfortable—true growth can occur.
Shift gears towards more impactful communication.
Referenced in this episode:
Radical Candor, by Kim Scott https://www.radicalcandor.com/our-approach/
The Culture Map, by Erin Meyer https://erinmeyer.com/books/the-culture-map/
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
The thing with burnout is… you’re largely unaware of it until it happens to you. When we’re ambitious, we’re driven by goals and metrics. Financial success denoted by things and the balance in your bank account. Who are you, in the journey towards that result you’re aiming for? Julian Reeve shares his experiences and wisdom with us in this episode. He's shaping the way organizations tackle stress and burnout and his story is a deeply human wake-up call for work-life harmony.
Julian journeyed from a high-pressure career as music director for Broadway’s "Hamilton" into a role where he now supports organizations and entrepreneurs in managing stress effectively as the founder of Perfect Equilibrium. From massive success to massive burnout to paying it forward, with a responsibility he feels deeply.
Essential realisations that he shares with us:
- detaching his identity from his work and looking at what success truly means
- focusing on the journey to the results, rather than just the results themselves
- learning the tools to deal with the psychology of healthy, sustainable achievement
Having your identity tied up in your work can drive you towards unsustainable levels of perfectionism. But many people don't think they need to do anything before they reach the pain point. That's the most complex thing about burnout. People don't stop to really understand the pain that they're in, physically and psychologically. This is why Julian’s mission includes inspiring change before reaching critical pain points, with a three-question approach he developed specifically for this purpose.
We talk about
- finding your purpose
- recalibrating to create equilibrium
- opening up workplace conversations about burnout
And much more.
“Figure out how to start talking to yourself as you would do a best friend, because if you can get that right, it really is a super superpower.”
Listen to this episode to get inspiration for creating a resilient organizational culture equipped to handle today's fast-paced business environment with gracefulness and agility.
And to be well.
More about Julian Reeve:
Website https://www.julianreeve.com/
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/julianreeve
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/julian.reeve/
Referenced in this episode:
Reframing Perfectionism, the vital need for change – TEDxSantaBarbara https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mi-kD8_dyKw
Perfect Equilibrium https://www.perfectequilibrium.co/
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
In today's fast-paced corporate world, the term ‘toxic work culture’ is more than just a buzzword; it's a reality that can deeply impact both individual well-being and organizational health.
This deep dive into workplace dynamics ties together the recognition that toxicity isn't just about individual burnout or interpersonal conflicts; it can be embedded in structures and policies with ripple effects that shape our daily work lives.
From one bad apple or a single poor manager, to performance reviews fostering unhealthy competition or leadership strategies that inadvertently fuel burnout, all levels of toxicity issues deserve noticing.
Leadership is key—whether it’s managers with formal leadership or the personal leadership leveraged from any position, this is about taking the responsibility and opportunity to address toxicity. There are ways to choose (personal) leadership in how you show up when you find toxicity at each of these levels.
How do you, personally, want to be around each other and the organization?
How do you want other people to be around each other and the organization?
As we peel back the layers involving toxic work cultures, and the interplay between them, the goal isn't merely survival within these spaces but transformation so they become places where thriving is possible for all involved.
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
What is your work in the world?
Irene Riad is a multinational, multicultural executive coach and organizational culture coach (ICF PCC) who specializes in leadership transformation, complex drama recovery coaching and Jungian psychology coaching. She is also the founder of SIGHTcet, the Self Mastery Coaching Institute.
Her mission is supporting leaders to live their legacy through their work: the authentic expression of the whole of who you are. With her coachees she peels a little bit more of the onion, going deeper into all the dimensions of their experiences of their culture and how they identify as a person.
Born and raised in Saudi Arabia, with parents from Egypt, and having lived in Britain and Albania, Irene brings all the diversity of those cultures into her work and perspective. She recognizes that we take away pieces of culture when we meet friends or have extended family in various cultures as well. The beliefs, traditions, needs, habits interwoven in every culture. And this impacts how we see the world.
From experience, Irene knows that we often don’t realise what we’ve absorbed from different cultures into who we individually are. We are all a mosaic made from pieces of culture. With a growing awareness about that, we can start to choose what pieces we individually want to highlight in our lives. ‘What is it really that I believe in and want to bring into my life now?’
Irene’s focus is on growing self-mastery, the outcome of which is your authentic self, in mind, body and soul. And so, the process of growing into our authentic self involves this diversity of culture. Exploring when various pieces are widely different, sometimes in conflict. Identifying and then integrating them.
It takes some practice, Irene acknowledges, yet it is an opportunity for renewal and reawakening of your personal leadership, your chosen way of expressing yourself in the world.
A world where cultures meet and blend, around and within us.
More about Irene Riad:
- Website https://www.sightcet.com/
- LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/irene-riad/
- SIGHTcet company page https://www.linkedin.com/company/sightcet-the-self-mastery-coaching-institute/
- Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sightcet/
More about us:
- Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
- Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/
- Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
“My mission is to pick apart what women did who have succeeded – and success is defined by making it to the C-suite at these very, very large companies where the deck is stacked against her, but she still made it. And what I found is, these women, even if they don't call it positive emotion, tapped into positive emotion to make it through.”
Join us in this conversation with executive coach and three-time best-selling author L. Michelle Smith as we delve into leadership dynamics, corporate culture and the power of authenticity around women, and particularly women of colour.
L. Michelle Smith is an executive coach with expertise in applied positive psychology and neuroscience. She shares her insights into the unique challenges faced by – and solutions found by –women of colour in traditionally white male-dominated spaces. L. Michelle recently published "Yes Please, 7 Ways to Say I Am Entitled to the C Suite," which provides valuable tips for women navigating corporate culture and aspiring to climb up the corporate ladder.
As someone who started under female senior leadership herself, she observed first-hand how rare it was seeing other women, especially women of colour, occupy similar roles across different companies despite their qualifications matching or surpassing their male counterparts'. This observation, paired with her journalistic background, sparked her to investigate this in-depth.
L. Michelle’s approach to women leadership, rooted in evidence-based data, drives strategies for both individuals and organizations. She has made strides in advocating for women's leadership roles within the corporate world, researching and coaching on ways forward into the C-suite.
Despite being a 'double outsider,' L. Michelle's resilience led her to success while inspiring others along the way. A testament to this is her eight-year-old daughter who authored a children's companion book highlighting lessons of self-love and strength - values deeply rooted in her work.
Central themes throughout the conversation include:
- Balancing authenticity within structures not designed for diverse leadership.
- Discomfort that shows up when marginalized individuals exert power or authority.
- The concept of privilege varying depending on context.
- The part that healing plays in growing forward
More about L. Michelle Smith:
- Website https://www.lmichellesmith.com/
- LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lmichellesmith/
- The Culture Soup podcast https://www.lmichellesmith.com/culture-soup/
- Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lmichellesmith/https://www.instagram.com/lmichellesmith/
Mentioned in this episode:
- ‘Stop Telling Women They Have Imposter Syndrome’ by Ruchika Tulshyan andJodi-Ann Burey (Harvard Business Review) https://hbr.org/2021/02/stop-telling-women-they-have-imposter-syndrome
- Dr Jeff Gardere https://www.drjeffgardere.com/
More about us:
- Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
- Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
Embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) isn't about isolated targets; it needs to be intertwined into every action we take as an organization. The broccoli gets bakes into the casserole to make the whole better and healthier.
Maria Morukian works with with people who, whether it's their formal or informal role, lead the systemic change for diversity, equity and inclusion. She also works with organisations to really embed the concepts of equity, justice and inclusion into the organizational fabric.
She shares the personal background that shaped her worldview and brought her to this work. Drawing from her multicultural background and experience in systemic change work, Maria gives her perspective on how to embed DEI into the fabric of an organization. and – sorry if you haven’t had dinner yet – we bring in some good cooking metaphors to elucidate the process.
She brings up the interesting concept of 'Immunity to Change,' (developed by Lisa Lahey and Robert Kegan) highlighting that DEI isn't merely a technical problem solvable by one-off decisions. DEI isn't about quick fixes but complex, adaptive challenges: hard to identify, which makes them easy to deny. It's more like untangling a knot, requiring us to uncover conflicting commitments in organizational structures and cultures.
Pulling back the curtain and asking: what is it that is causing these actions or inactions that are impeding progress toward what we say we want? Elements of organizational structure and culture are reinforced and perpetuated not only because they're easier and better known, but also because they tend to serve a certain segment of the population.
Uncovering hidden competing commitments in how organizations are set up and run means recognizing our subconscious actions and beliefs that may inadvertently create an immunity to much-needed change.
A workaround that Maria proposes is micro-change: nudges to challenge existing assumptions and initiate change, inch by inch, bite by bite, adding up to big impact.
We also delve with Maria into treating DEI as a fundamental part of making big decisions. This means, rather than to treat DEI actions like separate goals, or an ‘add on’ if we happen to have any space (or budget) left, to integrate DEI values into the core of business strategy. Which is where they belong, and have their true impact and benefit.
How are you embedding DEI principles into your organization? What would it mean to uncover potentially competing commitments – and integrate them instead?
More about Maria Morukian:
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-morukian/
Website MSM Consulting https://msmglobalconsulting.com/about-maria-morukian/
Podcast: Culture Stew https://open.spotify.com/show/3typAAapfJZ14VL6N811Ob
And more about Immunity to Change https://mindsatwork.com/who-we-are/
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
David Liddle doesn’t beat about the bush as he identifies the root cause of toxicity in organisations: organisations get the culture and behaviours they deserve.
In order to create a turnaround, transformational justice is what David works towards.
David is the Chief Exec and founder of a consultancy called the TCM Group, which specialises in conflict resolution, culture change and leadership development programmes. Throughout his career he has focused on initiatives that promote mediation and majority justice.
He works with organizations to embed the principles of dialogue and justice, empowerment, engagement and inclusion, into policies, procedures, leadership, behaviours, board rooms, and into the whole culture of our organization.
Organisations are the architects of their own pain points, in a blame and shame cycle that shuts so many people down by checking boxes of procedures and policies: “Everything that makes us human is ignored in favour of ‘did I tick the box’?” Even having no designed processes and procedures works better than having destructive, restrictive ones that don’t connect with humanity and purpose.
Look at every word in your procedures, David recommends: are they driving people into defence? Or are they set up to be supportive to revolution and resolution?
“My job is to unblock factors that create toxicity, by bringing people, purpose and values to the centre.”
Problematic behaviours often stem from fear, avoidance and lack of dialogue.
It is crucial that we foster environments that promote fairness and meaningful conversations. HR systems play an integral role in this process; rather than escalating issues they should aim at resolving them effectively.
Sitting down and really hearing what other people say is possibly one of the toughest things – a tough skill rather than a soft skill – and also one of the most powerful things you can do. It’s transformative.
The goal? To inspire learning from feedback rather than fixating on mistakes, with restorative and transformative justice.
About David:
https://thetcmgroup.com/team/david-liddle/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/liddledavid/
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
How can we look at unconscious bias in the workplace from a different perspective, so that we can address it more effectively?
Buki Mosaku is the founder of DiverseCity Think Tank, workplace bias expert, and author of ‘I Don’t Understand: Navigating Unconscious Bias in the Workplace’. We talk with him about what’s working and what isn’t in terms of addressing workplace bias.
His big eye-opener message: rather than a one-sided, siloed approach that splits people into camps, choose a multidirectional perspective.
In this conversation, we dive into navigating the inevitability of workplace bias acknowledging that we all have bias. Every human brain has bias. Typically, people and organisations try to compensate for its negative impact, mitigating behaviours to reduce the impact of bias with change programmes and policies, and that is fine. It’s also a unidirectional, top-down approach.
Since we’re all biased, and this is a dynamic going on all the time, Buki invites us to instead give all people the wherewithal to deal with bias in the moment, as and when it happens. Let’s not be reliant on ‘the people upstairs’ to change things to make people less impacted from bias.
Everyone has a role in changing bias.
Buki breaks bias down into
- directional bias, happening towards you, because of an element of your identity (race, gender, age, socioeconomic background, disability, sexual orientation, etc.). And
- reverse bias, where you may misinterpret unfavourable decisions towards you as driven by unconscious bias. Misinterpretation based on very real past experiences, on hearsay, and/or a wider narrative about people. Which can lead to an additional sense of disempowerment.
How do you distinguish actual biased decisions from misinterpretation – and how do you address it – without demeaning yourself or demonising the other person? Buki worked specifically on finding a way to address that sense of injustice towards you, and he proposes to create dialogue in a framework of dispassionate developmental inquiry:
- Step into conversation, starting from the benefit of the doubt.
- Slow down, using your internal GPS. Determine what’s going on.
- Address the bias wisely, raising awareness.
- Then go on and enjoy your lunch.
The result is transformational, as an “us versus them” mentality converts to one of “we”.
Buki suggests that we simply use three powerful words to start from.
Listen to the episode to hear more.
More about Buki Mosaku:
- Website https://bukimosaku.com/
- LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/buki-mosaku-a91162/
- ‘I Don’t Understand: Navigating Unconscious Bias in the Workplace’ book page and link to a free sample chapter https://bukimosaku.com/books/i-dont-understand/
- Mosaku’s Bias Navigation Test https://bukimosaku.com/assessment/
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
Ann Betz is an expert on evidence-based neuroscience, human development and coaching, and she’s here to talk about toxic workplace culture and toxic personalities.
On the one hand, when coaches work with a coachee sitting in front of us, we focus on that person and what they want do differently in their lives. On the other hand, sometimes people are in systems where it is not up to them at all to get better at something, it’s the situation and work relationships that are toxic.
Being in a toxic environment can be like having someone smoking next to you: the solution is not to have a more patient, constructive, zen perspective about the smoke. You really just want to get rid of the smoke.
Toxicity often comes from someone with power in the organisation, with toxic traits and behaviours that are unregulated. Ann states that, in toxic workplaces, we tend to overlook that some people will not change. They will continue going from organisation to organisation, from role to role within an organisation, creating mental and physical health issues in their wake. Toxic people rise to certain levels. A part of it is because so much of what we believe leadership to be has been rooted in very toxic behaviours. Another part is that these people want to get to that level, badly.
We need to address this more and get rid of the smoker, rather than offering air filters, or face masks.
The great myth is that these toxic people are so valuable to the organisation that their bad behaviour is excused. What gets overlooked, Ann notices, is the value that gets destroyed because people are yelled at, shut down, creativity is gone. For the individual, the best solution is often to leave and find another job.
“I think, what was lost?”
Regulation is an important factor, and for that it is essential to spot the difference between a person who is having a bad day and someone who genuinely lacks self-regulation and self-awareness. Someone who isn’t going to change.
The distinction is in seeing patterns.
Ann shares clear patterns and red flags to consider, from the ‘fauxpology’ to ‘this is just who I am’ and even the ‘poor me’. She elaborates on the CRAVED model (developed by Dr Ramani Durvasula) for patterns of behaviour. And she recommends effective actions to take when you encounter highly powerful toxic people.
Do share this information, widely. It helps. Learn the ways to discern – and of flipping the script on someone who is genuinely toxic.
Then we have the opportunity to say: “The buck stops here.”
More about Ann Betz:
- LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-betz-a6b31018/
-
But Now I Know Your Name Ann's blog about narcissism, neuroscience, and the transformative power of knowledge https://butnowiknowyourname.wordpress.com/https://butnowiknowyourname.wordpress.com/
-
BeAbove Leadership https://www.beaboveleadership.com/faculty-and-staff/
- Ann's blog on the brain https://yourcoachingbrain.wordpress.com/https://yourcoachingbrain.wordpress.com/
More about us:
- Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ and https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
- Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ and https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl
- Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
Irene Anggreeni is a dedicated coach who specializes in mental health topics, fostering better self-care and sustainable success for both leaders and their teams. As an advocate for mental health, she works to remove the stigma surrounding it.
Her own life experiences have been formative in shaping her approach. Her work is deeply heartfelt and driven by her personal story.
In her pursuit of validation as a valuable member of society as an engineer, she pushed herself to the brink until she was diagnosed with clinical depression. This diagnosis marked a turning point, leading her on an uphill journey of self-healing.
Embracing this transformative experience, Irene retrained as a dance movement therapist and coach. This transformation gave her valuable tools that she is now passionate about sharing with others. Her approach emphasizes holistic self-care: how do we take care of ourselves and our emotions in a way that involves our whole being, not just our analytical minds.
She is still actively growing through these challenges, in a life-long process of integrating mindfulness, kindness, compassion, and self-connection in her daily life. That is also what we extend to other people, particularly as leaders that support and serve their teams, creating an environment where team members can learn and grow ensuring that their team have the chance to learn and grow. Demonstrating self-compassion is essential as it positively impacts how leaders carry forward their responsibilities and model how we can work together effectively.
A significant outcome of this approach is increased psychological safety. With openness and reduced fear of speaking up or asking questions, healthier dynamics and clearer communication lead to improved overall performance. When people feel safe to experiment and try new things, creativity and innovation flourish within an organization.
Before self-regulation can happen, you need to be aware of awareness of your internal state. Irene emphasizes the use of movement: when you recognize the sensations and emotions triggered within your body, you have the ability to channel them physically, through things like shifting your posture and conscious breathing.
