recommended Rethink your workplace learning
Speakers | Trainers | Consultants | Coaches www.get-recommended.com
Hello from Eleanor,
Welcome to Recommended
The home of rethinking Recommended started as a small simmering idea over four years. That's too long to keep putting something off. But I know how this works, things (life) get in the way. It was after reading the amazing Bernardine Evaristo’s book Manifesto, I put it down and just set to work. Enough of this putting things off! I love those moments, when you burst into action. Curating Recommended has been everything that starting a new venture should be exciting, terrifying, overwhelming, tiring, impossible, possible. I’m so proud of the collective of talented, inspiration, thought provoking experts the platform has gathered.
Change can be a good thing. Rethinking work is about giving yourself permission to think deeper, see a different perspective, see an opportunity.
This magazine is showcasing Recommended members work, expertise and how they can help you in your workplace. We have curated articles to make you stop and think, to maybe even create debate. Recommended makes it easy to contact the experts you need directly. You probably have a big list of expertise support you need. If you cant find exactly what you need drop us a note and we’ll find it for you. We are here to take away the pain of searching when you are organising conferences, team away days, leadership development, internal learning campaigns.
Enjoy the articles. I hope they provoke your thoughts. And please keep in touch, we’d love to hear what you think. Contact us at hello@anotherdoor.co.uk. Eleanor Tweddell, founder Recommended
le eanor
How to rethink work You might be reading this magazine and doing your own rethinking. Here are three ways to start to rethink work1. Start with simple questions. What is feeling good right now? What could be better? What is important to you? 2. Look for people who are doing things that get you curious, that spark your interest. What made you curious? What are those people doing that you admire? What are you learning from them? 3. Catch yourself when you feel resistance. Notice what triggered you to feel resistant. How did it show up for you? How can you react next time? Rethinking work is about acknowledging the small things as much as big career change moments. It’s about us constantly learning and growing so that we become better people. It’s about us knowing that we can help ourselves to have a better work life. And it’s about constantly challenging our thinking. It might be job loss, it might be you just want a career change. Navigating all the emotions that go with that decision and knowing how to work through it is one of the most important things you can do. In the book Why losing job could be the best thing that ever happened to you, there are five steps to thrive. Don’t think you have to just push through as find an answer straight a way. It’s a messiness, playful, curious time.
Rethinking
Carla Miller - Leadership Coach
Women and
the Workplace Women leaders across the globe are experiencing the Influence Gap. This is a systemic problem, not a problem with women. We quite simply hold fewer positions of power and so we aren't at the table for the decisions that matter. Carla Miller, Leadership Coach shares her thoughts on what can be done about the Influence Gap.
It’s an unlevel playing field Our leadership skills are equal to those of men yet we are less likely to be encouraged into a leadership role. Men are twice as likely to be promoted or selected for leadership training, while a study published in The Leadership Quarterly showed that 'Men were encouraged to step forward and ‘claim their space’ as leaders and women were advised to take a narrower focus by developing specific areas of expertise and appeasing colleagues.' Men tend to rate themselves as better leaders than women do. But in reality, people often rate female managers more highly for leadership effectiveness. We can be judged for stepping into our authority. An article in the Harvard Business Review on the unseen barriers to women rising into leadership roles shared that 'integrating leadership into one’s core identity is particularly challenging for women, who must establish credibility in a culture that is deeply conflicted about whether, when, and how they should exercise authority.'
closing the Influence Gap
We struggle to get our voices heard. It’s not about getting a seat at the table – we need to be heard when we get there. Research conducted by RADA in Business found that only 8% of women find it easy to make their voice heard and women are 12% more likely than men to feel uncomfortable when meeting with board members or senior management. We are trying to succeed in a working culture that was designed for men, by men and as a result only one in five women feel a strong sense of belonging in the workplace. This makes it harder for us to share dissenting views.
Senior women are often ‘Onlys’ According to the McKinsey & Company Women in the Workplace 2020 report: Seniorlevel women are also nearly twice as likely as women overall to be “Onlys”—the only or one of the only women in the room. That comes with its challenges: women who are Onlys are more likely than women who work with other women to feel pressure to work more and to experience microaggressions, including needing to provide additional evidence of their competence. As we look to the future of work we must address gender inequality, and recognise the fact that it intersects with other biases like age and race meaning many women face additional barriers to success. Once you see yourself as the leader you are, it’s time to learn how to step into your authority so that you are seen as a leader by others too.
It’s no wonder so many talented women experience imposter syndrome! Most women are unaware of the true extent of gender bias and so when we experience it, we assume it is because we are doing something wrong or are not good enough in some way.
How do we close the gap? Women face a double bind. When we try to replicate the behaviour of our male colleagues it feels awkward and we are criticized for it, but when we conform to society’s expectations of how women should act, we often go unheard and unrewarded. We have to undo the damage to our confidence that gender bias has caused. I’ve worked with thousands of women over the past few years and so many of them struggle with negative self-talk.
In 2022, women hold only 29% of senior management roles globally, despite the fact that gender diversity is known to improve profitability. They compare their messy inside to the seemingly confident exterior of others and think they are failing. If that resonates with you there are two things I’d like you to know:
1. You are not alone You are not alone in your self-doubt, in your worry or imposter feelings, or in the challenges you face. The other women that you look at and think have it all sorted – behind the confident exterior, they share many of the same thoughts, feelings, and challenges.
Tips on how to close the gap Think about how you’re coming across to other people and learn how to step into your authority. Society teaches women to be more comfortable taking responsibility than claiming authority and this can often trip women up as they progress in their careers. Turn down the volume on your negative self-talk, worry less about work, stop holding yourself to ridiculously high standards and put some coping strategies in place to deal with the tough days where you feel overwhelmed. Spend time working on your influencing skills so you can successfully navigate internal politics and influence senior stakeholders.
Men can be an ally
You do not need fixing. It is not your fault that your voice isn’t being heard. Be reassured that there is a systemic problem with how women are perceived in the workplace, not a problem with you.
If you are a man reading this, consider what you can do to be an ally. For example allyship is not pointing out that a woman in your meeting hasn’t spoken. Instead, include her in the conversation and ask her what she thinks. The more men that get on board with redressing the power balance in boardrooms and beyond the better.
You can turn down the volume on your negative self-talk, worry less about work, stop holding yourself to ridiculously high standards and deal with the tough days where you feel overwhelmed.
Women need to be confident to lead their way, which is why I wrote Closing the Influence Gap. I want to help them redefine what leadership looks like and recognise the strengths that women bring to the workplace.
2. There is nothing wrong with you
Find out more about Carla
Carla Miller is a leadership coach and host of the podcast Influence & Impact for Female Leaders who works with women in management and leadership roles to develop their careers and their confidence. Her book Closing the Influence Gap has been named one of the top leadership books to read by Management Today.
Rethink change
Eleanor Twedell
Change is inevitable but it’s also something people and organisations find a tricky path to navigate. Here at Another Door we believe a new narrative is needed around the topic of change. We help organisations and their employees thrive through change. Over the last four years we have focused on job loss and how to make it a good thing. But recently we have been talking to people about change at work, not losing their job, but the change all around them, and how they feel overwhelmed and anxious with the uncertainty. Dealing with this is often the missing piece in transformation and change programmes in organisations. I’m usually brought in as a consultant to develop the communication change programme, the focus is usually on leadership – messaging, sequencing, and visibility. But who is helping people to understand their change story? How can they translate what is happening to them? And more importantly, how can they navigate the change successfully? When people feel like they have more ownership they begin to feel more connected. Leading people through change is one thing, people leading themselves is the powerful missing piece where the two align.
navigating change and transformation You are working on your transformation plans, the processes, the systems, and the communications. It’s an ever-growing list, and it’s all important. But what about the bit that doesn’t get much time, how are we actually going to take people with us on this journey? We get the communications or HR team to create an engagement programme. Nice messages, uplifting films, and listening sessions. It’s all great, but there is something missing. Humans are individuals. We all react to change in different ways. We all process information differently and need time to think.
listen to the podcast with Katie Stobbart
https://thefocusbeeshow.buzzsprout.com/
How to move through A change experience People need time to think, time to process. Not more comms, not more being talked at. Time to think. You’ll only get connection with organisation goals when people understand what it means to them personally. Without this missing piece it's like throwing seeds on dried out soil. We can hope something might root and grow, but of course prepared ground enables the seed to grow much quicker. We work with you to align this experience with your plans. We create workshops to embed change in a positive way, we facilitate onboarding for people, and we’ll provide further coaching if that’s needed.
Try working through these 5 simple questions. 1.) Acknowledge - the first step is acknowledging change, the scale of it for you, the impact, what it is. Ask yourself ‘What is really going on here? How is this change manifesting in my life? 2.) Observe - the second step is observing your reactions, and how do you behave when change gets dialled up.
Download the Five Steps to owning change at work guide here
Ask yourself ‘How am I? How do I feel about all this? Why do I feel like this?’ 3.) Process - the third step starts to look at how to understand, interpret it, make it meaningful to you. Ask yourself ‘What does thismea n for me? What is the real impact?’ 4.) Explore - the fourth step encourages you to open up to possibilities, to create ideas, and see opportunities. Ask yourself ‘What is the opportunity? What is the ideal scenario that could happen through this?’ 5.) Choose - the fifth step is about taking ownership. Knowing that you now own your response, and how to move through change. Ask yourself ‘How am I helping me achieve my goals? What small steps can I take today? The experience is circular because you can use these questions every time change shows up. Each time you go through the process you’ll discover different things. Your toolkit will grow and you’ll learn how to navigate change in a way that works for you.
Find out more about Another Door and Eleanor's work
Five steps to owning change We developed the five steps to owning change by looking at the best change management theory, recent change research, using behavioural change studies – and mapping what people say and what’s on their mind when they go through change (this was part of our beta development). The most important finding was creating space to think. Often change at work means heavier workloads, with fresh challenges and new ways of working. Without time to slow down and process this will be a breeding ground for unrest and resistance.
Working through your change story We all have change stories running all the time. Sometimes they are dialled up and full volume, taking up valuable thinking space, sometimes they are quietly running in the background. When you are going through change at work it’s essential to create time to think. It’s too easy to default to busy diaries, back-to-back meetings. This is about change in your life, it needs prioritising. Just ten minutes a day of thinking time without distraction can help you work through change better. Maybe over a coffee, an iced water, or a lunchtime sandwich. Staring out of a window or moving to a different room can help reset thinking.
How to
own change
Rethinking
early
careers
coaching Imagine an organisation where everyone benefits from a coaching culture. All too often it is senior members of staff or leaders in a company that are offered coaching. One of the most common reasons given for not coaching junior managers or staff members is cost. But democratising coaching across a business actually makes economic sense boosting staff retention levels, productivity, and employee satisfaction. Is it time to break it out of the C-suite coaching box? Rebekah Whitaker is on a mission to support people early in their leadership roles. We find out what is driving Rebekah’s cause. Find out more about Rebekah's work coaching early careers, first line managers, team leaders and graduates.