It will bring you a sense of grounding and space and it is a way to escape the cognitive mind that wants to take over 100%. Sometimes words are not enough, or they get in the way. A lot of leaders know a lot. And sometimes, there’s sometimes missing – you need more than just knowledge.
Tap back into the nonverbal creative self that you are, too. Reclaim your body. Tap into it as your resource. Reconnect with your inner self and enhance your well-being. And dance more 😊
More about Irene:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irenevanjava/https://www.linkedin.com/in/irenevanjava/
Website: https://leadersthroughdepression.com/
get Irene’s free Mindful Actions e-book from this page: https://leadersthroughdepression.com/actionbook
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
So many people in this world do not perceive themselves as creative, and yet our creativity is the primary tool that we use to navigate change. You are actually being creative, every day. David Chislett helps us understand how creativity is our primary tool for embracing change and unlocking new possibilities in our lives.
David is a change pilot: he helps people and teams activate behaviours and activities within themselves that allow them to deal better with the inevitable process of change. Short and simple.
Coming from an entertainment industry background, having played in and worked with bands, and with fine artists and performers of all sorts, his flavour is creativity. He wants to relight that fire in as many people as he can.
Creativity is how we conceive of alternative realities; it is our imagination that thinks of plans for the future.
What we do when we’re being creative is joining the dots. What people who are very creative are doing is simply connecting dots that are further out in left field: “Hey, look, here’s a connection. If we take all of these dots and connect it to this one, that means we can do all this other extra stuff we hadn’t thought about before.”
It’s about finding those connections and being alert to the possibility that those connections are there to be found.
What do you want? And how much do you want it? Then what is really what you want?
What would you then do with your life? What simple step can you take tomorrow that will lay the first dot towards getting there, towards connecting your reality with your vision? Reverse-engineering it to what is available today, towards your goal?
When confronted with inevitable change, creativity helps you take control of the story that you choose to tell about the situation.
If you’ve got an idea, try it small. See what you learn, improve it, and try again. Results don’t have to come out fully formed. It doesn’t have to be a great show. Just start. Once you’ve started, doing is easy. After a month, look at how far you’ve come, and lengthen your stride. That’s how you get from A to B.
“So, tell me what you want, what you really really want?”
More about David: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidchislettcreativity/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DavidChislett Website: https://davidchislett.com/ And subscribers to David’s newsletter get a free download of his Ideation Canvas from this page: https://davidchislett.com/newsletter-signup/
More about us: Lisa Dempsey
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug
https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
Let’s get honest about FOFO. No, not fomo, the fear of missing out (not even jomo, the joy of missing out).
We’re talking about FOFO: The Fear Of Finding Out. The fear of finding out what’s actually going on.
The fear of finding out what’s actually going on rather than how it should be happening according to all of your policies and procedures and theories and rule books. As helpful as they’re meant to be, looking at those is not the same as gaining insight into, and dealing with, the real situation.
The fear of finding out the bigger picture. The fear of finding out the real-life details.
Staying in a seemingly safe comfort zone, the deceptive side of not knowing.
Getting honest and overcoming FOFO can take the shape of rewarding people for actual impact in your field, department, organisation. Of listening up when someone is actually pointing out what is going on in a situation or in the organisation, rather than blindly wanting to stick to procedure. Or of connecting the dots of what’s happening structurally, rather than discounting individual occurrences (and gaslighting).
The funny thing is, it’s really just the fear of finding out, it’s not the fear of what’s actually on the other side of finding out. Because once you get honest and find out, it may be less scary than you thought, easier than you thought, or even be incentivising and motivating you to make a change that needs to happen.
Think about what may be more important to you than FOFO, what is that?
Sure, you can be scared, and you can also just go ahead and do it anyway, see what’s actually on the other side, and lead with curiosity. Having the courage to be with fear is a massive (personal) leadership skill. Then prepare to be genuinely, deeply curious.
Let’s try to move past the FOFO and actually GO-fo!
Referenced in this episode:
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/globalhsemanager_fofo-fear-of-finding-out-explains-why-organisations-activity-7025407176747700224-YvKy/
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/
- https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug –
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/
- https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
A great way to improve the quality – and effectiveness – of your conversations is to have more coach-like conversations.
In this episode we give you five essential skills and tools that will change the quality of your conversations, your work communications and interactions.
The simple fact is, if you treat people like children, they will behave like children but when you treat people knowing that they are naturally creative, resourceful and whole human beings that you know they are – and that they were hired to be – they’re going to behave very differently.
Having more coach-like conversations means bringing an open mindset, instead of command-and-control.
Listening instead of waiting for the other person to stop talking, so you can start telling again, in a response ping pong back and forth.
Fundamentally, a shift away from telling, and moving into asking.
Clarifying what it is that you need, what it is that the other person needs, so you can create this space of ‘we’.
Explore all five with us:
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levels of listening,
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asking open questions,
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parking your judgement,
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self-awareness and self-management,
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designing the alliance
Some of these may have you think “oh you’re right, thanks for the reminder”, and others, “wow, this one’s an eye opener”. Get in touch and tell us what this was for you (and have a good follow-up conversation with us about it).
All of these will improve all of your conversations, making them so much more productive and effective, with less stress and more connection.
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/
- https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug –
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/
- https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
In a world where societal expectations for men – to be strong, confident, composed, capable – are still prevalent, it can be challenging to break away and courageously embrace authenticity.
Life coach Yaniv Shein works mainly with men, facilitating men's groups for youth and adults. In this new episode he shares his philosophy on ‘what it means to be a man’ and the challenges men face in finding their path. A never-ending question that is always present and evolving.
Yaniv shares his personal journey, reflecting on his childhood, when he and his group of friends didn't care about what others thought and created their own rules for what it meant to be a man. As he grew older, went into the army and then the corporate world, he discovered that he didn't truly belong to the story that others were telling.
He encourages you to not trade off one aspect of yourself for another and to explore your individuality and authenticity, even if it means going against the norm. He also emphasizes the importance of becoming aware of, observing and exploring your own emotions and experiences – discovering what’s actually going on inside. One practical way to do that is in men's groups, as a safe space to speak and be vulnerable with others, often leading to powerful and transformative experiences.
Societal pressure on men can lead to a sense of fragility and aggression when capability seems threatened. But this pressure on men to be strong, confident, and not show weakness can be detrimental to mental health and well-being.
Instead, embracing the full range of your emotions and experiences as a human being (of any gender identification) leads to so many expanded options and new opportunities.
To lives more fully lived.
More about Yaniv Shein:
- www.yanivshein.com
- https://www.facebook.com/yaniv.shein
More about us:
- Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
- Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
Be intentional about inviting everyone to speak in your group meetings and reap the reward. Yep, that’s the gist of this episode. It’s that simple.
To help you start and keep doing this, we talk about how and why this works – and how to make it a habit.
Work results are better when people get to introduce themselves: research shows that when medical team members introduce themselves by name in an operating room, this can reduce complications. It is not necessarily because people share their name, but because when they’ve spoken, it becomes more likely that they’ll speak again.
It gets you into a space of more ease, remembering that your voice has just as much power and volume as everybody else’s. And when all get to speak, that makes it easier for everyone present to be the one to bring up that brilliant idea, whoever that happens to come from that day. By using your voice and encouraging other voices at the table you’re moving the dynamic of the group forward.
It sounds so simple. It’s amazing how it can change the dynamic in a room. And yet it gets overlooked all the time.
So, this is something you’ll want to remind yourself of. Either simply by inviting everyone to introduce themselves, or by always having a check-in that suits the situation (in person or online, small or large group).
Make it an intentional ingredient in the design of every meeting: inviting everybody’s presence into the space, inviting everybody’s voice to the table. Simply set the scene, every time.
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
Are you still feeling the lingering effects of the pandemic? We dive back into this topic as we noticed how much our earlier episode about Pandemic Fatigue still brings up for our listeners. We’re still finding our way, going from languishing to lingering.
It may seem like we’re expected to go back to normal, but we can’t. We’re in a different place. It’s like we have dug a tunnel and come out on the other side to a different landscape. On the other side, it’s a different world.
We put a lot of work into solving all kinds of problems, with a tremendous amount of creativity, perseverance and resilience – and perhaps we’re not quite as resilient as we’d like to think we are. We paid a heavy price. We had formative experiences.
Even though the official government bodies have declared the pandemic over, there is still a lot of debris and rubble left to be cleaned up and processed, including invisible emotional debris like grief and loss. And that still takes energy.
Take time to recalibrate and celebrate before rushing into post-crisis reconstruction (which is often not the strongest, most constructive). Acknowledge that you are where you are now.
Notice the landscape here and explore this new space.
What can you create from here?
Referenced:
Pandemic Fatigue, Weathering the Storm (episode from 18 Feb 2022): https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/peopleimpactpodcast/episodes/Pandemic-Fatigue--Weathering-the-Storm-e1eg8fq?%24
The NY Times article that named languishing as a feeling many people shared: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/19/well/mind/covid-mental-health-languishing.html
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
Ruben Brave loves exploring the unknown, with a curiosity that drives him to a wide variety of places and an innate talent for generating visions for the future.
His story involves serial tech entrepreneurship: having set up several tech companies across Europe, Ruben has always been ‘one of the geeks’ (and a Spider-Man fan). Another side of him is fatherhood, living in Amsterdam, with roots in a big Surinamese family – providing him with cultural capital and a spiritual background that he brings with him into work and business.
Having spent so much time in progressive spaces, Ruben only recently became more aware of the massive impact of discrimination and exclusion. He spoke with 400+ people from underrepresented groups, people who don’t tick all the boxes of the ‘default tech entrepreneur’.
What he learned was that a lot of those people are being actively excluded through discrimination and less access to financial, social and representational capital. And they themselves see tech spaces as not welcoming. This makes valuable people move away from spaces that could in fact be interesting for them, and the world.
It made him realise we need to see how we are all connected, on a planet with finite resources, where we can complement each other’s limitations.
There are many dimensions to everyone’s identity. It is important to be aware of the historical and cultural narratives connected to parts of who you are, in terms of your gender, race, and more.
At the same time, Ruben invites you to free yourself of the limiting aspects of oppression by also seeing yourself in a different narrative.
Going back to your core and stepping into more than the framework that those limiting narratives can impose on you. That space of your inner leader where you know who you are and what you’re capable of.
How do you want to develop yourself, personally, to change the narrative and move the needle forward?
What can you create from all that you are in a sustainable way?
What is the first thing that you can do from where you are today?
More about Ruben Brave:
https://www.rubenbrave.com/
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
Ageing is the one thing we all share in common, if we’re lucky enough to have a long life. But is this on your radar for improving the diversity and inclusivity of your teams?
This is a conversation with Mary Jane Roy, who is into her 50th career year. Her career – so far – has spanned from being a nursing officer in the Canadian Armed Forces to a corporate career and independent consulting.
It was only recent that she first realised the effect ageing has on careers and the workplace – even already being in that age group herself. A ubiquitous example is the standard clause: “Your contract will end on your pensionable age date.” That means that at your pensionable age, you will automatically be out of a job; a policy that is rarely questioned.
DEI strategies in most workplaces do not focus on ageing and ageism. Research from 8 years ago (yes it hasn’t even been researched more recently) found that only 8% of DEI strategies include ageism.
Why would you want to?
- People are living longer, healthier lives. We continue to learn throughout our lives, in different ways, as there are two kinds of learning and processing knowledge: fluid (up to around the age of 25) and crystallised intelligence.
- The workforce needs this group. Even in this tight job market, managers are significantly less willing to hire older employees.
- People are being denied career development opportunities because they’re ‘too old’ when they may have another 15-20 career years ahead of them, with pension eligibility being extended further and further.
- Just like with other dimensions of diversity, multigenerational teams are more productive and innovative.
“Don’t cast the paintbrush over the whole group,” Mary Jane says. We all age so differently. Many people are still active as they age and want to be part of creating the future, for their grandchildren and others. People want to have the choice to do economically visible and active work.
So, have conversations with individuals. Listen with an open, interactive mindset - embracing this part of life. Find out what they look forward to in their lives.
Referenced in this episode:
- 'Employing Older Workers Is Beneficial' https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/08/older-workers-employment-oecd-economies/
- 'Does Your Company’s Diversity, Equity And Inclusion Strategy Include This Critical Element?' https://www.forbes.com/sites/sheilacallaham/2022/01/31/does-your-companys-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-strategy-include-this-critical-element/?sh=2165889f4fbf
- 'Ageism: the forgotten pillar of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategies' https://janehoran.medium.com/ageism-the-forgotten-pillar-of-dei-strategies-8758008f403
More about Mary Jane Roy:
- As consultant with Creating Waves https://creatingwaves.nl/about/
- As Thought Leader with the Wize Move Society https://wizemovesociety.com/about-us/
How do you distinguish between constructive behaviour and people pleasing?
You may notice it in other people, and how they interact. And then there’s discerning your own people pleasing behaviour.
People pleasing in teams can become a disadvantage because managers and team members don’t get the feedback and information that they need.
Look at this as energy spent. Suppressing how you really feel ends up taking much more energy than dealing with saying no. Saying yes even when you don’t want to, because that seems just easier. Pushing it down, tucking it under, shuffling it under the carpet can be like pushing a balloon under water, holding it there, pushing it down even further.
It takes a bit of practice to start noticing. Follow the energy: what is it costing you – and others, what are you giving up, and is that worth it? Does it feel like a choice or the only way ever possible?
When people are discounting their own voices and choices, real information doesn’t get shared. In a team or organisation this can get problematic and dysfunctional quite quickly.
When you’re overachieving, what are you underappreciating? At the cost of what?
If you see this happening in your team as a leader, or just starting to notice, this can erode the trust in your team and even your own confidence.
It really helps to zoom out to the bigger picture. Be honest and clear to yourself and to others. Putting yourself at choice. Asking honest questions, to yourself or in a coaching conversation, can be a game changer.
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
When you’re the first DEI role in an organisation, not only are you starting a job from scratch, so is your employer: often they don’t yet understand what your role is. It’s not a plug and play situation but a new function inside an organisation without a lot of legacy to stand on.
Moreover, expectations of what this work is like are often different than the reality – for both the DEI professional and the organisation.
To share her own learnings, Sarah Cordivano wrote the book ‘Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: How to succeed at an impossible job’. A very honest and practical look at what it’s like to work in DEI – and how to turn that into a success.
In Sarah’s experience, DEI work in an organisation mainly consists of change management, project management, communications and strategic thinking.
But this is also emotionally involved work: it’s very personal to people. It’s a delicate space, sometimes with trauma involved, and it’s directly connected to people and their identity in so many ways. And it’s often connected with deep motivation and personal experiences of the DEI professional themselves.
It’s hard to build something new in this emotionally charged space, to persevere and remain resilient in it. Working on DEI in organisations, and doing that successfully, can take you on an intense journey to figure out what resilience means to you (and coaching can be helpful there). “You have to do a lot of personal work to make sure that you succeed in the job and also that you have the resilience to stick with it for a long time.”
That starts with expectation setting: being clear about what you expect both of others and yourself. It also takes some work to align individual purpose and drives to reality. When you’re in this work, you want fast change and that may not be the speed of the reality of it.
Sarah realised she needs to make sure to have many motivators to do this work, including passion and purpose as well as realism and data. What helps is to have a frame of mind around success, and to use data to measure impact – not just as a reporting mechanism in the organisation, but for yourself as well. For Sarah, this has made it easier to get a sense of accomplishment along the way and to stay motivated.
On all of those levels: “You need to make sure that you get what you need so that you can make the impact you want to have.”
You need a little bit of everything to do this work successfully. And it’s important work. Let’s set you up to do it well, putting all of those pieces together.
More about Sarah Cordivano:
Personal Website: https://www.sarahcordivano.com/
Blog: https://medium.com/sarah-cordivano
Book: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: How to Succeed at an Impossible Job - https://amzn.eu/d/15VmRWa
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
Holiday magic is made by women.
The holiday season would be a lot less magical without the work that mostly women do to create it. In homes and in organisations, creating happiness for other people. It’s an additional mental load, without us realising that it is.
At this time of year, most of us are dealing with end-of-year workload: having budget meetings, wrapping up performance reviews, aligning on 2023 strategy, plus lots happening in our social lives and personal lives. The dash to the end of the year.
But what about all of the little things that, put together, make you feel warm and fuzzy over the holidays… when you think about it: who does all of those things? Who adds the details that make the holidays special?
99% of Lisa’s female clients turn up in overwhelm this time of year – and she doesn’t hear her male clients being swamped in the same way .
It’s worth unpacking this and bringing in more gender equity.
Let’s recognise and appreciate the effort. Let’s notice the contrast between the happiness created and the workload & time that it requires. Let’s make conscious choices – up front – of what you want to do, skip or involve others in. Choose what works for *you.
Let’s also acknowledge that holidays can be difficult for people. Reach out to someone, to us. The holidays are not magic for everybody. If that’s you: there are people out there that are happy to connect with you, including Lisa and me.
And let’s become more aware that, actually, creating holiday magic is a real expression of genuine leadership skills. Being able to attune to other human beings is exactly what happens in organizations when amazing and highly effective teams are created.
Organizational magic is made by these skills. Recognise it as your interpersonal leadership skill that transfers to the workplace context.