Rebekah Whitaker - Career Coach
thinking outside the C-suite coaching box Rebekah Whitaker from Quest for EST is championing the cause for careers and future leaders' coaching to become commonplace in the workplace. “The very essence of coaching is to help people think differently in order to maximise their personal and professional potential. Why would you wait until someone has been doing their job for 20 years before giving them access to a coach?” “Imagine the impact it could have on someone’s career and leadership skills if they worked with a coach right from the start?” She also points out that it gives leaders the skills they need as they progress in their careers. “Future leaders suddenly find themselves in a position where people management is part of their role, and usually the skills that got them promoted to that role in the first place leave them ill-equipped when it comes to getting the most from their team. Coaching allows them the time and space to explore this new set of skills that they need, and how best to use them.” Studies from the International Coaching Federation show that 80% of people who receive coaching have increased self-confidence, 70% benefited from improved work performance and 86% of companies recouped their investment in coaching. There is a strong case for coaching at all levels in a company, not just top-down.
Rebekah wants organisations to include coaching in their budgets and make sure that employees are encouraged to make time for it. "I’ve recently started working with a company who gives their employees a development budget and the autonomy to choose how that budget is spent. Information on coaching is included in their annual appraisal, so employees could then choose to have coaching if they want. It’s a brilliant way to give staff access to coaching. Often people have never had coaching or know how to use it, so taster sessions are really useful to dispel any fear or questions.” "Outwardly I was bubbly, why early careers coaching can confident, capable, and didn’t take crap from anyone. Trust me, make a difference being a woman in a male 1. It helps employees avoid environment, plenty was thrown burnout by guiding them to find my way. My confidence was ways to manage workloads, actually at rock bottom; I felt like I combat stress, and create a had no clue what I was doing. healthy work-life balance. My insecurities meant that I didn’t allow people around me to grow 2. It encourages employees to to their full potential, because I bring fresh ideas to the table, and thought I would lose it all if take ownership and responsibility someone was better than me." for their actions. 3. It creates confident employees who don’t shy away from difficult tasks and conversations, and are secure enough in themselves and their abilities to help others grow and flourish. Coaching was a life-changing experience for Rebekah. “During my time as an engineer, one of my colleagues told me that when we’d first started working together he found me intimidating because I seemingly had it all together and he questioned whether he could ever operate at that level."
Through coaching, Rebekah's entire outlook changed, and she was able to finally feel on the inside what she portrayed on the outside. "Coaching allowed me to truly understand who I am; to own my strengths and no longer be afraid of my weaknesses." She points out that if she had been given coaching when she started to lead, she would have done it very differently.
Photo: Rebekah in her engineering career, 2012
Rebekah believes the top-down approach is a utopia. “It makes total sense that if company culture and leadership is driven from the top it is going to have the biggest impact as it filters throughout the company. But what I’ve seen time and time again is that the passion and culture created at the top breaks down somewhere in the middle. Who do the early careers and future leader employees emulate? The well-intentioned CEO that they see twice a year at company roadshows? No! They become carbon copies of the disgruntled middle managers who are leading them on a daily basis.”
" I was prone to procrastination due to crippling confidence issues which would lead to stress and anxiety. Being able to work with a coach at this point I truly believe would have changed the trajectory and outcome of my career." Rebekah has also seen the impact coaching can make early in someone’s career, “I coached a management trainee who was struggling with confidence. Through our work not only did they gain the assurance to tackle and excel in their current role, they actually applied for promotion whilst they were still undergoing their training and they got it!" Coaching enables businesses to have a resilient workforce in a hybrid working world that is expected to change rapidly in the next few years. Isn't it time to start thinking differently about coaching in your business?
Rethinking events The industry has come up with clever hybrid solutions that engage in-person and online participants. Embracing new technology and the demands of creating an online experience during the pandemic. We talk to Louise Connor from lemonzest events about how she sees the industry evolving.
Louise says the last few years have been a rollercoaster. “The events industry had to adapt rapidly through the pandemic, changing business models and rethinking how events could be delivered. Whilst it was challenging, if you look at the positives, online events have grown and hybrid and virtual events continue to be part of the mix.” “There is no doubt that technology continues to advance the industry in how events are executed.” She also says that outdoor events have increased in popularity, with festivals and experienced based events becoming a growth area. There is also a growing demand for events to be part of something more. Whether it's being part of a community centred around the event (using community platforms like Facebook Groups, Telegram, WhatsApp, Circle, Slack) or part of a series of face to face and online events. "It feels like it's not just about the event anymore (if it ever was). It's about the before communications and afterwards follow up, and how people stay connected to the message of the event"
Louise Connor
The last few years threw a curveball to the events industry, but they have bounced back with new and innovative ways to serve clients and engage and entertain event attendees.
the Global Events Industry is worth £1.3 trillion Howard Givner, director of the Event Leadership Institute predicted in his state of the industry address in 2021 that corporate events will shift from a revenue source to a marketing vehicle. There’s no limit to the number of virtual attendees that can gain access to an online event. So in this way, online events have become a form of mass communication and part of the PR toolkit too. Givner uses Microsoft’s 2020 conference as an example. In 2019, they charged $2,395 per person to attend and saw 6,000 attendees. In 2020, the event was free 197,000 people showed up. Hybrid events have the opportunity to generate revenue and PR, the best of both worlds.
Find out more about Lemon Zest Events
Embrace boundaries and unleash your team’s creativity and productivity Monique Jordan-Cave explains why, contrary to conventional beliefs that boundaries limit creativity and decrease efficiency, they are, in fact, the pillars upon which creativity, productivity and retention are found. In the fast-paced world of business, where innovation, collaboration, and growth are paramount, maintaining a delicate balance between flexibility and structure can be challenging. Yet, there exists a powerful tool that can revolutionise the way your employees and your company operate embracing boundaries. Cultivate creativity through individual boundaries Boundaries are the catalysts that propel creative thinking. Personal boundaries allow employees to manage their energy, work confidently within their core values, and ultimately contribute unique ideas at work. Encouraging individuals to set parameters on their workload nurtures an environment where creativity thrives and anxiety fades. Boundaries strengthen your company’s culture Boundaries not only shape how individual employees operate but also define the company's culture as a whole. When leaders exemplify the practice of setting and respecting boundaries, it cascades down fostering an environment of mutual respect and professionalism. This not only boosts morale but also contributes to a harmonious and inclusive workplace.
Enhances work-life balance One of the most pressing challenges in today's hyper-connected world is maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Boundaries play a pivotal role in preventing burnout and fostering employee well-being. Encouraging employees to establish limits on work hours, unplug during personal time, and take regular breaks not only recharges them on a mental and emotional level but also improves overall productivity. Imagine a rubber band that is constantly stretched to its limit - it eventually loses its elasticity. Lack of boundaries can cause employees to stretch themselves too thin, compromising their efficiency and enthusiasm. By advocating for work-life boundaries, you show that your company values its employees' well-being too, leading to higher job satisfaction and higher retention rates. Fostering Effective Communication Transparent communication is the cornerstone of any successful team. Boundaries play an important role in maintaining healthy communication channels. By setting boundaries on communication norms such as response times, preferred channels, and meeting schedules, you ensure that discussions are purposeful and distractions are minimised. This enhances efficiency and prevents burnout and overwhelm caused by constant interruptions. Imagine a scenario where employees bombard each other with messages at all hours. This not only disrupts focus but also blurs the lines between work and personal life. By establishing boundaries, you cultivate an environment where ideas flow without impeding productivity. Efficient Teamwork In the realm of teamwork, chaos ensues when roles and responsibilities are hazy or overlap. Setting clear boundaries by defining individual roles not only fosters a sense of ownership but also streamlines workflow. When every team member understands their unique contribution to the larger picture, collaboration becomes seamless, and accountability and autonomy are elevated. Remember, it's not about limiting capabilities; it's about empowering each individual to shine within their designated role. Your Company’s Path to Brilliance As you embark on this new journey of harnessing the power of boundaries, remember that you are not constricting, but liberating your employees. By establishing clear roles, fostering effective communication, cultivating creativity, enhancing work-life balance, and strengthening your company's culture. Embrace boundaries, and watch as your teams and company flourish like never before.
“Boundaries not only shape how individual employees operate but also define the company's culture as a whole.”
In the fast-paced world of business, where innovation, collaboration, and growth are paramount, maintaining a delicate balance between flexibility and structure can be challenging. Yet, there exists a powerful tool that can revolutionise the way your employees and your company operate - embracing boundaries. Cultivate creativity through individual boundaries Boundaries are the catalysts that propel creative thinking. Personal boundaries allow employees to manage their energy, work confidently within their core values, and ultimately contribute unique ideas at work. https://www.jordancavecoaching.com /lets-talk-boundaries-freemasterclass
Encouraging individuals to set parameters on their workload nurtures an environment where creativity thrives and anxiety fades. Boundaries strengthen your company’s culture Boundaries not only shape how individual employees operate but also define the company's culture as a whole. When leaders exemplify the practice of setting and respecting boundaries, it cascades down fostering an environment of mutual respect and professionalism. This not only boosts morale but also contributes to a harmonious and inclusive workplace.
How to help your Line Managers Avoid the Expert Trap Moving into your first-line management position is an exciting time. You’ve worked hard to build your technical skills and reputation and now you officially have it; your first people gig! But does any of this sound familiar? Rebekah Whitaker shares the pitfalls of the expert trap. You know how to do the job yourself but struggle when it comes to delegating tasks to your team. You’ve been brilliant at managing your own deadlines, but how do you make sure other people are meeting their deadlines and motivate them? Maybe you’ve kept yourself to yourself and now you have all this drama to deal with in your team. Plus on top of all this ‘people-ing’ you also need to make sure you are demonstrating company values, driving performance, implementing organisational changes driven from above (which you probably have no power or influence over) and doing your own work to boot. You quickly start to feel out of your depth, disillusioned, and question whether you were the right person to get this job in the first place. Did any of that happen to you in your first-line management role? This is the expert trap. Most people get their first-line management role because they are an expert. That’s where the problems can begin though, because they might be an expert at their job but they are not an expert at people management. People management requires a whole new set of skills. Some of these skills your current and prospective line managers will already have, and some they (and perhaps, you) believe they will never have, but p lease believe me when I tell you that effective leadership boils down to a set of skills and like any other skills in life they can be taught and they can be learned.
Here are three things you can do to help your line managers avoid the expert trap: 1. Teach the importance of mindset. Leadership development is worth an estimated $356billion worldwide each year, and yet when 329 companies were surveyed to find out how happy they were with the training and support they had paid for, 75% of the companies thought the programmes weren’t very effective. Harvard Business Review (2020) stated that this is “likely because most leadership development efforts overlook a specific attribute that is foundational to how leaders think, learn, and behave: their mindsets.” Understanding of mindset is vital when we are asking managers to put down their ‘expert’ badge and pick up their people management role. Learning how to manage mindset will have a huge impact on how they tackle being a manager. 2. Introduce them to the skills they need to be good line managers as soon as possible. Don’t wait until they become line managers, start teaching the skills they need at the beginning of their career. Communication, emotional intelligence, critical thinking, problem-solving and all the other ‘soft’ skills (I prefer the term ‘human’ skills, as there’s nothing soft about them). Not only will these skills make great managers but also great team members. 3. Choose development that meets your managers where they are at. Many organisations end up choosing something that isn’t suited to their line managers so they can demonstrate their commitment to their people development, and hope for the best. If you want the best for your people, investing in a programme that is specifically tailored to their needs should be a priority. Contact Quest for EST to find out more about their programme specifically created to support Line Managers cope and flourish in their new role.