Make it a season that is magical, inclusive of the people that put so much of the work in.
Happy holidays!
Referenced:
- ‘Holiday Magic Is Made By Women’, Gemma Hartley in Huffpost.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/emotional-labor-holidays_n_5a1ec905e4b0d724fed5588a
- ‘You should’ve asked’, https://english.emmaclit.com/2017/05/20/you-shouldve-asked/comment-page-1/
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
This is what makes Quiet Quitting such a drag.
People that Quietly Quit can become a huge slower-down of the change that you need in the current environment. A roadblock to collaboration, creativity, innovation and any forward momentum.
But Quiet Quitting is not the problem. It points to something else that is the actual problem. Let us give you a fair perspective on quiet quitting.
Why are people Quiet Quitting and why does that make sense, from their perspective?
“Going above and beyond just ain’t worth it anymore in this space and time.
No matter how much I do, how much effort I put in, either the effort isn’t going to matter, or I am not going to feel like I matter.
My efforts are not going to be seen, heard or valued.
So, you know what? I’ll do what’s required of me. But I’m going to stop coming up with funky ideas, trying to ask the hard questions, challenge the status quo.
I’ll turn up every day, do what I need to do, meet the minimum requirements, and that’s it.”
From your individual perspective: priorities are a key piece here. There is so much going on in our lives. How do you pace yourself when you’re spending a lot of energy but getting little in return? Intentionally choose how engaged you want to be.
From an organisational perspective: some organisations have painted themselves into a corner. How is your organisation’s setup (unintentionally) designed for quiet quitting, with structures that result in employees getting stuck? Take employee perspectives seriously and use that information to find out what the actual problem is.
“I’m being told this is my station in life, so why in the world would I want to try and go above and beyond? Why would I want to be part of a creative problem-solving process?” The cost of that is massive. Especially in a knowledge economy it’s important to have people engaged in the workplace. Disengagement has become more problematic and it has become more evident through the pandemic.
You end up with people who are married to the status quo in an organisation that has created rigidity.
🔍 So, talk about whether the current setup of structures is still serving you.
💡 And let go of the expectation that everyone needs to go above and beyond 100% of the time.
Referenced:
- “There are no verifiable sources as to who coined the phrase Quiet Quitting” says Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Work-to-rule
- The ‘Good Enough job’ from Emilie Wapnick’s book ‘How To Be Everything’ http://howtobeeverything.com/
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
Grief will show up in your life, whether your own or for people around you – including people at work. That friendly sounding invitation to ‘bring your whole self to work’? It includes grief.
Maaike Roseboomexperienced a huge and sudden personal loss. Lisa was her HR manager at the time and they got to know each other at an intense level. Maaike’s personal journey dealing with grief and returning to work led her to making a difference for others going through this and becoming an expert speaker and advocate. She’s our guest on this new episode and shares what it was like for her to go back to work after intense bereavement, bringing so many deep insights to the conversation.
“When I returned to work, I felt like I had two jobs: I had my work, and I had that work of grief. I didn’t have enough brain space to advocate for myself, and to take up the space I needed to go through that grief journey.”
Every workplace deals with complex emotional issues, including very personal ones. Grief is definitely one of the complex ones. It has a profound impact on a person but the extent of grief cannot be measured by where someone sits in your family tree. Each individual grief process is different.
And yet it’s also very simple.
As manager or HR person, your role for a grieving team member is that of a resource connector: you can help navigate policies, advocate for support sources and find practical assistance.
The other part of your role is far more important: you are a human being and you care about the other person. Allow yourself to show empathy and compassion. That is ultimately the most important thing.
“When I came back to work,” Maaike told us, “One of my managers said, “I’m so sorry for your loss, my condolences again. And did you see my email from yesterday?”
Revisit your policies and procedures, advocate for their improvement, but mostly, learn how to interact with someone in this situation. You’re not there to fix the grief. You are empathetic to their wellbeing. You connect. Even when it’s through saying “I don’t know what to say.”
That stays the same even when you’ve gone through bereavement yourself, Maaike says: “I don’t know what to say most of the time when I deal with people that have experienced loss. But what I know from experience is that that is ok, because I’d rather have someone telling me ‘I don’t know what to say, and I’m sorry,’ than ignoring it.”
Holding space is what you can learn and choose to do: put your effort into making room for someone else to go through what they’re going through. Room for that emotional experience that they are processing, room for that other job the person has suddenly taken on.
By just being there.
Recommended:
- Maaike sharing her view on normalising the conversation in the workplace around loss and grief in a LinkedIn video https://www.linkedin.com/posts/maaike-roseboom_loss-grief-awareness-activity-6981256532654989312-9QZQ?
- Book recommendation: It's ok that you're not ok by Megan Devine. In Maaike’s words: “Essential reading for anyone who is grieving or loves someone who is grieving (or just wants to get a better understanding of what grief can look like beyond the definition and stages that are described).”
This is our 100th episode! In fact, we’re triple celebrating, with four years of this podcast and over 10.000 downloads.
These 100 and 4 and 10K have let us create a rich portfolio of topics, guests and perspectives for you, on the impact that you (can) have on real people in your organization. That’s 10K+ reminders sent out that people are real people, in the workplace. 10K+ additional perspectives on the future of leadership, self-leadership and how you choose to show up. And there’s more to add, with more episodes in this 7th season and the next.
There are several things that have changed shape, from our title (HR Matters became People Impact) to our episode introduction. Not the sofa image, so far, Marjolijn's too frequent 'um's', the dog sounds in the background with Lisa ;-) nor our core values.
Huge shout-out to our kind and loyal editor Martijn and our initial co-founder Shea, we appreciate and celebrate you as well.
And a big thank you to our listeners! Send you favourite lightbulb moment episode to a friend and let us know what it was for you.
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
Sometimes moving forward looks like standing still. So many more people than usual are picking up on big shifts going on, beyond our day-to-day practical things. It can be a floating feeling of unease that signals those bigger picture developments, or specific things that weigh on your mind.
Zoom out and look at the bigger picture, at the water we’re swimming in.
The world feels very chaotic at the moment. A big picture mess, bigger than most of us can map out and much of which is outside of our circle of influence. The newest acronym in town is BANI: brittle, anxious, non-linear and incomprehensible.
How do you navigate this and move forward in a constructive way? Especially knowing that (personal) leadership is all about connecting your day-to-day to that bigger picture?
How do you find your anchor in all of this, reduce the anxious buzzing energy and the static in your system?
... Sometimes moving forward looks like standing still, for just a moment.
... Processing things beneath the surface.
... Taking a breath and noticing who it is that you want to be.
Find more calm and solid ground to step from, and find a place of choice, to show up with resilience, compassion, or curiosity.
It helps to connect with other people, knowing you are not alone in this (Hello! We’re here), to remind yourself of bigger and better things, and to reconnect with the things you find truly important. Focus on the piece that you can chew, the part that you can play.
What helps you move forward in your leadership, to make things happen, do it – it’s worth it. Reconnect to your own resourcefulness.
We’re all swimming in muddy water right now. This is your reminder that you still know how to swim.
Referenced:
BANI, an acronym made up of the words ‘brittle’, ‘anxious’, ‘nonlinear’ and ‘incomprehensible’ was coined by Jamais Cascio, an American anthropologist, author and futurist. Recent article: https://medium.com/@cascio/facing-the-age-of-chaos-b00687b1f51d
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
Toxic workplace culture: this is what can you do about it, and why you want to.
Let us take you from the experience of it (check our previous episode) to the big picture.
Over the past 10 years, workplace culture has generally become more toxic. Research* has specified the main markers of toxic workplace culture:
- Non-inclusive
- Unethical behaviour, lack of integrity
- Disrespectful
- Abusive management
- Cut-throat, ruthless
Moreover, your body will tell you. It knows way more than you think. The kind of chronic stress that toxic workplace culture causes isn’t something you just step over.
Its sometimes difficult to differentiate between interacting spheres, to clarify what is
- the me of it (you),
- the we of it (your team members) and
- the us of it (the organisation and wider system).
That top-5 list can help your brain catch up and notice, to spot how toxic behaviour shows up. Then, finding the courage to name it is what you can do: “I notice this happened and I have some concerns.”
Know that it is ok to say ‘this is not ok’. You don’t need to win the agreement of others. You can share your experience and name what it is that you want changed.
Know that it’s a good idea to process what you experienced, because you may be carrying it forward into new work situations.
Know that leaving is a really valid option.
And also know that you can make intentional choices about the impact that you have, notice and name what you – and your team – need to thrive, rather than survive.
You don’t always have full control over workplace toxicity, but you can certainly have an impact.
* Referenced:
“Toxic Culture Is Driving the Great Resignation” - Donald Sull & Charlie Sull – MIT Sloane Management Review https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/toxic-culture-is-driving-the-great-resignation/
Brene Brown’s Dare to Lead Podcast: How Toxic Work Cultures Are Driving the Great Resignation,
with Dr. Donald Sull & Charlie Sull
https://brenebrown.com/podcast/how-toxic-work-cultures-are-driving-the-great-resignation/
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
“I went from being this courageous person, willing and loving to challenge the status quo, to feeling I have to be compliant and I need to placate. It was a black hole that sucked me in, and I didn’t realise it was toxic.”
“At what point did you recognise that?”
“Well, when I hit my burnout.”
This People Impact podcast episode gets both personal and insightful about toxic workplace culture, a meaty and meaningful topic that gets incredibly messy when you’re in the middle of it.
That right there is why we disentangle it.
It is so prevalent that it's no longer the exception, it’s becoming commonplace. Research has shown that toxicity in organisations has actually increased over the past decade.
As we have such busy lives and we’re under so much pressure from every direction, we have much less bandwidth to be able to deal with this.
The impact is massive.
What are the factors of toxic workplace culture? How do you spot it when you’re in it – instead of second-guessing yourself and blaming yourself?
Step into observer mode with us, separating out the Big Five contributors to toxicity, to see more clearly.
Referenced:
“Toxic Culture Is Driving the Great Resignation” - Donald Sull & Charlie Sull – MIT Sloane Management Review https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/toxic-culture-is-driving-the-great-resignation/
Brene Brown’s Dare to Lead Podcast: How Toxic Work Cultures Are Driving the Great Resignation,
with Dr. Donald Sull & Charlie Sull
https://brenebrown.com/podcast/how-toxic-work-cultures-are-driving-the-great-resignation/
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
Seeing that lightbulb moment happen when people realise that they can be better as individuals in their organisations, and their organisations can be better, by really living into diversity, equity and inclusion - that is what lights James McKim up.
James recognizes that organisations want to be diverse for social justice reasons, because it’s the moral thing to do. At the same time, DEI drives organisational performance.
At managing consultancy Organizational Ignition, he aligns people, processes and technology to really live into DEI as a way to achieve organisational performance.
“It’s through diversity that new ideas and new perspectives come out. That is how innovation happens.”
In addition, DEI expands customer markets, enables your organisation to serve those markets better, and makes your organisation more attractive to talented employees.
Research shows that organisations that have diverse leadership are at least 27% more likely to outperform peers. If you want a financial reason, there it is. DEI is not a financial risk, it’s a financial gain.
So, James invites you: let’s start with where you are. What in your daily job is making people feel like they’re not included, they don’t belong? What is useful for employees to become more aware of, to learn?
A key contributor to this – and much of life – is making sure you have a growth mindset, as much as recognising that we don’t and can’t know everything ourselves, that we need others.
More about James McKim:
https://organizationalignition.com/about
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
When your reference point for how to be a leader comes from the leaders, managers and bosses you’ve had up to that point, that’s a really hit-and-miss affair. First-time leaders going through the rollercoaster of getting their new role frequently follow up their “Woohoo!” with “… now what?”
Mick Spiers, founder of The Leadership Project, inspires leaders to challenge the status quo of what it means to be a leader.
What do you do as a leader instead of repeating the mistakes you’ve seen your own managers make?
It’s essential to realise you’re having a real impact on people. That impact goes beyond the four office walls. You’re responsible for the place where people are spending their most precious resource: their time. Your impact is on the culture of the business, and everyone around to witness your interactions. It’s impacting everyone.
But your intention and impact can be wide apart. How do you deal with that?
Get intentional about the behaviour that you reward, celebrate and tolerate – in line with the goals and values of the team.
Plus the biggest key to great leadership, according to Mick: the ability to understand the people around you and treat them like they matter. Asking them better questions. With that information you can be much more intentional and accurate.
“I hope next year you have a better leader, and I hope that leader is me.”
More about Mick Spiers and The Leadership Project:
https://www.mickspiers.com/
More about Mick’s book ‘You’re A Leader: Now What?
https://www.mickspiers.com/yourealeadernowwhat
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
The biggest and best kept secret of life is… aliveness :)
Sure, there’s being alive, your heart beating and your body breathing, that’s no big secret. But aliveness, that’s about feeling connected to the essential realness of your life and the tingle of possibility in the world around you.
Feeling the sunshine. Listening to music. Being immersed in a fascinating read. Taking an intentional break. Feeling pain, grief or anger. Aliveness lives in all sides of being a living human being.
Choosing life, in all its shapes and iterations. Paying attention instead of going on autopilot.
Why is this important in the workplace?
It’s an underlying ingredient in how you interact with people. It’s in the space for fresh ideas or giving leeway when it’s needed, in letting an honest compliment bubble up or having an unexpected conversation over lunch. It’s choosing to be more than routine and check-the-box procedures.
In organisations, as a part of workplace culture, aliveness is where innovation and creativity grow, where healthy resilience and agility live. It draws people in. There is so much more that becomes possible when organisations value aliveness.
Create ways of stepping out of that hamster wheel of the day-to-day routine. It’s not so much about planning ahead as it is about recognising aliveness in the moment and stepping into it.
Work is part of your life, not the other way around. If you spend 8 hours a day (or more) without feeling alive, then what’s your life like?
You get to live your life with aliveness.
PS: we are going on a Podcasting summer break – we need to recharge and this is the time to do it, to keep bringing our aliveness to life. See you, err, hear you on the flip side!
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
We need to be talking about racism without people of colour present.
The work Valerie Spain does - and the way that she does it - is pretty special. Valerie is a certified coach and antiracism educator, DEI consultant and group facilitator, particularly focusing on white people doing the inner work of racial justice and of developing an action plan.
Affinity groups and employee resource groups have been around for marginalised groups and minorities. Valerie hosts them for white people, coming together to learn about racism and whiteness. Educating ourselves as white people, with white people.
“Come together with other like-minded white folks who want to learn,” is her invitation.
Why do white people have to step into a separate group to do this?
It’s a way of talking about the work of anti-racism without adding to the emotional burden for people of colour – while acknowledging the work that many people of colour have already done.
It’s a way of doing our own work, in a safe space, to develop our emotional resilience. Even if this self-development is uncomfortable, or something you’re not used to doing, that discomfort is not a signal to stop. It’s a signal that something is happening for you, you are reacting to something – identify what you’re reacting to and then make a decision from there. That’s something you can learn.
Developing the awareness of whiteness, the ‘invisible’ nature of it. Noticing white supremacy culture in the world, in the organisation, between you and your colleagues.
White supremacy culture may seem at first like too big of a term in this context (and what is the discomfort signal, what is happening for as you were reading this?).
Whiteness is a concept that affects everyone, whether you’re a person of colour or not. Racism is embedded in our whole world.
In most parts of the world, and in most organisations, whiteness is prioritised, is the default, and has the best cards in the deck, simply put: that is white supremacy. Let’s examine how this shows up in your organisation. What is the bias that is built into your particular work environment?
Anti-racism work for white people means finding out what you can find out without asking people of colour. Valerie has shared resources for you – and feel free to ask for more if you’re looking for other information.
Because when you’re thinking, educating yourself, taking actionable steps, you can get ongoing support through your experience of learning and change, from people like Valerie.
And you’re welcome to join the company of likeminded people. It makes all the difference, when you want to make a difference.
More about Valerie Spain: https://valeriespain.com/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/valeriespain/
More resources: see episode comments on the People Impact podcast page on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/people-impact-podcast
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
Life is messy. It’s a messy time to be alive in this world, with so much going on. Predictability is on the decline. Some (including us) would even call it a trend towards chaos.
This is a long-term thing. As Dutch Professor (in Sustainability Transitions) Jan Rotmans noted, “We are living not in an era of change, but in a change of era.”
You can’t keep your head down and wait until it’s over. You’re in the middle of it. We all are.
So how do you show up with it?
Which parts are happening to you? There is plenty that is outside of your control. How do you choose to be with it?
And what is your piece of the puzzle that you can make your own choices about?
Chaos will happen. When it does, what do you choose?
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
Wellness is about effective, healthy habits for life. Your life, all sides of it. Your workplace has a huge impact on your wellness, and vice versa: an organisation will run so much better when team members are well.
Tarin Calmeyer makes this clear from various angles. She is a corporate wellness specialist, the founder of Remote Team Wellness, a multipassionate and multidimensional human being, and a global citizen.
Wellness means so much more than a 15-minute workout or one-time meditation event in the office. Not only is it
- Mental Health & Mindfulness
- Physical Fitness
- Emotional Wellness
- Financial Wellness
- Occupational Wellness
Tarin too often hears the question “How do we make people more productive without burning out?” It’s actually this question that is the biggest change needed to wellness. People are not machines. Burnout is coming from productivity culture, hustle culture. This mentality is in dire need of change.