Find out more about the first line managers programme
Ruth Richards of Human to Human shares her thoughts on the why improving collaboration skills is crucial for productivity and morale.
If your team is not collaborating effectively, can you help them?
Effective collaboration is vital for businesses to thrive in today's competitive landscape. The strength of collaboration within an organisation determines the quality of the work produced. It means the development of positive and productive relationships internally and externally, and the ability to address issues and prevent conflicts. Fostering a culture of collaboration is not a nice to have - it is crucial to business success. Here’s why:
Collaboration in a hybrid world Employers need to think about how to support and champion purposeful co-working in the hybrid world. It’s just as important as ever, but it can be easily overlooked. Issues can go unrecognised or unaddressed for longer. So much of the debate about hybrid working focuses on ‘productivity’. But the real issue is HOW we work, and ensuring that teams share values and purpose when they’re not working in the same space.
Increasingly, workers are becoming more specialised. This means their knowledge is deep, but not broad. So to understand all the elements of a project or situation it is necessary to speak to other people. Bringing in different viewpoints and diversity of thought drives better quality thinking, which leads to better quality work. A lack of collaboration can create silos. Silos are bad for productivity because they often mean a duplication of work and effort, as well as increased risk because you don’t have access to the whole picture. The relationships we have at work are a key driver of our morale. If we feel part of a team and we trust our colleagues we feel more engaged in our work. This is good for employee wellbeing and staff retention.
There has been a tendency to think of communication and collaboration as traits or behaviours, rather than skills that need to be learned and developed. But this is not the case. Everyone can learn approaches and techniques to work more effectively with others.
We can’t just rely on chats by the kettle or overheard conversations to spark new ideas or reveal opportunities to join up projects. It’s not reasonable to expect new members of staff to pick up on behaviours through observation or osmosis. We can’t assume relationships will just develop through proximity. We need to think properly about the culture we want to build, how we want people to work together, and how to facilitate that.
“Collaboration needs to be intentional, and it needs to be taught to all members of staff, including management.” Nurturing the skills for collaboration Human to Human works with a range of companies looking to improve cross-team working, communication and collaboration. We always start by doing an honest appraisal of where things are – what is working well and where things could be better. What is explicit and what is going on under the surface? Then we look at how to champion better coworking.
Unlocking the Power of Collaboration
The most important thing is that expectations are clear and consistent and that leaders at all levels of the business are committed to the value of collaboration. Communication and collaboration skills can be embedded in a number of ways. Modelling In the ‘old days’ a lot of learning happened through observation. More junior colleagues watched how more senior ones operated and how they navigated tricky situations, and they saw what worked. Managers need to recognise that it is part of their role to support this aspect of personal development for their teams. They need to dedicate time to talking through working relationships and the importance of influencing and negotiating. Most importantly, managers need to model the value of understanding what other people do, their priorities and pressures. Feedback A constant feedback loop enables fast, on-the-job learning. For this to work there needs to be a culture of feedback being both given and received positively. At its best, feedback is brief, clear, and given as soon as possible after the relevant incident, with clear expectations for what happens next. For example, “I saw that email you sent and it could be read as aggressive, so next time it would be better to pick up the phone.” It’s also important to remember positive feedback is just as important as negative feedback. Training or coaching It is possible to learn communication and collaboration skills. This can be done through interactive training or through one-to-one coaching. Setting aside time and a safe space for these skills to be developed will ensure they are not overlooked. If there are ongoing issues between teams or individuals, a facilitated session to explore how they can better collaborate. Our workplaces are still in a period of change, and no one (despite what they claim) has got everything right yet. To get the best out of your employees, you need to focus on building their ability to work effectively together.
Human to Human helps your people work together better. We offer consultancy, training, facilitation and coaching to build communication and collaboration. Contact Ruth to book a free noobligation one hour consultation for your organisation. http://www.ruthkrichards.co.uk
How do you spark your creativity when you are feeling uninspired or busy? Claire Winter, founder of The Creatrix Journey, shares the magic power of nature to boost our mood. For me, creativity is as essential as breathing to lead a happy and fulfilling life. But when and how do you get inspired? There are times when you are sitting at a desk, staring at a screen or blank paper, seeking inspiration when it feels non-existent. Creative blocks can arise for many different reasons, it may feel like there’s a problem you can’t overcome, overwhelm, fear of failure, and self-doubt can also stand in your way. Being creatively blocked can feel incredibly frustrating, time- consuming, and ultimately, can lead to a lack of motivation. The most important thing to remember is that creative blocks happen to everyone, but there are ways in which you can overcome them. A powerful tool to help you get creative is spending time in nature.
According to the scientists at Stanford, subjects who walked and performed creativity tests, such as rapidly coming up with alternative uses for common objects performed 60% better than those who were sedentary. Interestingly creative output was similar whether walking on a treadmill or being in nature in the study. However, walking in the great outdoors can help to empty the mind, get inspired, and come up with new creative ideas. The simple act of putting one foot in front of the other and the rhythmic cadence of your steps can get you into the magical ‘flow’ state that many artists, writers, and creators talk about. On top of this, we also know that exercising in nature is not only good for our physical health but also our mental health. By boosting mood and energy, you are also helping to improve your creativity. Nature connection can also be an important part of the creative process. Taking a walk allows the overthinking cycle to break when we are stressed about not finding a solution to our creative block or a work issue. I believe so passionately in the power of walking to ignite creativity that I created an online walking and creative writing course for women. Each week, they are given powerful audio to listen to and writing prompt. They go for a walk, and we return to write on Zoom together to write creatively. The results have been amazing, beautiful poetry and prose, fabulous business ideas, amazing personal insights, and really interesting blogs have been written during the course. We are also working on a corporate away days and workshops to help boost creativity and communication in hybrid teams too.
Walk it Out Going for a walk has been found to boost creativity. A study from Stanford University found walking can boost creativity by sixty per cent. The great German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche claimed that all great ideas came from walking. So, what about walking helps our brains switch into a creative mode?
Why Why
nature nature connection connection
boosts boosts creativity creativity
Mindful Walking in Nature is Good for You Mindful walking in nature has become so popular that you can now go to a forest bathing workshop or even train to be a forest bathing practitioner. Forest bathing or ‘shirrin-yoku’ was first developed in the 1980s following studies by the Japanese government. The benefits of forest bathing are said to be numerous. Results showed that two hours of mindful exploration in a forest or wood could reduce blood pressure, lower cortisol levels and improve concentration and memory. Researchers also found that trees release a chemical called phytoncides which have an antimicrobial effect on human bodies, which can, in turn, boost the immune system. The Japanese government thought the benefits were so great that they introduced it as a national health programme. In another study, researchers in Finland found that urban dwellers who strolled for as little as 20 minutes through an urban park or woodland reported significantly more stress relief than those who strolled in a city centre. As we spend more time online indoors, this is a timely reminder to stop the scroll and spend twenty minutes in walking in nature.
Claire Winter is a former journalist, ICF coach, Nordic Walking instructor, speaker, and awardwinning podcaster who loves being out in nature. She wants to make an impact by helping people to connect back to nature, ignite their creativity and share their words and wisdom with the world. To find out more, scan the QR Code
Nature Connection & Creativity Tips
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Rethinking the menopause and midlife Menopause seems to be constantly in the headlines thanks to celebs like Davina McCall and Meg Matthews. Finally, women’s voices are being heard on a topic that, let's face it, will affect all women (and their families) in some way. The conversations that are now happening about perimenopause and menopause in mainstream media are filtering down and affecting workplace policies and decisions. But is this a good thing? We talk to Rachel Lankester the founder of Magnificent Midlife about Menopause and ageism in the workplace.
Menopause has been getting a bad rap. Headlines focus on the HRT shortage and wellknown figures like Davina talk about their struggle, like debilitating brain fog, which made it difficult to do her job. In recent media stories menopause has been linked to an increase in suicide, job loss and the number of women in prison in midlife not to mention causing women to be at greater risk of a range of diseases, from Alzheimer's to heart disease. It is still seen largely as a negative event that prevents productivity. It has to be medicated and is something that needs fixing. Rachel shares a different perspective. She was given an early menopause diagnosis at 41. Rachel believes that menopause is a natural transition that does not necessarily need ‘fixing’ but that workplaces do need to acknowledge and accommodate the different needs of women during this time. “As a post-menopausal woman long advocating for greater menopause awareness, I applaud the honesty and influx of information. Women need to be aware of what menopause is, which is the end of their fertile life and periods. Plus the changes that come with it, which can range from anxiety to loss of libido, to hot flushes and mood changes.”
To find out more about Rachel's work scan the QR Code
Rachel’s manifesto to help us rethink menopause and midlife Menopause is a not medical condition, our first instinct should not be
1. to medicate for it. does not needs fixing. It may be challenging and we may 2. Menopause need help to manage symptoms but it’s a natural stage in life. 3. Menopause can be something wonderful . 4. We do not need to fight menopause, let's embrace it. 5. Lifestyle changes can help women with their menopause experience. on our choices and what our options are should be talked 6. Education about more. Menopause's symptoms’ are nature’s way of telling us how we live
7. our lives may have to change if we want long-term health. It’s about choice, menopause gives us an opportunity to start listening more to our bodies and making positive changes.
don’t have to be on HRT forever. (I do not believe HRT is 8. You something women should be on forever, that we need it to protect us from health conditions associated with female ageing, nor that it’s good for a woman in her 80s to enjoy having ‘periods’ because she is still on HRT (a prominent private gynaecologist is the source of those ideas). post-menopause can be liberating. (When I asked my 9. Being community of over 2000 women for words about life postmenopause, the overwhelming themes were liberation, calm, and a renewed sense of energy and purpose (not to mention the second creative spark we reach in our fifties).
Your brain gets a MIDLIFE upgrade "While many focus on the negative changes during menopause, I also learnt about positive changes in the brain, which is something rarely highlighted in the media but that is backed up by science. In the book, The Upgrade: How the Female Brain Gets Stronger and Better in Midlife and Beyond, neuroscientist Dr Louann Brizendine writes how, during our fertile years, women are on a “hamster wheel” of hormones, all of which create a rollercoaster of “urges, obsessions, and delusions around relationships and intimacy”, women are hormonally wired to find a fertile mate, whether we are aware of it or not." Once we are off this, Dr Louann writes, the brain is “free to explore and expand intellectually and emotionally”.
Women may lose the ability to multitask, but instead gain a “laser-like focus”, which reduces anxiety. Gone too is the desire to people-please. Instead, compassion and joy increase, curiosity takes centre stage, and “a new ease takes over, even in difficult moments”.
ERADICATE shame and feel empowered Women can and should feel empowered during this transition, but many feel ashamed. This shame needs to end once and for all. Studies have shown women from other cultures often have fewer menopause symptoms. This has led to researchers concluding that the status of older women in the community is also important to understanding menopause. All too often we hear older women in the UK say they feel “invisible”. Could gendered ageism be equally to blame for feeling overlooked, midlife job losses and a difficult menopause?