For organisations, this means creating a wellness practice. Wellness requires a culture and mentality that values human beings.
For you as an individual, wellness is a journey. That means ritualising wellness into our everyday lives. Allowing ourselves to look at ourselves as multidimensional human beings. Get it into your every day in every way.
How?
Start by taking a breath. Then another.
Your breath is the one constant thread that runs through your entire life. It can be the thing that shifts your state immediately. It is your own check-in point. The simplest things can be the most potent.
Allow yourself to show up as the fullest version of yourself. That’s what life is all about. Live yours.
More about Tarin Calmeyer:
https://remoteteamwellness.com/meet-our-founder-tarin-calmeyer/
More about Remote Team Wellness:
https://remoteteamwellness.com/
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
The hierarchy of the classic pyramid org chart has very little added value for clients and, moreover, focuses your competitive spirit on beating your colleague to get the promotion, instead of on “we’re going to win or lose together”. So, Simon Dixon worked out a better way.
When Simon set up Hatmill, a specialist logistics consultancy, “The starting point was doing the opposite of doing the stuff I didn’t like in previous places,” where the people management structures and processes weren’t set up to get the best out of everyone.
At Hatmill, “what’s ingrained is the amount of trust that everyone has in each other. Trust in each other’s judgment. We trust people to work together, support each other, and trust each other to give each other feedback to improve, not to critique or belittle each other. We make sure that we operate on an adult-to-adult basis.”
It gives the people on the team a different perspective on what work means: how you can feel about yourself and the work you do.
In addition to creating a nicer experience at work, it pays off in business: “We’ve grown about 40% over the last nine years. I don’t think anyone could’ve predicted it would generate that. We realised it happened because we’ve got people focussing on doing a good job and not screwing each other over in the next promotion cycle. There’s a sense of ownership, team, belonging and purpose.”
What’s essential to shaping your organisation in this way, Simon points out clearly: you have to have someone at the top who is wholly committed to this. You can’t have only a bit of it. You either trust people or you don’t.
“The starting point has to be having a mind that is open enough to think there is a different way of running an organisation.” Having people who think, and know, that it is possible. “Step one is having an open mind.”
More about Simon Dixon:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-dixon-hatmill
More about Hatmill:
https://hatmill.co.uk/about-us
More about Teal organisations:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teal_organisation
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
Sometimes a new beginning can mark a bigger shift, from the old you to the new you.
“Wait a minute. I changed my mind. But I’ve always done it this other way. Won’t I be labelled inconsistent, erratic, unpredictable or unreliable, if I suddenly change?”
Sure, but it’s your life. You get to make your choices.
It makes sense that with new information may come a change of mind: knowing what we know now, this is not taking us where we thought. What’s actually important is this other thing. We’re going to shift direction.
You choose. To either continue, because it works, or to make a new beginning. As big or small as is needed. Because you realise there’s something else that’s more important. That’s what helps you step into that new beginning calmly and confidently, in a grounded way.
Moreover, it is empowering to own and name the shift, the change.
There are other things that are always a part of you – that is what grounds you.
They are the values that have consistently been a part of you. Deeper, quieter, longer-term values. The consistency that is the core of you. Along the lines of what you care about, rather than the external “it’ll make sense to other people” or “it’s what others want me to do.” The bigger picture vision is about where you want to go in the long run.
The change and the consistency are both part of the total picture.
Life doesn’t sail in straight lines. Adjust course.
And celebrate your new beginning.
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
Learning is the one consistent thing that happens in our lives. In small kids you can see the speed of learning, and in our continuing development as adults we thrive when we’re learning a new thing.
Yet, we can get trapped in ‘this is the way things should be’ or ‘this is the way things are’.
Give yourself space to learn.
Seeing your own and other people’s development on a longer timeline, giving yourself and others the space to learn, is vital. From this viewpoint, it’s easier to be aware how huge shifts can happen and become so natural that you can’t even imagine it was ever different - you’ve so completely integrated the learnings.
Change - volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity - is the status of our environment. New pieces of information can give you new perspectives. The sooner you integrate those, the more agile you can be. It’s become essential to integrate learning into your day-to-day.
When you recognise your learning as a habit, it’s easier to do.
And when you celebrate your learning, you strengthen your perseverance and resourcefulness. You retain more information and make learning more attractive to keep doing.
There are so many things that you didn’t know. Now you know. And you can bring it forward.
Including big and small steps that make positive change.
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
It’s not always easy to be told about or recognize your own privilege. Or to show up and be your best person.
We’re sharing the story of Ray Arata, who has dedicated his life to working with men on living and leading from the heart. Advancing healthy masculinity in the leadership conversation. Creating a safe space for men to move out of their heads and be whole humans.
Ray shares his own experiences of recognising the rights, privileges and opportunities of being a (white) man. His man-in-the-mirror moment and how he ended up launching himself into the D&I space, forever an ally in training. An ally to gender equality at first, then broadening into wider diversity & inclusion consulting.
“Here’s an invitation to a men’s group. Call my wife, she’ll tell you. It changed my life.”
The unavoidable light is shining on men to rewrite the narrative. The outdated playbook of what it means to be a man.
To decide to get interested in what the lived experiences of other people are.
“This all sounds great, but where do I start?”
When you’re not yet past your fear of saying or doing the wrong thing – so you do nothing, for now. Or when you want to do something and aren’t sure yet what, exactly.
Ray shares his tips in four clear steps for, well, anyone wanting to be an ally to anybody.
Show up. Get inspired.
Are you being your best person? Life’s too short. Keep going. And maybe even go first.
More about Ray Arata:
- Better Man Conference (June and November 2022 in the US, soon also in the UK). https://bettermanconference.com/
- Showing Up: How Men Can Become Effective Allies in the Workplace www.ShowingUpBook.com
- Blog: Showing Up With Heart https://bettermanconference.com/blog/2021/1/14/showing-up-with-heart
- Blog: Celebrating Women, Activating Men: A Recipe for Gender Partnership https://bettermanconference.com/blog/2022/3/14/celebrating-women-activating-men-a-recipe-for-gender-partnership
- and www.RayArata.com
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
“Hey, wait a minute. Maybe one the reasons why I’m exhausted all of the time is because I’m doing things that are out of alignment with my values.”
Spend the time to find out what your values are and make decisions that are aligned with them.
Values are about understanding your own internal compass: what are the things that you as an individual find important? What are the things that bring you energy and take energy away from you? Everyone has their own top-# list in their own particular order. This is why you make your decisions and other people make completely different ones.
Figuring out more clearly what your values are, helps you make decisions that make sense in light of who you are.
Unless there are values that are competing for priority in a certain situation. What do you do when two of your values are pulling against one another? Like valuing results or relationships. Or spending time on your own learning or on being kind to other people.
That’s where knowing your values is an even more significant part of your personal leadership. While seeing the paradox, knowing both of those conflicting values are true for you, right then and there you can still make decisions. Because you have the capability and the resourcefulness to be with that.
Learn about a great way to focus on how they can actually help each other and integrate them together. Building your own unique foundation of personal leadership.
Referenced:
Ann Betz about valugration https://yourcoachingbrain.wordpress.com/2013/05/31/valugration/
More about Ann Betz and Ursula Pottinga at BEabove Leadership https://www.beaboveleadership.com/
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
Pause, for just a moment. What does your entire being know?
We invite some special guests in this episode. And yet it’s just Lisa and Marjolijn talking – about checking in with a part of yourself that brings you calm clarity and helps you make decisions.
There are different words for this, and for now we call this your Inner Leader. A deeper, more grounded sense of who you are, your internal compass.
A way out of overwhelm.
Tap into who you really are, your inner wisdom and knowledge. The safe, grounded place within you. It’s deeply personal and individual. It’s a quiet place, and the more you engage with it, the stronger and clearer it becomes.
The more often you go there, the more strongly it will clarify
- Who you really are in all this
- What you know is true
- Where you want to go from here
Check in with your inner leader. It pre-empts that right brain hemisphere wanting to analyse all the if-then scenarios. You can get into such a spin when you try to analyse everything to pieces. You think that’s where you need to go, but it makes the existing overwhelm even more overwhelming. It’s really noisy and it will not give you all the answers.
Bring forward the inner you that already knows.
This helps you use the knowledge that exists in all parts of you, not just that small analytical part of your brain. Connect with everything that’s going on in a more grounded way.
Then make more informed choices.
It will be ok. You have the tools, the ability and the knowledge to do what you need to do.
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
Celebrate what you’re grateful for.
There’s war going on, refugee crises, racism, extreme weather and climate change, covid.
Yes, and… amidst all of what is going on for you right now, as you read this and listen, celebrate.
Celebrating can often be something that you skip over. And it’s also something that can really bring you a lot of sustenance through all the difficulty we’re living through right now. To lift up your spirits and get more energy.
We recorded this episode when sunny days were just starting to appear in The Netherlands, when covid measures were decreasing, and before Russia brought war upon the Ukraine – so we didn’t mention the most recent events in this episode.
Yes, and… celebration even in moments of increasing uncertainty and worry is not only possible, but important. Because it helps us connect with our resilience, with resonance, and gives us a much-needed boost in dopamine during rough times.
Appreciate what you’re grateful for. Hug your loved ones.
Celebrate what you can, when you can.
Celebrate what makes you feel alive.
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
On a stormy day (with severe weather warnings) we’re staying indoors and talk about covid fatigue, pandemic fatigue, languishing. We noticed how something has quietly crept into our spirits. And we notice how talking about it helps.
Dealing with our current covid reality is a permanent load to carry around. Covid takes up a big part of our already full plates. So many hoops to jump through – and they keep moving. With a pervasive undercurrent that makes it hard to recharge.
What are your words and metaphors for what you’re feeling?
Let’s give this the recognition that it deserves.
For us it's a lack of energy, a lack of bounce. We get tired and overwhelmed more easily. We have less space to be positive and resourceful. Responsibilities are pressing on us. Little bandwidth left and little space to turn it off. Less possibility available for downtime and replenishment. The ever-present stillness and aloneness gets so much bigger than it ever has been before.
Lack of choice and autonomy.
Lack of novelty.
Whether you want to acknowledge it in conversation or just go out into a field and scream, find an outlet. Air it out, all the stuff that’s been building. Let some of the fog get lighter and clearer.
There’s power in naming it. There’s even something that physically changes in you after naming the hard things. There’s movement, a bit of relief.
Then let's see where we go from there.
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
The complexity of situations, these days, is too high to use only one way of making decisions. You could follow Aristotle’s perspective, who said: obstacles are an opportunity to build character. Or Bruce Lee’s, instead: be water. Like a river hitting an obstacle, move around it like water. Which do you need right now? And what other perspectives are available? We talk about this with Kayvan Kian who, simply put, likes to create things that help. Kayvan’s an author, consultant and entrepreneur who inspires and supports leaders by looking at what is not here yet, and at what we can create to help each other. Recently, this took the shape of his new book called ‘What Is Wisdom?’ Over a number of rocky years, Kayvan realised that there are many perspectives you can take to make a decision. Reading philosophers, from the classic to the unconventional, turned out to be as great an inspiration as his own upbringing. The key he offers us is the possibility to switch between decision methods in various situations and on varying complex topics - like shifting gears in a car. Being aware of your natural tendencies and, in the moment, being aware of alternative perspectives. Then inviting yourself to switch. “It’s not about what should I have done, or what will I do next week, or tomorrow. It’s about what perspective is helpful right now.” “Because life is happening right now.” Bringing you more flexibility to adapt to a world that requires a lot from all of us. Creating this life as a living piece of art.
More about Kayvan Kian: https://kayvankian.com/ Books: ‘What Is Wisdom’, and ‘What is Water’
More about us: Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
Think about the things you may hear when you’re in a toxic personal relationship. Would you say those same things to a friend in a toxic employment relationship?
And what do you tell yourself?
“You’re making this up. It can’t be that bad.”
“You should’ve done more. You should’ve acted differently.”
“You shouldn’t complain because they’re so nice in other ways.”
“It’s ok for your boss to yell at you because it’s your boss.”
“It’s professional to just suck it up.”
“In the workplace I can be treated as less than human. I get a paycheck and somehow that is enough.”
What does that do to you in the long run?
Employment relationships, the relationships between human beings and the organisation they’re in, are in fact very much like personal relationships. And when an employment relationship turn dysfunctional or even toxic, relational trauma can genuinely be the outcome.
Stuck in a relationship because someone makes you believe it’s too risky to leave.
Eating away at your self-esteem.
What’s happening for you, how you respond, how it can stick with you and inform the way you react to what happens in your next job, and the next. It’s a natural human response to trauma, rather than you being incompetent at work.
We’ve been conditioned to believe that somehow in the workplace these things are excusable. Just because we’re getting a pay check to be there, we can be treated in ways that in a romantic relationship or in friendships we know shouldn’t be putting up with. Somehow, workplaces have been given an escape card for far too long. People have been given permission to get away with bad behaviour, even been promoted for it.
But bullying has nothing to do with leadership.
It’s useful to see the parallels and look at this differently, honestly, to see what actually happens. When uncomfortable and dysfunctional turns into traumatising. When to set boundaries, or get out. When to get the support you need. How not to perpetuate the cycle.
Lisa and Marjolijn both get personal in this episode. We share our own experiences with relational trauma at work, and our recovery.
Hope this helps you, or someone you know, on your journey to prevent or heal.
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
Curious about the 10 top People Impact Trends for the coming year, and decade?
This is where the world is turning.
This is what our antennae are picking up on what will impact and improve the way people lead and work together.
We smilingly noticed that several of our topics were showing up as trends, either ahead of time or simultaneously. So, let’s have some serious fun with this and intentionally look ahead with our own list of trends for the future of People Impact.
Addressing major shifts and developments, such as
- Organisations plunging into genuine relationship with employees
- Co-creating a bottom-up purpose
- Clear Listening as the new skill at the top of your wish list
- Drastic shifts in where people will live and (flexibly) work
- Resonant hopefulness and integrated resonance
- Celebrating an abundance of resourcefulness
And changes impacting our deeply human daily lives, like
- Acknowledging different kinds of rest
- Privacy as a human right – including your employee data
- Climate impact on your workdays, (remote) workplaces and diverse teams
- Life Integration replacing work-life balance
Have a listen and expand your perspective on what’s ahead for the people in your organization, and yourself.
Shout out to the sources of several of these ideas and developments:
- The impactfully purpose-diven Marnix Geus with SeePeople and their Do-Good Profiler to find bottom-up purpose
- The innovative, inspirational and creative brain of Sofia Mourato combining NVC and Compassionate Communication with Design Thinking
- Claude Silverhighlighting life-work balance over work-life balance
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
Article in Dutch:
- De 5 grootste ontwikkelingen waar je als professional op moet letten (in Dutch) https://mtsprout.nl/partners/persoonlijke-ontwikkeling/de-5-grootste-ontwikkelingen-waar-je-als-professional-op-moet-letten
Continuing what’s been evolving over the past year:
-
9 Trends That Will Shape Work in 2021 and Beyond https://hbr.org/2021/01/9-trends-that-will-shape-work-in-2021-and-beyond
-
10 Workplace Trends To Watch For In 2021 https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2021/01/11/10-workplace-trends-to-watch-for-in-2021/
There’s an age old question: Are Leaders born or made?
In our latest People Impact Podcast we explore this question and the ins and outs of Leadership.
Leadership is changing, evolving and being redefined. What used to be a small and privileged niche is now shifting, expanding and inviting us to reconsider some the old stories we used to buy into about Leadership.
Let’s face it, today, no one inside an organization is an island. We are interconnected, interdependent, and working together with other human beings is required no matter what kind of role you have.
Leadership is all about impact and you can have impact from any corner, any level, any chair, inside an organization.
Leadership ability starts with being able to understand yourself, being the leader of one before leading many. Leadership is also a daily (active) practice, it’s not a destination.
Leadership is about having a point of view - without judgment - owning your own point of view and accepting that it can and needs to co-exist with others.
The heart of the matter is that Leadership is a journey that beings wherever you are, right now. Just like being in intimate relationships, there’s an art and science to learning to do it well, and there’s a natural learning curve. And there's a HUGE power in holding your hand up and saying this is something “I want to learn”.
Leadership is an acquired skill set, an acquired mindset that all humans have capacity for. Take yourself seriously enough to slow down enough to observe and get curious about it.
You are a human being therefore you are also a leader.
Grant yourself the time and space to be the leader that is YOU.
Tune into the latest People Impact Podcast episode and hear how Leaders are made every day.
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
What is your truth? What are the systems that get in the way? And what will be your way to build unconditional belonging, nonetheless?
In this episode we explore the sincere insights and genuinely beautiful approach of Matthew Reynolds to create a fundamental impact on the intersectionality of oppression (systems of racism, colonialism, sexism, capitalism).
Matthew is a recent author, former teacher, artist. He is a facilitator and consultant in the DEI space with a deep perspective on the human experience, doing powerful, foundational work.
He gracefully and bravely shares his own lived experiences that now inform his work to help people craft their own equity lens.
An Equity lens is a tool crafted by the individual, utilising their own lived experiences. Ever evolving, as one meets new people, has new experiences, gains knowledge and wisdom, and recognizes what their own definition of antiracist work is. For the purpose of building unconditional belonging. A call to action.
This means exploring:
What is your truth?
What does it mean for you to become your biggest, fullest and brightest? And equally offering others that personal dignity?
What gets in the way?
In this conversation we talk about spotting limiting beliefs as well as systems that are hurtful and harmful. To the point where you can calmly be in conversation and say, “No thank you. I don’t subscribe to that ideology.”
When you craft your own equity lens, you will have a tool for yourself that shifts your consciousness and truly changes the culture around you. And, big picture: shifts the consciousness of humanity.
(Pre)order Matthew Reynolds’s book: ‘BIGGEST, FULLEST, BRIGHTEST: Shifting the Consciousness of Humanity’
https://www.mrrconsulting.org/store/biggest-fullest-brightest
More about Matthew: www.mrrconsulting.org
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
People have a life beyond their work desk. They have a mental health beyond the smile in your Zoom call. And they have a measure of success that is not, and should not be, the same measure of success for the organisation as a whole.
Our guest Susanne Grant, Dutchie living in Scotland, is an award-winning work-life balance expert and bestselling author of the book Drop the Motherfcking Struggle*. She supports organisations and individuals around the world to redefine success. With that new definition of success, they can have the impact they really desire without sacrificing health, relationships and well-being.
A degree, job title, money. Chasing the next thing and the next. So many hats we seem to need to wear in order to be good enough, to be successful. What’s your measurement of success? And who set that standard?
Susanne talks with us about where to start with finding your own real version of success, and about taking your health seriously as a success factor.
She shares her own story of redefining success, the symphony orchestra that includes our physical health and mental health, and how paying attention to that massively improved her health and well-being.
Success starts with how you define it for yourself individually, and grows through as many iterations as you need during the course of your life.
Susanne’s book: Drop the Motherf*cking Struggle
https://www.grantmethod.com/books.html
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
Fitting in is not the same as belonging.
In this new People Impact podcast episode, Lisa and I discuss a shift and a deepening in perspective around this useful distinction.
Belonging is not, does not look like or feel like fitting in.
This is an intentional levelling up beyond ‘cultural fit’.
Belonging means not trying to ask a square peg to cut off its corners to fit into a round hole – because those corners are part of who they are.
No one should be expected to cut off parts of who they are. That’s fitting in. Trying to fit in is toxic on a personal level. It can be exhausting. The world is moving on from the idea that you decide what normal is, what fits. Requiring people to fit in – or excluding them when they don’t – is not constructive. You lose out.
Belonging means letting people be more of themselves. Bringing more of their talents, skills and energy. You get so much more of a person when they get to bring themselves, especially those corners. It’s so much more conducive to collaboration and innovation.
It means that in your organisation, you get to be YOU-shaped, belonging and acknowledged for who YOU are. Knowing that all the parts of you matter. Your voice is welcome at the table.
So, in your organisation, are people really feeling, sensing, experiencing that they can bring all sides of their identity, and that they matter? Making that happen for your team is truly human leadership.
Look around you and see who’s there.
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
There is something kind of really genuinely dramatic going on.
We’ve faced exceptional stress over the past year-and-a-half and it’s breaking open something that’s been simmering below the surface for a long time. This is about facing a moment of reckoning.
People are choosing to leave jobs; it’s harder to find new people for certain roles.
The Great Resignation, what’s actually happening?
Feeling * sigh * resigned (pun intended) about that?
That passive energy may come from organisations having been too resigned, too passive about their actual people impact. The effects that seemingly minor but really essential choices have brought onto the human beings inside your organisation. And people not willing to put up with that impact on their lives anymore.
The good news: there are a lot of tools, initiatives, knowledge available now – to act differently. To reflect and choose to create a different people impact.
Be honest about what hasn’t been working for you anymore. Face forward. This is where we are today. The world is in a different place.
What are you saying no to, going forward, and what are you saying yes to?
What impact do your organisation and yourself want to have, what are you contributing to in the world?
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
Tap into your true resilience in order to cultivate your impact – in your organisation and in the world.
We had a great talk with Meg Mateer about her old definition and new definition of resilience:
From thinking resilience is about powering through, pushing yourself beyond your limits, “just get over it” and letting work be the ultimate priority in order for yourself to grow.
To acknowledging what is going on with you, understanding yourself as a system, with parts that are both ambitious and resistant, excited and anxious.
When you grow a better understanding of yourself as a system, you will also see more clearly what is going on in larger systems, in organisations and the wider world.
Meg is an organisational psychologist and consultant working at the intersection of strategy and emotional intelligence. She shares her personal story and rich learnings with us in this new episode.
The key insight Meg brings:
When you shift the way you relate to yourself, you shift the way you relate to others.
Meg’s podcast: Break Down Wake Up – the wisdom in our distress. https://www.breakdownwakeup.com/
Breaking down is wisdom waking up: transform distress into fuel for personal and professional growth
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
Beyond the static caused by assumptions and cliche, what is authenticity, really? And how does it infuse your people impact?
Authenticity comes from a really good understanding of yourself. It is about the impact you choose to make from a deep, grounded place, that doesn’t feel quick. A quiet clarity.
“Sometimes I can really feel it in my toes, bubbling up from my feet,” Lisa says.
In our brand-new People Impact Podcast episode, we address what authenticity is and what it isn’t.
How to get there, and how you know you’re ‘in it’.
The effect your own authenticity has on yourself and the people around you.
What is that people impact that you see happening when there’s more authenticity in your actions?
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com <- our brand new email address
Getting fresh insights about working together just got even better for you, because the HR Matters Podcast is no more! 😮
We’re now the People Impact Podcast. 😊
Because People Matter.
Have a listen to the first episode of season 6 to hear more about the space this opens up to expand your perspective. To grow your vision. To have actual, purposeful, useful impact on the way people lead and work together in organisations.
Pick up new ideas and views on (personal) leadership and how human beings interact effectively in the workplace. Get curious and inspired about your people impact.
And if you’re curious to hear a bit more about us, Lisa and Marjolijn, you’ll enjoy this episode too.
On the People Impact Podcast!
You’ll see our new name appearing soon across our platforms and social media accounts.
More about us:
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Reach us both at HRMatters@gmail.com
Hey HR professional, do you think you may be underpaid for the value you bring to your organisation and its people?
This episode is for you. It’s our final episode of season five, and the last one specifically for you HR pros out there. We’re going out with a bang :)
We applaud the high standard of integrity of HR professionals to not misuse their knowledge of confidential information about other employee salaries.
We clear up a bunch of misconceptions about HR salaries.
We recognise that the gender pay gap plays a part, and we know that you as HR professionals can contribute to making it smaller. Up that benchmark. And up your negotiation skills.
“I appreciate that offer, but I really think that what I can bring to this role is worth far more.”
Negotiate your HR salary with integrity. Have a listen to hear our top tips.
PS: Podcast season 6 will be available soon, with a major update!
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at HRMatters@gmail.com
In the best led businesses, leaders are actively in the game, and they connect with people: heads up, engage.
You can do that pragmatically – and easily – once you look through the right lens. Pamela Hackett, our new guest, offers you a new perspective.
She is CEO of Proudfoot, a firm that does meaty transformation processes. The people element is always at the backbone of this work.
“We always start with the people side,” Pam states. “Because that’s going to pay back in spades.”
She talks about leadership insights inspired by bad hair day moments (there’s a good story!) to turn up the volume on employee engagement.
Discover the secret of the concept 1-5-30 in this episode: “If there was nothing else that you were able to do in your life as a manager, I would ask you to do 1-5-30.”
Get in the game to really know what’s going on in your organisation.
Referenced:
More about Pamela Hackett: https://proudfoot.com/leaders/pamela-hackett/
Pam’s new book: ‘Manage to Engage: How Great Managers Create Remarkable Results’ https://proudfoot.com/manage-to-engage/
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at HRMatters@gmail.com
“I had to learn to create my own brave space.” Madhu Mathoera is bicultural: born and raised in The Hague (The Netherlands) by parents from Surinam. Her mission is to make organisations in The Netherlands more inclusive. We’re a diverse country, almost 25% have a diverse background – but we don’t see that in organisations. Being bicultural as part of Madhu’s identity brought her a lot: she learned how to comfortably switch between contexts but also to create her own place in the world. This episode is about connecting, listening to learn, creating a brave space. Diversity of ideas and talent, markets and customers. Opportunities for growth, both organisational and personal. And about a bicultural Bollywood & DJ Jean wedding. Have a listen to find out more.
Referenced: Meer over en van Madhu Mathoera (in Dutch): https://beetopofmind.nl/bee-s-madhu/ Madhu Mathoera on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madhumathoera/
More about us: Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en Reach us both at HRMatters@gmail.com
Let’s be honest, we live in a world where change is the only constant. However, the level of change in the world of work that we’ve collectively experienced since early 2020 has been unprecedented.
Now that we’re on the back side of second waves and more businesses and services are opening up (in most places), we’re seeing some powerful and unique shifts in employment.
People who are in high power jobs are leaving them without an immediate alternative to go to. People without work are choosing to not take certain opportunities - especially in the hospitality and food industries.
So what is going on here?
In this episode we explore what’s happening below the surface and what you can do about it!
Tune in to hear more.
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at HRMatters@gmail.com
People aren’t ‘resistant to change’. Each human being simply has a natural response to change. That’s what Rishita Jones is crystal clear on. Rishita’s an HR transformation expert and change manager extraordinaire who enables teams to evolve and businesses to modernise. In this new HR Matters Podcast episode, Rishita explains what makes teams come together to make change happen. Spotting how all elements of a change dynamic are interconnected; looking at the whole system instead of just the operational pieces. Giving teams the ability to see the connection between what they want to do, what they’re good at, what gives them joy, and what the organisation needs. Building change capability is about embedding change competency into the day-to-day work that we do. Unravelling the tangle of HR and change management – Rishita achieves that by truly validating assumptions, asking more questions, listening. Have a listen to find out more.
More about Rishita Jones: https://nrg-hr.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/rishita-jones/
More about us: Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en Reach us both at HRMatters@gmail.com
10.9 trillion dollars’ worth of work in this world is invisible. That invisibility has real life financial and psychological consequences. What’s the deal here? Marieke Mooijen coaches people on leading themselves and making women more aware of what they have to pull off every day. She’s our guest in this new episode on economically invisible work. Economically invisible work includes work around raising children, informal care work, managing a household. In some parts of the world includes things as essential as building a fire and getting the water to get the day started. It’s both cognitive and emotional labour, the combination of which makes you the Worrier in Chief and brings a significant mental load. So much work that is done in the private sphere is not recognised as work. The consequences of this fall unequally, mostly on women. What we’ve seen happen in the pandemic is that the invisible workload increased. Women were expected to take the lion’s share of it. Couldn’t combine it anymore with their paid workload. Lost their jobs most frequently. We need a reframe. This work is real. The skills are real. Anticipation, planning, executing, evaluating. From managing stakeholders to manual labour. Invisible workers: put your economically invisible work on your cv and on your LinkedIn profile. Don’t leave out a huge part of your life and skills. Marieke founded a LinkedIn company page for you, Economically Invisible Work International, that you can list as your employer right here on your profile. Recruiters: recognise and ask about people’s transferable skills. Couples and families: talk about this invisible work. Make it visible to make it valuable. Be proud of your experience, skills and accomplishments. Start the conversation. Make an inventory. Divide the work more equally. It’s the work that enables real life.
Referenced: More about Marieke Mooijen: https://www.mariekemooijen.nl/en/ The mental load: https://english.emmaclit.com/2017/05/20/you-shouldve-asked/ Eve Rodsky and the Fair Play card game https://www.everodsky.com/ Your invisible employer: Economically Invisible Work International https://www.linkedin.com/company/economically-invisible-work/
More about us: Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en Reach us both at HRMatters@gmail.com
Creating architecture: the structure for organisations and people to work together effectively. And creating cultures: the interaction between humans and the organisations they work in.
That’s the real purpose of HR work.
Our wish for this field (that hopefully soon won’t be called HR anymore) is to make it lighter, faster, more constructive. Continuously improving, with meaning and purpose.
All those check-the-box exercises of what your textbook says HR should be doing? Konmari your way through them and let it go(ooo).
Figure out what pieces of your work are foundational for your organisation and constructive for its people - what purpose do these pieces serve? Why do they matter? Why are they important? Really thinking this through will take you to the opposite of checking-the-box work.
Allow yourself to actually deliver on the promise of providing a good structure for the people in your organisation to thrive in. Create effective spaces for people to work and collaborate together.
There is real value in that.
If it sounds overly simplified, that’s because of all the dead weight that is dropped. Giving you lots more room to breathe.
And we promise: shedding that ballast can be a lot of fun.
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at HRMatters@gmail.com
The value of feeling seen and heard.
We know it matters.
Making that happen, genuinely seeing and hearing others, and doing that in a conscious and intentional way - that’s a piece of personal growth with real life impact.
This episode is about the ability to notice others. To slow down and see the whole person, not just the deliverables that we needed done yesterday.
See that they have a life beyond the role they play in your organisation. Asking, noticing, remembering what it is that this person likes to talk about, cares about.
This means being curious, noticing and engaging with people as real human beings, even the ones you normally wouldn’t talk with.
That matters, exponentially.
And guess what: when you notice people, they’ll notice you, and what you care about.
Referenced in this episode:
‘The art and science of noticing others’ https://thriveglobal.com/stories/the-art-and-science-of-noticing-others
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at HRMatters@gmail.com
Feedback. We all know it’s important. We know people benefit and grow from really great feedback. So why is really good feedback so scarce in our workplaces?
Feedback in its purest form is an act of vulnerability on the part of both the giver and receiver. And this makes it uncomfortable.
Still despite the discomfort it is valuable. Consider the cost of the mental load you carry around each day thinking or worrying about people, situations and their behavior / impact. It’s likely huge.
By redefining feedback, taking it out of the space of fixing, having answers and shifting it to curiosity, openness and real authenticity so much more becomes possible.
Tune into this episode to hear more about how you can start redefining feedback in your organization today and why it’s important.
(For more information on the SBI feedback model visit: https://www.ccl.org/articles/leading-effectively-articles/closing-the-gap-between-intent-vs-impact-sbii/)
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.leadershiplabs.eu - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/ - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/
Reach us both at HRMatters@gmail.com
Imagine you’re trying to bring more diversity and inclusion to the Canadian forestry sector: a sector where the traditional image of diversity used to be a woman in heels holding a saw.
Kelly Cooper, the founder and CEO of the Centre for Social Intelligence, is excited about the changes she is seeing in Canada. She was able to realise an industry-wide initiative and created the first public-private partnership on diversity and inclusion in the natural resources sector. She built this step by step, got leverage and raised funds to achieve gender equality and the meaningful inclusion of women, Indigenous peoples, and new Canadians at all levels. Kelly explains that D&I makes a difference for the economy, but also for society: when we create greater equality at work, other options and roles for people’s lives, there’s more room for everyone to choose what works for them – for their health (men’s life expectancy) and families (spending time with kids) too. “Have that position of curiosity as your front foot, and go forth with that, and see what happens. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.” Referenced in this episode: Kelly Cooper provides a blueprint on how to set out the vision and framework, and get the c-suite on board, in her book ‘Lead the Change, the Competitive Advantage of Diversity & Inclusion’. https://www.centreforsocialintelligence.ca/ Free to grow in Forestry: “Everyone’s free to grow in their career.” www.freetogrowinforestry.ca
More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.leadershiplabs.eu - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/
Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/ - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/
Reach us both at HRMatters@gmail.com
It has profound impact on how people show up at work and yet it hardly ever gets addressed. It’s all that is not on paper, but that is implied, assumed and perceived.
Alongside the legal employment agreement there is the psychological contract: the actual relationship between organisation and employee. And just like the relationships in your personal life it takes work that is worth the investment.
The psychological contract has lots more impact on our day-to-day behaviour at work than that piece of paper that you signed or that policy handbook on your intranet.
It impacts how much people are willing to contribute and what they think of you as an employer. It starts from the moment someone even considers applying for a job until after they’ve left.
It gets built in the mesh of relationships in your workplace. Built of expectations, assumptions, perspectives in someone’s head that you can’t really know until you talk about them.
You don’t know unless you ask.
By addressing this, you can signal, clarify and understand those assumptions so much better.
This will help you honour the deal that people – including you – feel they have with their employer: trusting my employer to invest in me in a way that is balanced with what I invest in my work.
This is your way to building trust and facilitating change.
More about us:
- Lisa Dempsey – https://www.leadershiplabs.eu - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/
- Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/
Reach us both at HRMatters@gmail.com
Bernice Feller-Thijm is an inclusion strategist who helps organisations truly create a diverse and inclusive culture. Especially after the surge of the BLM movement, conversations started happening within organisations that hadn’t been had before. What became all the more apparent is that right now, not everyone gets to participate in the same way. What helps is firstly to have a lot of conversations, to grow our understanding: we all have different lived experiences. Every organisation and group of people is different, with its own history and systems. So Bernice starts bottom-up to transform existing history into something constructive and future proof. Don’t underestimate how much time it takes. You don’t go to the gym once and expect to be fit right away. You cannot expect that everything is going to be different after just one conversation or training. This is about retraining your brain and realising your brain made shortcuts. You cannot undo [insert your age] years of brain training in one afternoon. Then hold each other accountable. If you’re going to change the culture and not change the KPIs, it won’t work. Integrate this into your organisation to make lasting change. Flex that muscle. Let’s get fitter!