Could gendered ageism be equally to blame for feeling overlooked, midlife job losses and a difficult menopause? A third of women will potentially spend half their lives post-menopause. It’s unavoidable but the suffering isn’t. Steps can be taken to reduce symptoms and protect our health. Only telling negative stories leaves younger women scared and disempowered, feeling like they need fixing and rushing to medicate during this time, before they have explored other options. "I hope women get to a point where they embrace and celebrate this transition and workplaces can certainly do more to support them during this time. I believe the insidious combination of sexism and ageism has a big impact on women’s sense of well-being and ease at work. Stressful jobs and hormonal changes are not a happy combo. I think menopause gets a lot of negative attention and it’s not always to blame. There are potentially lots of other issues to consider. The middle of life can often get a bit messy!" The good news is that we are now talking about this more openly and hopefully the narrative will change with more conversations and education about how magnificent midlife can be.
Ruth Kudzi
How our brains hold the key to our well-being Ruth Kudzi, MCC is on a mission to support people to enhance their wellbeing and performance through integrating Neuroscience, Positive Psychology into coaching approaches in her work as a coach, trainer, facilitator and speaker. As the founder of one of the UK’s leading coach training providers she's trained 1000s of people individually and in organisations to build coaching skills and develop coaching capacity building wellbeing and performance.
I used to think well-being was all about our bodies: what we put into them and what we did with them and this in turn impacted our brains. Now, I think the other way around: our brains are the centre for behavioural change, and the diet that we feed them and how we “program” them has an impact on our well-being. It’s not so much think and be well it is more about how we think and work with the brain in order to maximise our wellbeing. Of course our physical health has an impact on our well-being, as does our cognitive and emotional health. People have been looking at alternative measures to GDP per capita for years to measure countries against each other, even a decade ago happiness indexes were reported on and then ditched. Coming out of the global pandemic well-being is now big business as we are now on the edge of a mental health crisis: data suggests in the UK we’re not doing well globally in terms of people flourishing at work or engagement: these are measures which indiicate employee well-being is an issue (and negatively impact performance)
Rethinking
how to feel better When you look at well-being models, such as PERMA+ created by Martin Seligman you can understand why we’ve got to the place where we are. In a world. Many of us were isolated, relationships changed: whether due to proximity or lack of it, divorces have reached an all time high and loneliness is increasing. Combining this with remote working means that relationships and connection are areas which many people score as low meaning they have lower overall wellbeing. So, how do we change this? How can we work with our brains? One of the most simple ways that you can enhance your wellbeing is by experiencing positive emotions more regularly. This doesn’t mean you are pretending things are brilliant when they aren’t, it is the propensity to feel emotions like joy, happiness and awe. The more frequently that you feel them the higher your well-being: in fact if you experience awe a couple of times a week your chances of having depression are significantly reduced. So, what do you do? Realistically you need to get strategic about your emotions: for me I walk in a forest: experiencing the vastness makes me feel awe.
This may be one reason that being in nature has such a profound effect on our emotional wellbeing. Another way of working with the brain is to practice daily positive visualisation: when we imagine we are at a point in the future where things are good we are preprogramming our brains neural pathways and building the foundations of a new way of being. It is pretty simple to do and whether you can imagine visual images or you can connect to emotions or words most of us can consider an optimistic future. When we do this every day we are more likely to achieve the things that we have thought about. Finally, if we work with our brains natural reward systems especially dopamine, we start to reinforce certain behaviours. Dopamine is released when we experience pleasure and also when we anticipate it. If you have experienced pleasure by doing something previously you are more likely to do it again based on this principle.
“Positive psychology takes you through the countryside of pleasure and gratification, up into the high country of strength and virtue, and finally to the peaks of lasting fulfillment, meaning and purpose.” Martin Seligman It is why social media can be so attractive to us and it can also be used to your advantage: if you can link helpful behaviours to that feeling of pleasure you are more likely to stick at them. A great example of this is why many gyms have spas. After a workout you can reward yourself: if you do this enough your brain will associate a workout with the pleasure and your motivation will be higher. The more that you can work with the systems in your brain to support positive behaviours which enhance well-being the better you will feel and the better you will feel the more positive choices you make. It is a cycle we can all start to build.
Ruth is a keynote speaker on How to enhance wellbeing and performance through integrating Neuroscience, Positive Psychology and coaching. Find out more about Ruth's work scan here
Advita was recently on the Another Door podcast talking about belonging, inclusivity and her brilliant annual conference ‘Unleashing your inner rebel’. Advita shares her insightful guidance on how to become more inclusive, personally and as an organisation.
Advita Patel
Rethinking
Inclusivity
Embedding diversity and inclusion into the organisations culture is something that can’t happen overnight. To see change and achieve the outcomes needed, diversity and inclusion have to be baked into the organisation, in other words, "the way we do things here." If organisations don't demonstrate inclusive behaviours and create environments where people can thrive, then colleagues are very likely to say it's tokenistic and performative – no matter how many emails or events you host that say you're committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. Being inclusive is a must-have. Research conducted by McKinsey in 2018 showed that businesses that had a healthy balance of women to men were 21% more likely to outperform their competitors, rising to 33% for companies that had Black and ethnic minority employees. Even with such strong data which proves the benefit of having an inclusive culture, many organisations still struggle to take appropriate action. Diversity does equal representation, but if you don't have inclusion, you can't drive innovation, encourage participation or even attract diverse talent, which means business growth won't happen.
"Diversity is being asked to the party, inclusion is being asked to dance." Verna myers
Find out more about Advita
Five ways to make your communications more inclusive. We only know what we know How can you personally increase your awareness of the lived experiences of people who are different to you or different to the majority? We have to be willing to stretch ourselves to think outside of our comfort zones.