More about us: Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en Reach us both at HRMatters@gmail.com
Are you literate in reading all the relevant information?
With all that’s going on around us, and inside you, it’s high time to process and digest.
All that’s in your head and in your heart – and also in your body. Neuroscience shows that the nerves in our entire body are constantly picking up, and giving off, signals. A whole rich field of information that’s available to you.
What are you noticing? Weight on your shoulders, carrying a lot on your back, your belly full of this? Slow down and just observe. No harm done in just observing.
Perhaps put words to it. Then consciously choose, rather than be swept away in the moment. That’s a genuine leadership skill and a fundamental part of emotional intelligence. It helps you lead by example, build trust and psychological safety for others.
For yourself, this will help you find out what you truly need, especially now that a lot of ways to cope and recharge are unavailable. Go from being annoyed to curious and more kind to yourself.
Then suddenly, you have options. Suddenly there is space, instead of being boxed in.
More about us:
-
Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu
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Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at HRMatters@gmail.com
Eden Whitcomb is not just any tech recruiter in Berlin. In our new HR Matters podcast episode, Eden tells us how he started out with great sales skills (as you do, in recruitment) and then got curious to grow further. He started to work out the patterns and trends in the work that he’d been doing.
In one year, he recruited 97% men and 3% women. What was happening here, he wanted to figure out, and is that really what clients – and he himself – wanted?
Organisations that want to diversify ask for proper consulting. This is what we intend to do, can you help us get there?
Eden explains how figuring out what you’re doing, how, and why, helps you move forward with a clearer head.
Contributing to something bigger than yourself, and creating that for yourself, is Eden’s story. He is doing meaningful things, not just talking about them.
And he has some gems of tips of course.
“I guarantee you, at some point you can make a difference. Even if it’s just the one person, that person can speak to the right person, and that’s how things can evolve.”
Referenced by Eden in this episode (Berlin based and international):
· Women Techmakers https://www.womentechmakers.com/
· Py Ladies https://pyladies.com/
· Berlin geekettes https://www.geekettes.io/
If you work in HR, you’ll recognise this. If you don’t, this may be an eye opener for you.
As HR professionals, we are the vault for a lot of secrets. We hold so much information for other people.
Life happens right in our workplaces, and HR professionals take on a big part of dealing with that. Hiring to firing – for right or wrong reasons. New life to health issues and death. Financial troubles. Harassment, discrimination. Politics.
Too often, we get little space to process that.
And it dramatically impacts the way we interact in the organisation. The way we authentically interact with other humans. Because when there’s no room to process, we feel the need to put up protective blockers that makes us more robotic; that dehumanise us.
Julie Turney, our new guest, cares for the people that care for our people every day. After a solid career in HR and corporate, she now is an HR for HR support coach: supporting the people who support the people.
Julie warmly recommends you to (re)familiarise yourself with who you are and why you entered into your HR career. To understand your HR voice. You are not defined by your organisation. You are so much more than that.
And you’re not a robot.
This is how we (re)humanise our workplaces.
Referenced:
Julie Turney’s podcast HR Sound-Off https://anchor.fm/hrsoundoff
Book: Confessions of an HR Pro (to pre-order now) https://hratheart.co/book/
When you’re wishing and actively aiming for big picture change around diversity, inclusion, equity, equality and justice, that means you’re making long-term behaviour change happen, from personal awareness to large systems. And you can’t fix that all with a snap of the finger.
The topic of our newest episode can play a vital role in your journey: communities. They’re the place where you can get support, offer support and boost each other keep making steps on a regular basis. This is where real resilience comes from.
What is more, we are social animals. By nature, we want to connect and belong, and that especially goes for people who understand the value of belonging from personal experience.
We talk about how to find and grow your communities:
By noticing opportunities to join, or create them.
By realising that it matters how you show up.
And by taking inventory of the communities you already are a part of, how they serve you, and what else you would wish for.
If you’re listening to this and feeling, ‘Oh I could use me some resilience and some community?’ feel free to check in with us. There are great communities in our HR Matters network and if we can make a connection for you, we’d be happy to do that.
The first thing we want to start off our brand-new season with is a tandem of two tools to help you feel lighter and see new possibilities.
Looking ahead at 2021, we are more than eager to go forward and get out of the heavy, sticky place that is right now. Logical problem solving doesn’t always get you there. In times like these, what you need is a deeper resourcefulness that we all have inside of us.
First:
Gratitude. Taking a pause and figuring out what is the gift in this moment, amongst all of the crap, the hard stuff, the weight, the challenges. What is the good that is also here? What am I gaining here?
Pausing and reflecting on that will give you space to breathe. It will make that which you can appreciate in your situation more tangible and real.
Please know that the practice of gratitude – it genuinely is a practice, not something that automatically happens – is not about bypassing the hard stuff. It’s perfectly ok not to be ok.
Let the things that you’re sad or frustrated about be a smaller part of what you spend your time thinking of by adding more thoughts on what you’re grateful for.
Second:
Looking at your situation from a totally different angle will help you spark new ideas. Shifting your perspective gives lightness. It brings your brain the freedom of creativity.
Learning how to deal with hard times will be helpful at any time and in any circumstance.
It makes so much more possible.
He was having a great life and career path, yet Garry Turner felt a heartache. So he got curious.
“This is not the whole of me,” he realised. “There are more sides to me that I want to bring out.”
Garry is an interpersonal catalyst who combines commercial expertise with a deep understanding of culture and people - and increasingly, inclusion.
From his international sales job he upskilled to organisational development and added that to his role in the same organisation.
In this episode, Garry tells us that what made this happen was tuning in with the question ‘What is the impact I want to have right now?’
The offer he presented the organisation was: you’ll get 100% of me, and not just 55%.
He highlights the blend in that offer:
- Being clear on who you are, what you believe in and what you value.
- And also understanding the business enough to bring your idea or challenge in terms of what the decision makers can understand and value.
The next step on Garry’s horizon is to raise opportunities to increase diversity and inclusion in his organisation.
We look forward to this next iteration of Garry Turner.
And to the next iteration of you.
Where will you start?
More from Garry:
The Value Through Vulnerability Podcast, with Mike Vacanti & Garry Turner: https://anchor.fm/valuevulnerability
Cash flow, creativity and compassion are not mutually exclusive.
Our new HR Matters podcast guest Maria Ross discovered how empathy is the superpower of marketers while working as a brand strategist, researched the competitive advantages of empathy to customers and employees, and poured it all into her book ‘The Empathy Edge’.
This episode is about putting empathy to work.
Empathy is a mindset, a method of perspective taking: seeing the world from another person’s point of view. It doesn’t mean you have to agree, but that you have an understanding of their context and see them as a whole human being.
It’s about gathering information from taking that other perspective and then using that insight to make informed decisions that are actually appreciated.
When you have happy, fulfilled employees who feel seen, heard and valued, they’re going to innovate more, collaborate better and deliver an amazing customer experience.
Your business practice can make empathy the default mode of operation when you build an environment where empathy is rewarded, modelled and acknowledged.
As humans, we are wired for empathy. It’s a muscle you can strengthen to get to ‘I want more of this, let’s keep going.’
This year’s been busy for remote working enthusiast – we’d say guru, really – Lisette Sutherland! She opens up her treasure chest to share her insights on how to keep this remote working adventure going well. Because it looks like we’ll be working from home for a longer time, both by necessity and choice.
Lisette’s first and biggest tip: get comfortable in your workspace.
Wherever you’re working, figure out what you (and your team) need to be productive and design your work around that.
Remote working and in-person office working are two different things and it works best to design them differently. It’s like radio vs tv: they both offer their own unique limits and opportunities.
Break up your 2D screen time overload and set up new routines for real connective human discussions.
“We really need to pay attention to each other, and reach out.”
Very few people want to go back to working in the office 100% of the time – or from home 100% of the time. We want the freedom to choose when and where we’re most productive.
So let’s set everything up and design it in the best possible way: what is going to work best for us?
Referenced:
Collaboration Superpowers: https://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com/
Lisette Sutherland, author: https://lisettesutherland.com/
Oatmeal cartoon: 'Why working from home is both awesome and horrible' https://theoatmeal.com/comics/working_home
It is the only safe and solid ground for the diversity of thinking that is essential to create a solidly successful business:
Trust.
And yet, creating it is something that leaders tend to skip over.
We’ve seen that strong teams with a high level of trust are created after they have worked together for an extended time span, or gone through a galvanising crisis. Our guest Jason Treu talks us through how to replicate that creation of trust.
How do you build bridges with different people and competing interests?
Jason created the ‘Cards Against Mundanity’ game to bring connection and belonging through getting to know people on a Real level. Asking the questions prompted by these cards helps teams share personal experiences that wouldn’t otherwise come up in daily work convo.
Seeing how similar we really are, opens the door to celebrating each other and connecting.
And it rockets trust between people. Conversations that move things forward.
Open the door a little bit and then there’s a world of opportunity.
When you commit to being an ally at work and want to take meaningful antiracist action, there are various roles you can take on, to fit with who you are, where you are and what you are particularly good at.
We talk about some good examples of this in our newepisode:
- Recommending Black people and people of colour, actively talking about their expertise and skills. Inviting an investment in the person you’re recommending.
- Inviting people to be visible with their knowledge and expertise, creating room on a podium.
- Amplifying people’s voices to make sure they’re getting room to be heard.
- Inviting diverse people and perspectives when you see they’re not represented.
- Investigating, reading about, researching knowledge and experiences.
- Speaking up and speaking out - being the opposite of a silent bystander.
- Creating safe spaces for people to tell their stories, share their experiences.
This is our invitation to you to make a well-informed choice on how you want to participate. Choose what is most resonant with who you are and what you have the opportunity to do. Understand the value that it provides.
And keep it going. Working together, we’re moving the needle.
Referenced in this episode:
'7 Examples of What Being an Ally at Work Really Looks Like', by Karen Catlin https://www.themuse.com/advice/what-is-an-ally-7-examples
Viktória Pikovská, a professional photographer and art business owner, tells us her personal leadership story.
Viktória’s journey brought her from Slovakia, where she captured human emotion in photography, to the art scene in Rotterdam, where she started her own art business.
Starting a business that connects to her purpose, and providing a human-centred work environment for her own team, has proven as important as the purpose of the business itself:
Finding just the right piece of art for their clients that brings a positive, energising impulse to the people in the space.
Viktoria’s start-up Victory Art works with underrepresented artists from Eastern Europe to help them develop their voice and find a place on the global art market: they look for unique, powerful art where other people aren’t looking.
“This is what drives me forward,” Viktoria explains.
Because art creates connection between people. When people feel connected, they feel closer to each other, to work as a team and create something amazing.
It goes far beyond what hangs on your wall, it connects your whole team and builds your vision.
At all times. Particularly now. It is going to get better, but in the meantime:
Resilience.
There are a million and one things our minds are trying to solve. Our brains are in overdrive trying to solve problems that are, at the moment, largely unsolvable.
Ask your brain to slow down. Give yourself permission to say, right now, for a few moments, I’m not trying to solve anything.
Your brain needs a break.
And a dash of gratitude. About anything big or small that you appreciate today.
Bringing in the gratitude and stopping all of the other thoughts. Just for a few moments. It’s in the small things and brief moments that are so easy to take for granted, and in the brief moments. They are important.
This time is really about reinventing new routines, new patterns of behaviour. Redesigning the structures of how you recharge. Get really conscious about what it is that you need.
Because you need to recharge to be able to do the things that you find important – and to do them effectively.
Turning them into habit is a part of the key. Recharge, connect, rebuild structures, make a conscious choice.
Be brave, reach out. You don’t need to have to figure everything out on your own, not even this. Reconnect - to yourself and to the bigger world. And keep going.
With everything that’s going on in the world right now, how do you and your organisation show up? The clearer you get on that, the stronger and more beneficial it gets for your bottom line, for your people, for yourself.
The current levels and arenas of crisis impact everyone and they come with a lot of rigidity, divisiveness, tenseness. We can guarantee your customers, your employees, your business are all impacted.
It’s a lot, right?
So how do you continue as an organisation, as a professional, with all of this flying around? What do you do when, no matter what you do as a business, someone will point a finger?
Take a birds’ eye view.
Consider what you want to be telling your grandchildren, or your great-grandchildren, about how you showed up in 2020 and onward.
Surf the waves knowing that you did what you intended to do, what you find important, with conscious and deliberate choices.
Getting to choose how you show up is the biggest gift. This is the real opportunity in the crisis.
Make your business one of the things that people can feel good about.
Listen to this new episode and hear more about how this works and what it will bring you.
Did you realise? It’s always in the room. Unwritten expectations that influence and guide the day-to-day actions and decisions in your organisation. You see it in how people show up, in how they interact.
This episode looks at systemic thinking and specifically at how a systems perspective can help us diminish racism in work environments – even where you hadn’t noticed the impact of it before.
What are the things that are said and done, or maybe not said and done, in your workplace?
This is how we do, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
This episode invites you to consciously choose what you want to contribute to.
We offer some suggestions and welcome your additions.
What are the things you can start doing? And keep doing?
Can you support people that contribute to improvement and that speak up; can you listen?
And can you start holding people accountable for their KPIs, goals, behaviour?
You are not the whole system. You’re not responsible for the whole thing, but you can play your part.
Your part in building workplaces where we all can grow.
Referenced:
Ijeoma Oluo, Facebook Live video (July 23, 2020) https://www.facebook.com/ijeoma.oluo/videos/10157146382972676/
Talking personal leadership: kind, funny, outspoken, courageous. That’s what Laura Khalil brings in her work and to this episode. In all of her initiatives, Laura Khalil helps ambitious women and allies live well and lead well.
We talked with Laura about taking charge of the things we can control in our lives, recognising the things we can’t and moving forward with a lot of grace.
Honestly asking ourselves: what is the role I’m playing in my working life and how is that serving me?
And: How good can it get?
That’s when you start to write your own story.
The follow-up step Laura presents is to reframe how other people think about you. When someone sees you as less than, as a stereotype, a woman, a minority, misjudging one part of your identity, instead of valuing all you bring to the table.
Bringing awareness to what they’re saying, with empathy, is her powerful way to open up that conversation.
Holding space for them to respond, with courage and a sense of humour.
“Let’s have a conversation about what’s really going on here.”
You can find out more about Laura and her work here: https://www.bravebydesign.net
Diversity & inclusion is a journey. Strengthening it in your work environment is, as Vivian Acquah sees it, like a dish that requires marinating and developing flavour.
Vivian is the Workplace Wellness advocate who contributes to keeping your employees happy, healthy and safe.
She recently published an article with actionable advice on how to dismantle racism in the workplace.
When you realise that this is something you want to contribute to, where do you start?
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Addressing racism in your organisation starts with providing a safe environment for people to speak up.
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Remind people you’re a company of diversity and inclusion, inside and outside the organisation.
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There’s room for leaders to be on this journey.
“I would rather feel valued in a company that is doing their best to raise awareness,” Vivian says, “to bring leaders towards listening and learning”.
We’d love to see you walking. Taking more than just one step, one checklist, procedure or training.
One-time initiatives such as awareness or bias training can be fun, but they don’t work. That’s simply because one training will not make the permanent positive change happen that you’re looking for – more on this in our next episode, subscribe if you’d like to hear.
This is about listening to people’s experiences and learning, nudging your co-workers to do so too.
“Changing the day-to-day to making more space for people to actually get to know one another as human beings and build real connections.”
Keeping those conversations going.
And share your recipes! :)
Referenced:
https://thriveglobal.com/stories/5-ways-to-dismantle-racism-in-the-workplace/
5 Ways To Dismantle Racism In The Workplace
The world of work is hard enough as it is, so why is it that we laugh so little in the work place? And why might laughter be important?
In this episode of HR Matters, we explore the value and importance of laughter, comedy and what our guest Chris Tabish calls Comediology. In fact he found it so valuable he wrote a whole book about it by this very name.
As Chris says, there’s this thing called “ourselves” we forget about having in business. It’s so easy to get caught up in benchmarking, reporting, analysis and what everybody else thinks we forget that we actually have an opinion - in fact we even have an authority inside ourselves.
Hear how Chris learned in his journey that the tools we learned in comedy actually helped him in business. By connecting better with people, learning not to take himself and others so seriously a whole new layer emerged, a more effective self - that could have fun while getting stuff done too!
Learn to embrace who you are, embrace your version of funny. You are magical and special exactly as you are and most importantly….. Be yourself because everybody else is taken.
You can probably hear it in our voices... this is a topic that really matters to us: systemic racism and the journey towards diversity, equity and inclusion.
We are two white, cis, middle class, international women – which informs our perspective.
We have a very deep commitment to inclusion.
We know the value of inclusion: it unleashes innovation and allows any kind of organisation to thrive. Making your business stronger and to make humans welcome – that’s the heart of inclusion.
Inclusion for all people, regardless of what skin tone they happen to have.
Thanks to the speed and force of recent developments, conversation and actions can no longer be pushed back on the agenda.
This is about how you and your business show up in the world, today and tomorrow. This is your call to courage.
We want this to be a marathon of conversations and actions. We want us all to keep this up long-term. Because we can’t fix this in an instant. It’s intricate and takes time to understand.
And it isn’t a marathon you can run on your own.
Find people to have these conversations with and connect with. We’d be happy to talk and connect, ourselves.
How do you know your worth?
Part of this is investing in yourself.
On the newest HR Matters Podcast episode, we talk with Denise Liebetrauabout making sense of compensation and benefits, both from a business perspective as well as for individuals.
We talk about individual human perspectives and conversations on comp and ben. Your own comp and ben. This is about knowing what you deliver that is of value, and how to articulate that.
“If you can get really clear on who you are, what your skills are and what you deliver that’s of value, you can gain a level of confidence in yourself.”
Then, it’s time to listen to the words used most in your organisation.
“Every company has its own language and definition of success.”
Get clear on what you are delivering that is of value, in the words and metrics of your organisation. Incorporate that and gently but clearly articulate that story. Build the reputation that allows people around you to recognise the value you bring. Then your story will be incredibly powerful.
The real goal is: when you know your worth internally, it matters much less what the external opinions are about you. That’s where the real power comes in.
What is your definition of success?
Referenced: https://prosperconsultingllc.com/ to contact Denise and receive her free 5-step process on the collaborative approach to difficult conversations.
Diversity and Inclusion consultant Toby Mildon enables D&I in culture and business systems, and he just published a book called Inclusive Growth.
In this episode wetalk with Toby about the wide range of diversity: race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, physical and neurodiversity, and more.
With his background in tech, he points us to the importance of culture combined with the power of technology – as well as the importance of diversity & inclusion in the tech sector itself.
“How do people arrive to work in the morning, feeling like they belong in the organisation – that they want to stick around, that they can do their best work. That’s where we need to take the conversation to.”
To a way of behaving, a way of being with people.
Culture is the sum of all small to big behaviours in the workplace.
Toby highlights his approach of championing and supporting people at the top of organisations to really lead the way and demonstrate inclusive behaviours.
“Inclusive leaders are bold and they’re not afraid to rock the boat.”
They’re comfortable with uncomfortable conversations.
They’re open to new information.
How is your brain dealing today?
At the start of our 4th HR Matters podcast season and before talking with new guests in the space of work, in this episode we get personal, talking about what it is like to live and lead right now.
There’s been nothing gradual about the transitions we’ve been experiencing. We see vast changes ahead that will have more ripple effects, happening to real people, in the economy, in cultures, in the environment. So much that is Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous.
We’ve talked about the VUCA world before, but this is VUCA on hyperspeed, on steroids. Our lack of ability to predict makes this rough. It takes whatever you’re feeling and makes that ten times bigger.
Dealing with this is at the heart of Lisa’s work as a leadership coach. Coaching now more than ever is needed and relevant.
We talk about how constructive it is to share your experiences and process together, to create space in your head. To reflect on what you really need and what really matters. To connect, reflect and process in meaningful ways. So the big decisions don’t materialise from the fight-or-flight system of your brain.
Getting that clarity and intention is extremely valuable to make the right decisions when they need to be taken. Turn volatility into vision and uncertainty into understanding of what we really need and what really matters. Turn complexity into meaningful change and shift ambiguity into a genuine agility and resilience.
There is no clean, elegant exit plan B but a whole lot of trial and error as the world tries to figure out: where do we go from here.
How much our lives have changed right now around work, home and families. Finding new ways, new rhythms. Moving online, squeezing a desk into the bedroom, finding a quiet space for a call, finding work hours that work for you.
In our final episode of season three features our former co-host and current fav guest of honour Shea Harty:
“I definitely had to adjust my way of thinking, thinking of what ‘normal’ is.”
“Trying to fit the current situation into what we used to do was the wrong approach, I realised quite quickly.”
What you need, to do your work well, has changed, into brand new categories: home situations and personalities have a different impact now.
What we have in common is that we’re all working on figuring this out as we find ways and keep adapting them to the evolving context outside.
“What I’m really hoping is that we find a new way of working that no one’s ever thought of before. That it takes into account how different people are, the way they work.”
With stress levels that allow for a good life outside work.
With awareness and meaning in your work.
And asking for what you need to support that.
Get some practice in now, and keep it going!
How can you tell if an organisational culture is healthy? Research shows that psychological safety is the centerpiece of organisational culture, a bellwether for how an organisation is doing.
Because it reflects basic human needs: if those aren’t met, you can’t compensate with other things.
Dr Timothy R. Clark, leadership consultant, has researched the four stages of psychological safety and presents a clear framework.
In this episode we speak with Dr Clark about his framework and how you identify what the group dynamic is in your team.
This helps you find out where the room for improvement is in your situation.
As Dr Clark puts it: “You either create a great culture, or you’re getting in the way.”
With this clarity, there’s much you can do.
Psychological safety is a competitive necessity, it is the lubricating oil that an organisation needs to survive and thrive.
“Get the people together, tell them what the situation is, ask them how are we going to solve this.”
In this new episode of the HR Matters Podcast, we speak with Tom van der Lubbe, ceo of Viisi, about ‘people first’ in times of crisis.
Viisi has a double purpose: to change the world of finance, and to put people first, changing the way we work.
In these extraordinary circumstances they found that their priorities stay the same:
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Solidarity first, and nothing else. Everybody keeps their job. We’re in this together.
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Check your liquidity. The hierarchy reverses here: shareholders chip in first.
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A crisis is always an opportunity as well. For spotting great behaviour, taking constructive actions, building an even stronger team.
Viisi is seeing the empowerment, responsibility and ownership rise in their team.
When you create solidarity and psychological safety in an organisation, people really do want to show up for one another, and they will - because they value the business and their work.
There will always be difficult economic times. The question is always: how do you treat the people in your organisation?
Have a plan beforehand. And put people first always.
Your team will be even stronger after this crisis.
“Every person plays a role in the organisational culture. Every single person plays a role.”
In our currently shifting world of work, we spoke with Adé Adeniji for this podcast episode.
Adé works on building workplaces where people feel like they can show up and be their best selves.
You may be reading about how to make workplaces great, but don’t know how to make that actually happen. It remains an aspirational thing.
This is about finding the courage to step forward: Hey I want my workplace to become like this. What can I do to make it happen?
Be aware of what you want to create.
Rather than wait for someone else to take the initiative.
Stand up and be courageous.
Especially now.
What you want is to press pause and go: ‘What am I doing when it comes to creating the organisational culture that I would love to see?’
There is always a ‘we’ in organisations, and how you show up in that ‘we’ always has an impact.
The starting point is realising that this is a conversation where you explore and bring things to light, rather than come out with answers or prescriptions.
That takes courage and vulnerability.
Be brave and afraid at the same moment.
Dance with it.
“When you really put your people first, we think it’s logical that the rest will follow automatically,”states Marc-Peter of Viisi,a Dutch mortgage advice company that aims to change the world of finance.
“We like to keep it very simple. We have one rule and that’s the Golden Rule: treat others like you want to be treated. Everything we do flows from that.”
Marjolijn: “Why I’m so excited about Viisi is that lots of people are interested in that, but you’re actually doing it.”
MPP: “Yeah, that’s why I’m here!”
This new episode of the HR Matters podcast is about holacracy, motivation, purpose.
Letting go of centralised decisions.
Keeping people intrinsically motivated – because when they start, they already are, and all you really need to do is keep them that way.
Transparent compensation, not connected to performance.
Psychological safety.
Small steps, small experiments, that you can do at any scale.
“When you want to figure these things out, the first thing you do is talk to everyone. Talking to people is free.”
It works on all the levels.
And yet, “it’s never perfect. It’s always one step at a time.”
Purpose is your new boss.
Marguerite Soeteman-Reijnen is not only the Chairwoman of AON Holding, a Marketing Executive, and Supervisory Board Member of several organizations - she is also a passionate believer in people and their ability to make the impossible possible.
Marguerite is a truly shining example that you can be Female, Ambitious and HUMAN at the same time....in fact it's important.
Join this wonderful conversation and listen to the wide array of powerful insights Marguerite shares on why the human element is the most distinguishing factor.
As a life long learner, she shares her perspective on the value of getting out of your comfort zone, tuning into trust and empathy, staying connected with people and topics outside your organization, finding peace-of-mind, and people being key to making the impossible possible.
After all people are central to an organization, without people you don’t have an organization.
Referenced in this episode:
https://hbr.org/2019/12/why-dont-women-self-promote-as-much-as-men
In this episode we walk you through the changes taking place in the HR field, as sketched by Lars Schmidt in an insightful article on Fast Company: ‘7 Ways HR Looks Different in 2020’:
“The leading edge of HR is having a transformational impact on business. Modern people teams are indispensable success enablers for the business.”
This is what you want to know, put your focus towards and get excited about. It’s the future of HR.
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Inclusion over diversity: Connect this to the purpose of your organisation.
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Decentralise and empower over command and control: Create frameworks and enablement programmes that empower people.
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Agile reviews over annual reviews: Move towards a culture of feedback and clarity for employees to understand how they are impacting their organisation.
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Analytics and insight over metrics and reporting: Get the story behind the numbers and take meaningful action.
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Policy for the many over policy against the few: Focus on the behaviours are you looking to drive and the purpose behind it.
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Open source over black box: Stand tall in your value and be confident in sharing mistakes and learnings.
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Business acumen over HR acumen: You need to know about the business. Be curious and understand the context in which you are working.
These new ways of working will bring you from ‘Why is HR here?’ to ‘Why isn’t HR here?’ and towards making a true impact in your organisation.
Business leaders recognise that they don’t always understand the people dynamics. They understand what it is that they want to achieve, but they don’t always know how to get there with the people in their organisation. Your expertise of understanding the human behaviour and the human dynamics is really key to every business.
Dutch entrepreneur (and surfer) Wouter Smeetsis an innovation expert who took the best practices of innovation and put them into talent development. With Prototype You he nurtures continuous learning in organizations.
In this episode we dive into Wouter’s views and his program, which empowers employees to become the director of their own personal development and career.
Traditionally you went to an ad-hoc training at the company’s request. But in the world we live in now, organisations need to keep up with the speed of change and innovation. As a result, expertise and skills in the workplace get outdated fast. Continuous learning needs to be embedded in organisations to keep up with the speed of change.
Prototype You means: you are the prototype of your own personal development and career. “We nurture ownership throughout the entire journey,” says Smeets.
This approach to talent development benefits from the best parts of lean, agile, design thinking and peer-to-peer collaboration. It provides a structure for continuous learning, including the most essential features of the learning cycle, to make it really deliver value.
An important take-away: make sure to have employees develop from their own ambitions and talents to get the most out of them. Don’t impose only organisational ambitions on your employees. That mindset change is at the core of making learning at the speed of business truly happen.
“Don’t think for employees but help them think for themselves. They may have a co-pilot but they get to choose their own direction.”
Is it really possible to be both professional and kind??
ABSOLUTELY! In fact it is vital.
When kindness becomes a basic assumption in business it transforms everything. Kindness is the key opening up the space beyond basic transaction, to meeting people on the human level. Kindness is the gateway to getting unstuck and moving your business forward.
When we are able to bring kindness together with boundaries, relationships blossom and the shift from scarcity into abundance becomes real.
But how does it work and how do you keep everyone from being a doormat?
Take a listen and learn what can happen for your business when you start from an assumption of kindness.
Referenced in the episode:
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/06/happily-ever-after/372573/
https://hrtrendinstitute.com/2019/11/26/12-hr-trends-for-2020/
Additional Reading:
https://hbr.org/2018/11/making-kindness-a-core-tenet-of-your-company
https://digest.bps.org.uk/2017/07/04/small-acts-of-kindness-at-work-benefit-the-giver-the-receiver-and-the-whole-organisation/
https://www.uschamberfoundation.org/business-kindness/business-case-kindness
https://www.bradaronson.com/acts-of-kindness/
It’s one of the biggest management myths: that you shouldn’t say ‘thank you’ to people too often.
Indeed, when you take a thank you to the next level and turn it into a true acknowledgement of someone, that will strengthen them to bring more of that good work, it will improve trust and connection, and will solidify compliments that they received earlier.
A ‘thank you’ is the most valuable thing you can give to employees – and co-workers, and managers.
When done right.
What exactly makes a good acknowledgement is something worth talking about and working on. There’s more to it and there’s more to be gained.
In this podcast episode, wediscuss what makes an acknowledgement work best: being precise, choosing the right moment, being present and, for the other person, receiving it well.
Getting to the essence of what it is that you want to acknowledge, what you appreciate about someone.
Choosing to encourage behaviour in a team, or getting personal and appreciating an individual skill one-on-one.
Taking a moment to let that person be really seen.
And when you get a thank you, letting it sink in and strengthen your inner compass.
Awkward? That’s ok. Just give it a go.
“What feels like a messy, complicated situation becomes crystal clear very quickly.”
Looking ahead to a whole new decade, this new episode clarifies how it pays off to get clear on the values of your organisation.
As our organisations continue to evolve and develop, having clear values will no longer be that nice-to-have. It’s going to become vital and important because it’ll be the backbone of your business.
Having clear values will help you set up you a framework that, in the short term, makes decisions easier, faster and more aligned with where you want to go.
In the long term, it empowers agility in today’s rapidly changing world.
It’s what you need in the world today to stay standing and to achieve long-term success as an organisation.
For HR it means the difference between spending huge time and effort on hefty policy documents versus bringing clarity and directly impacting the business.
“Suddenly we took an almost 60-page monster policy that was impossible to implement... and we turned it into five pages of meaningful information.
Not only was it clearer and more simple and straightforward, the business finally understood why this policy supported the overall business strategy.”
We expect 2020 to be a milestone year which will herald a lot of changes.
Wishing you happy holidays and a purposeful new year!
This is what you need for that elusive and complex goal: successful cultural change.
The essential factors to making big changes.
Having worked with large corporates trying to transform in a quickly changing world, and for start-ups growing into scale-ups, Shea Harty brings in her views as our special guest on this new podcast episode.
From identifying what is really going on below the surface with co-workers getting nostalgic about what their workplace was like before, lamenting the times when they could give every co-worker a slice of cake for their birthday. To celebrating the milestones of bringing the new vision to life in your part of the organisation.
From talking with employees, instead of at them. Discovering champions and ambassadors as early as possible. To carving out the space needed to go through the stages of the change process. Making time for a team to work through it, before you reach the stage of actually living it.
From the real value in engaging an external perspective – a neutral someone who isn’t married to the same stakes that you are in your position and your role.
To being curious about what this ride is bringing you.
There is an under-the-radar skill that you’ll be happy to be more aware of, and that you'll want to put high up on your list of things to develop.
If you’re already good at this, you’ll want to cherish it and inspire it in others.
Marjolijn describes it as making room in your head for other people’s stories, for other people’s choices. Lisa calls it holding space.
It’s about realizing that the way that you see the world, your perspective, is not the one and only.
Park your judgement and get curious.
Why would you do that? It will help you open up stuck conversations and shine a light on new information. Get you to find new ways to move forward in tough situations.
Is it good for business? Definitely. You’re missing out if you’re missing this skill. Listen in on the story of the day I got booked into a hotel room that didn’t have any curtains. Or Lisa’s story about the waiter who picked up her fork and took a bite of her dessert.
How about your own points of view? They’re valid. Just make some space alongside them. We have all kinds of snap judgements, and big opinions. Hold a bit of space to test them out.
Be aware of your perspective, and be aware that there may be other perspectives alongside yours. Hold space and see how valuable a skill this really is.
This year there's been a lot of news about getting more women on Boards of companies and organizations around the world. But, as with most great things, this is easier said than done.
In this episode we talk about the challenges, opportunities, bias, privilege, quotas and going back to basics.
How do we change the status quo? Is it changing fast enough? And don't you just want to be one of the guys? And getting slapped in the face with new perspective and how this can actually help your company win more business.
Referenced resources in this episode:
Tina Fey - the value of more women in the room: https://youtu.be/fntSBYefhnw
McKinsey Research - more diversity = more success: https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/delivering-through-diversity
Forbes - The Future of Women on Boards: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisacohn/2019/09/14/the-future-of-women-on-boards-qa-with-amii-barnard-bahn/#1ef3fe222aea
Financieele Dagblad article: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/women-inc-_doet-u-mij-toch-maar-een-vrouwenquotum-activity-6580091145232109568-Rrfo
Wall Street Journal article: https://www.wsj.com/articles/womens-share-of-board-seats-rises-to-20-11568194200
More extensive links and interview with Lisa by MacMillan International Higher Education on Diversity and Inclusion: https://www.macmillanihe.com/companion/Carbery-Human-Resource-Management-2e/learning-resources/Video-Interviews/
Upping stock prices and shareholder value is no longer the measure of success. The best run companies do more.
“Shareholder profits can no longer be the primary goal of corporations,” was the statement that came from a group of top CEOs in the US this summer. Businesses should be balancing the needs of shareholders with customers, employees, suppliers and local communities. “We commit to delivering value to all of them.”
You have a responsibility to deliver value to the wider world around you, not just to shareholders.
Makes sense? Well, more and more people are catching on!
It’s a great statement especially coming from that group of powerful people. But what needs to happen in practice?
Shift your focus to social revenue.
For business leaders: if stock prices have been your main KPI until now, the opportunity is wide open to start finding ways to evaluate how you are increasing your company’s social revenue.
For HR: introduce and develop your insights into the employee experience. Use that information to make your organisation run better.
This is your opportunity to understand what your overall impact truly is on the broader world: inside and outside your organisation. To really work on what you want to be creating in the world.
Because the best run companies do more.
Referenced in this episode:
"Group of top CEOs says maximizing shareholder profits no longer can be the primary goal of corporations" - The Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/08/19/lobbying-group-powerful-ceos-is-rethinking-how-it-defines-corporations-purpose
"6 Ways CEOs Can Prove They Care About More Than Shareholder Value" - Harvard Business Review
https://hbr.org/2019/09/6-ways-ceos-can-prove-they-care-about-more-than-shareholder-value
Welcome to the third season of HR Matters! This season, Lisa Dempsey and Marjolijn Vlug will be your hosts and Shea Harty will reappear as a guest on our podcast.
We are starting off the season with a glance behind the scenes into why, and how, we make this podcast for you. Making these episodes is an active decision with a clear purpose: to talk about how the human way of interacting at work, and intentions that may fall by the wayside when you’re wrapped up in your busy workdays.
The big picture ideas that resonate – we make those accessible, practical and human. The things that you feel are important, but that you may not be talking about much yet, and you’re not sure how to implement when you get back to your desk and your inbox.
We make HR Matters for you. So you can create the future you want to live in, and the future workplace you want to create for others. You’re not in this alone, we’re in this together.
Don’t be a stranger: you’re welcome to share, like, comment and send us a message.
In this episode I mention an article by Gary Vaynerchuk that’s worth a read: Kindness is the ultimate strength in both business and life.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/kindness-ultimate-strength-gary-vaynerchuk/
This episode with Ronald Meijers is a real goldmine. Ronald is a Partner at Deloitte and Leads the Transformation, Leadership & Governance as well as the Financial Services verticals. We could have spent hours discussing work, leadership and organizations with him.
Lisa connected with Ronald during the Deloitte BOLD Leaders program and was delighted to find genuinely refreshing views inside a large management consultancy, and you'll see why during this episode.
If you've ever wondered what purpose has to do with business, how leadership and authority differ, or why the group of people who must lead shifts toward the future are the least likely to be good at it and why scalable efficiency is being replaced with scalable learning THIS is the episode to listen to.
*Side note: anchor is experiencing technical difficulties, alternative recording method was used which resulted in a few sound impurities. Happily the golden content makes it more that worthwhile to give this a listen!
Our newest podcast guest literally wrote the book on Employee Experience in the Netherlands. She collected best practices, insights, research and shares her best advice with us. Heleen Mes and her co-author Gea Peper are the biggest EX experts we know. In this episode, Heleen shares her insights and gets you up to speed on this innovation in HR.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution to upgrading the employee experience in your organisation. The definition of what EX is and can be is quite wide. But it is energising to hear where you can start and what it will bring you.
During this summer we're resharing some of our favourite episodes. This favourite is about the future of HR.
In the following episode, recorded in January 2019, we talk about the skills that HR professionals and recruiters will need to be able to deal with the rapidly changing world around us. From data to values and all that's needed to help people work together successfully.
We'll be back with a brand new episode in September!
We're taking a quick summer break and wanted to share some our favorite episodes from the past two seasons with you. We hope you enjoy these blasts from the past and look forward to sharing our new material with you in September!
In this episode recorded on 11 September 2018, we explore an interview with Elon Musk, which was followed up by an open letter from Arianna Huffington. We discuss if working 120+ hours a week, followed by days and nights in the office without taking a break to go home is brilliance/burnout, or hero/anti-hero behavior. How does this translate to you and your organization?
The New York Times source article: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/16/business/elon-musk-interview-tesla.html
Arianna Huffington's letter: https://www.thriveglobal.com/stories/40343-open-letter-elon-musk
Most managers are promoted based on their how well they performed. Some are promoted without any training or support. We took a look at becoming a manager, what does it take? How to managers become leaders? What scares people away from being managers? And does a person need to be a manager? We discussed the importance of having a mentor when you are just starting out as a manager.
We also took a look at the company, Honey and their promotion process with their managers. Their approach laid out in Thrive Global, inspired this podcast.
Follow our podcast. Follow us on Facebook.
Let us know what you think, and give us suggestions about topics you would like to hear discussed.
It’s a loss to the business when talented people go – and a boost when they’re in the spot where they can bring their best.
We had a good conversation with a talented senior marketing director at a large corporate. By playing what she calls an extended game of chess, she made her team members work faster, easier and better in their new roles, more pro-actively and energetic – improving kpi’s for the department, results for the organisation, and trust levels in the team.
From inexperienced manager through a good learning curve in ‘the company chess game’ to powerful success in talent management, she brought her organisation what it needed, before they even asked for it.
How she did this and what made her succeed is what we found out in this podcast episode.
“Start with listening to your team. But not just listening; really, really listening. And finding out what they mean.”
On the back of Father's Day and with the expansion of parental leave in the European Union and the Netherlands, we tackle the sometimes sensitive topic of having children. What happens at home affects life at work. When employees make the decision to have a child they expect a reasonable amount of time to take care of the new addition to the family. Managers have to find a way to accept this change and make accommodations.
Have a listen to our perspectives and some tips on how managers can adjust to the changes in their team.
And if you know a company whose policies support parental leave over and beyond what the law requires, let us know in the comments! We want to know about who is doing it right so others can learn from their example.
https://nltimes.nl/2019/04/05/netherlands-gets-ready-expanded-eu-paid-parental-leave-plan-expected-year-end
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/04/upshot/sweden-finds-a-simple-way-to-improve-new-mothers-health-it-involves-fathers.html
Michael Voss and Jennifer Rock write books about the corporate workplace. Not management books, but a darkly funny and all too recognisable novel about universal truths, from the agonies of working under a bad boss to the joy of finding free food in the break room.
Their latest, 'Operation Clusterpuck', is newly available. We read it and wanted to hear more, in this podcast episode. So... did this stuff really happen to them? And why did they exchange their corporate jobs for making an impact by writing books, and co-founding their own communications agency?
They get personal about their own stories, and inspiring about their views on transparent and honest internal communications.
Referenced in this episode:
- A great taste of the Rock/Voss sense of humour, and choice of topic (video) https://www.rockandvossbooks.com/miscmayhem
- Where to order ‘Operation Clusterpuck’ and ‘B.S. Incorporated’: https://www.rockandvossbooks.com/
So Millennials, we’ve been talking about you.
When you’re asking, ‘Why do you tolerate low performance?’ We agree that when poor performers go unmanaged, and managers lack the ability to address their impact, that spreads like a virus..
When you say, ‘ROI is not enough for me, I want a job with purpose,’ we see that the hierarchy of what you find important has shifted from previous generations. And the outspokenness.
We see that you do care, and you’re willing to walk away because of it. Because these things matter. And in this day and age, organisations are just not going to get away with it anymore – and they shouldn’t.
So thank you, Millennials.
You and the other new generations in the workplace are not enabling poorly performing employers anymore. And the things they've previously been using as band-aids. The fruit baskets and the foosball tables.
Do understand that it is a hard transformation for organisations to undergo – although so worth it. What we look forward to is that you bring that passion and outspokenness to more places, to the organisations that haven’t put on the shiny purpose marketing beacons yet. We’re happy to have you join in.
There’s a growing expectation and need of real authenticity. For people to be able to show up as individuals. As humans. Because people matter.
Referenced in this episode and interesting further info:
Why Millennials Keep Dumping You: An Open Letter to Management https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-millennials-keep-dumping-you-open-letter-lisa-earle-mcleod/
Ania Sullivan: From the Cube of a Millennial https://bwli.com/ania-sullivan-cube-millennial/
Everybody Matters Podcast: Millennials and Leadership https://bwli.com/everybody-matters-podcast-millennials-leadership/
How can an organization recruit the right people for the right position? And what are some of the things that get in the way?
Is there a role for Artificial Intelligence (AI) to play in recruitment?
This week we ponder all this and more on the topic of recruitment…together with something a little different: Lisa is sick, Shea’s microphone is a little off and Marjolijn, well she’s doing well - thank goodness!
Tune in and find out how you can improve your recruitment process and experience today!
Resources:
Link to the Heineken Candidate Experience: https://youtu.be/Aq6y3RO12UQ
Want to improve your work experience and company culture? There’s a brand new book that writes about the best things that anyone can do, in any job, to work on improving your workdays. In this episode, we get to find out how the author, Bruce Daisley (who is VP of Twitter EMEA as well), found this out and why it works so well. Turns out it is no wonder we’re increasingly feeling stuck, our neverending work days filled with meetings and emails and open plan offices. What Bruce discovered is that actually most of the stuff we do at work is actually against all of the research, all of the evidence. And the best part is, he also found practical, real things you can do to make changes in your work environment. From the bottom-up. And wait for it... starting with how to find time and energy to actually do this. To rediscover the joy of work. Have a listen and join in, it'll be worth it.
Referenced: The Joy of Work by Bruce Daisley https://www.amazon.com/Joy-Work-Ways-Culture-Again-ebook/dp/B07D1GX76Z Plezier in je werk (Dutch edition) door Bruce Daisley https://www.managementboek.nl/boek/9789024585137/plezier-in-je-werk-bruce-daisley Eat Sleep Work Repeat, podcast with Bruce Daisley and guest Zeynep Ton https://eatsleepworkrepeat.fm/the-good-jobs-strategy/
We spoke with People Scientist, Jessica Brook from CultureAmp! She gave us her insights and expertise on when measuring engagement works and when it doesn't. Listen to our lively conversation as we discuss how companies can move the needle forward with their employees. What are the higher drives for employee engagement? And what the heck is Collective Intelligence? And soooo much more!
What are the cornerstones of successful job interviews – for both sides of the table? We read an article on what 7 CEOs notice the most in job interviews, and add our own insights in this new podcast episode.
About the journey between how you go into and come out of an interview. Bringing your whole self to the table. How to prevent falling for windbags. The importance of how people talk about you when you leave the room.
And about the one question that everybody who has ever read anything about preparing for an interview secretly loathes – plus how to deal with it.
Referenced:
'7 CEOs on What They Notice the Most on Job Interviews' https://thriveglobal.com/stories/what-ceos-notice-most-during-job-interviews/
The word on the street is that HR has a terrible reputation. How do we get out of that situation? We talked about this topic earlier and found there’s a deeper conversation to be had here. We investigate how HR professionals can show others that what they’re bringing to the table has real value – essential to running a business. It is up to HR to step up and lead this shift, by upping their skill set. To a different way of working. Because life has changed. The business landscape has changed. Dramatically. There is a whole new field to explore. What makes people work, what helps them thrive? Because that’s the win-win situation for businesses and employees. HR unlocks the people potential.
Look us up on Facebook and tell us what's on your mind: thoughts, ideas, questions or topics? We'd love to hear from you. https://www.facebook.com/hrmattersamsterdam/
Referenced: 'HR Is Not Your Friend. Here’s Why' (Fortune) http://fortune.com/2018/02/16/microsoft-hr-problem-metoo/ 'HR has lost the trust of employees. Here's who has it now' (TechCrunch) https://techcrunch.com/2018/02/10/hr-has-lost-the-trust-of-employees-here-is-who-has-it-now/ Daniel H. Pink's book To Sell is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others https://www.danpink.com/books/to-sell-is-human/
Join our conversation with Max Hunter, Chief Joy Officer and champion for Monday mornings. We had a great chat with Max about the importance of having joy at work and how companies can improve work culture. Max also shared his journey to Chief Joy Officer and how he convinces CEOs that happiness at work is good for the bottom line.
Referenced: The Chief Joy Officer and the Eastern Princess - Max Hunter's talk at the 2018 HR Congress in Brussels https://youtu.be/qXjjZhCU_jA What the hell does a Chief Joy Officer actually do? https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-hell-does-chief-joy-officer-actually-do-max-hunter/
In this episode we explore the paradox of the role HR plays in many businesses and what the role of HR should or could even be. Is HR Dead?
In our VUCA world what is the role of HR? What should a line manager be doing and should HR be doing? Is HR here for the employees or the business?
Tune in, listen, and we’d love to hear from you! What do you think? Are HR the administrators, the policy makers, the place to build and grow talent, the place to empower people, or something else?
Articles referenced:
https://techcrunch.com/2018/02/10/hr-has-lost-the-trust-of-employees-here-is-who-has-it-now/
http://fortune.com/2018/02/16/microsoft-hr-problem-metoo/
Yes, you read that right....we have entered season 2. (Exciting!!!)
Join us as we continue to delve into business topics that involve Human Resources. In this episode, we discuss what we think future HR professionals need in their training. Marjolijn Vlug brought us this topic after giving her friend advice on a new HR curriculum. Naturally, Lisa Dempsey and Shea Harty wanted to share their opinion as well. We share our views on what skills are needed to navigate human connections in an employment situation? As well as, what is the role of HR professionals when the world is moving more toward machine learning and data science?
Give us your feedback! What do YOU think needs to be added to Human Resources training?
And if you like this podcast, and we think you will, then share it!
Sharing is Caring!
And follow us on our Facebook: HR Matters!!! We want to know what you think!!
This episode is about bringing diversity into the workplace. Or is it really diversity that we need? We talk about the value and benefits of consciously working at inviting, and welcoming, any viewpoint and voice to the table that is different from the standard perspective. But how, and why, do you do that? When the context you are in is different from the examples you've seen? And when it’s plain uncomfortable? Because you miss out on so much when you don’t. Referenced: Namely Releases First Workplace Diversity Report 2018, Uncovering Inequalities in the Modern Workplace and Empowering HR to Make a Difference https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/namely-releases-first-workplace-diversity-report-2018-uncovering-inequalities-in-the-modern-workplace-and-empowering-hr-to-make-a-difference-300668428.html Women still hold tiny minority of senior roles in financial services https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/sep/03/women-tiny-minority-financial-services-firm-partners
Looking towards the end of the year, in this episode we talk about navigating the mad dash of the fourth quarter. When you're surfing that tidal wave of all of the stuff that needs to be done, how do you also get clear and intentional about what you want next year to look like? And how can you find allies and budget for what you really want and need? Listen in, choose ways to get proactive and join us in saying: it's going to be a good year ahead.
Partially recorded in a cafe (a bit of background noise only at the start), this episode has us slowing down after a conference-heavy couple of weeks. We reflect on the news about the big walkout at Google on November 1st. Not everything about Google turns out to be aspirational for others: in a self-organized protest, 20.000 of their employees across the globe requested more transparency and an end to harassment and inequality. A grassroots protest to Google's global company culture. Which insights does this bring for our own workplaces and, even, for how we individually behave at work?
Referenced:
"We’re the Organizers of the Google Walkout. Here Are Our Demands" https://www.thecut.com/2018/11/google-walkout-organizers-explain-demands.html
Preceding NYTimes article https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/25/technology/google-sexual-harassment-andy-rubin.html
New York Times follow-up report on the walkout https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/06/business/google-employee-walkout-labor.html
Employee Experience, a Dutch book mentioned in the podcast https://www.managementboek.nl/boek/9789462155367/employee-experience-heleen-mes
Recorded on October 11, 2018, this episode’s topic was suggested to us by a listener: Dumb Rules That Make Your Best People Want to Quit. This really resonated with us. People get frustrated with certain types of rules set by HR and managers and those rules become counter-productive. We talk about alternative approaches, a shift in mindset, and how to bring about change. What are some of the dumb rules you’ve seen? And what are the tips and tricks you’ve encountered to change them? Share your stories and ideas with us, we’d love to hear from you. https://www.facebook.com/hrmattersamsterdam/ The article, a Medium Feature Story: https://medium.com/s/story/10-dumb-rules-that-make-your-best-people-want-to-quit-8491b446dde5 Also mentioned in the recording: Google’s toothbrush test https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/08/17/in-silicon-valley-mergers-must-meet-the-toothbrush-test/ Manoush Zomorodi’s 2017 TedTalk: ‘How boredom can lead to your most brilliant ideas’ https://www.ted.com/talks/manoush_zomorodi_how_boredom_can_lead_to_your_most_brilliant_ideas Lisette Sutherland’s book ‘Work Together Anywhere: A Handbook on Working Remotely — Successfully — for Individuals, Teams, and Managers’ https://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com/book/
In this episode recorded on 11 September 2018, we explore an interview with Elon Musk, which was followed up by an open letter from Arianna Huffington. We discuss if working 120+ hours a week, followed by days and nights in the office without taking a break to go home is brilliance/burnout, or hero/anti-hero behavior. How does this translate to you and your organization?
The New York Times source article: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/16/business/elon-musk-interview-tesla.html
Arianna Huffington's letter: https://www.thriveglobal.com/stories/40343-open-letter-elon-musk
We'd love to hear your insights, questions and feedback in the comments here: https://www.facebook.com/hrmattersamsterdam/posts/342105663003597
Footnote: Since the recording of this podcast, Elon Musk has stepped down as chairman of the board of Tesla but is still fulfilling the role of CEO.