Drill down into stakeholder segmentation Have you considered people with disabilities or diverse ethnic backgrounds or socioeconomic status? It’s important that we consider the unique needs of every stakeholder, write objectives that hold us to account and produce content that looks, sounds and feels.
Listening is the bread and butter of communication We need to build listening into our communication plans not just for measurement but to engage with colleagues on a human level.
Let go of assumptions and biases It’s important to recognise that we all see and experience the world in different ways and therefore our seasoned practices, jargon or injokes could be isolating for others.
Writing an inclusive communications plan may require a different approach You may need to challenge the way things have been done before. Have gentle (or sometimes fairly stern!) conversations with people around the use of language they’ve adopted over time. Lead through authenticity and be open about your own journey of diversifying your learning and listening.
Rethinking alcohol in the workplace Businesses with a strong duty of care, invest so much time and money on Wellness. But alcohol is conspicuously absent from most agendas – despite its direct links to stress, anxiety, burn out and depression. Anna Donaghey, Alcohol Mindset Trainer and Coach, explains why it makes good business sense to raise awareness of alcohol’s links to mental health, and suggests how this can best be done.
Alcohol is the Last Wellness Taboo The last few years have seen incredible compassion, creativity, and innovation injected into wellness initiatives. We guide and our people to breathe better, sleep better, eat better, and move more. To be more confident, more resilient, more authentic and to understand a range of key health topics, such as menopause. But there’s a conversation that we’re not having. Why aren’t we talking about alcohol’s negative impact on mental health? It’s the missing piece of the Wellness jigsaw. Perhaps it’s because drinking is baked into many workplace cultures; a staple of networking, after-work drinks, hospitality and awards dinners? Maybe businesses fear being seen to simultaneously facilitate and judge? But the upshot is that few businesses seem brave enough to broach the subject, and this has two severe consequences: Awareness of alcohol’s impact on mental health remains low, so we lack the knowledge to inform healthier decisions. Misuse or dependency stay firmly in the shadows – allowing shame to thrive. When I desperately needed help with my alcohol abuse, it never occurred to me to seek advice and support through work. Shame stopped me, alongside fear of a career-limiting stigma branding me weak and unable to cope. I am not a rarity. I am one of many. Where there is taboo, there is always suffering and a high cost.
The high cost to business In spite of a slowing down of the boozy, binge-fuelled nineties and noughties, on in four UK workers still consistently drink above NHS lower-risk guidelines, affecting their own health and that of the UK economy, which currently loses £7.3bn per year to alcohol misuse – largely through alcohol-related absenteeism and presenteeism: 17 million working days are lost each year due to alcohol-related illness, costing employers an estimated £1.7bn per year 167,000 working days are lost in the UK to alcohol misuse per year (more than the ten most common cancers combined) Between 3% and 5% of all work absence is directly caused by alcohol consumption A third of employees admitted to regularly going to work with a hangover and 1 in 20 say this is a weekly event 23% say they regularly experience decreased personal productivity as a result of drinking. The high human cost Drinking to self-medicate negative feelings such as stress, overwhelm, and social anxiety, is so common that The Medical Council refer to alcohol as “the nations favourite coping mechanism”. The immediate uplift in mood is undeniable, but less well-known (because its never taught) is that we’re unwittingly tilting our brain chemistry towards ongoing cycles of stress, drinking and depression. Sufferers of anxiety remain oblivious that their daily wine habit actually triggers the release of stress hormones. Those with Imposter Syndrome remain unaware that drinking actually adds to their daily unease and low confidence. Those who drink to help insomnia, are unconscious that alcohol reduces restorative REM sleep. Standing in front of groups, explaining how alcohol ‘works’ and it affects mental health, I see the penny dropping. The realisation for many is that they drink in ways that do not serve them. Simply because it’s never been explained.
So alcohol’s continued absence from wellness agenda’s cost employees and businesses dearly, but how do we introduce it? how to break the taboo Just start – when we start talking about a taboo, it ceases to be one. Our relative comfort in talking about mental health belies the fact that ten years ago it was also taboo. Alcohol is just a natural part of that evolving conversation. Come from a place of service – talking about alcohol doesn’t mean standing in judgment, calling time on drinking, or not serving alcohol at work functions. It just means talking about the risks and impact of alcohol, so people understand the risks. It should be as natural as promoting a healthy diet and exercise. Use story-telling - education involving storytelling is so powerful. As you listen to someone’s story, you can find something in it that you can connect with and learn from. Coming from a senior workplace leader willing to share their vulnerability, it helps to remove the stigma and judgment. Make it both factual and practical – facts and myth-busting create powerful ‘a-ha moments’, while tools and tactics can help people cut down, or better navigate networking, big events, and socialising. Also very useful t for those worried about a friend or family member. Continue the conversation - encourage collective involvement – as with other aspects of mental health, the year is now punctuated with events that can keep the conversation alive – Sober October, Alcohol Awareness Week, and Dry January being the most obvious.
Why Podcasts are
the Future for Internal Comms Recent industry statistics show the amazing growth of podcasts in the UK. The number of podcast listeners increases every year. A recent report by the Statista research department, says there were 16.9 million podcast listeners in the UK in 2020. The number is expected to scale up close to 25 million listeners by 2024. Business podcasts are on the rise and in the United States alone, there are approximately 39.5 million fans of business podcasts. This huge increase in popularity shows that there is a huge appetite for consumption of audio. So how do you take advantage of this and use it for internal communication and personal development? Claire Winter runs Creatrix Audio and helps organisations and small businesses to harness the power of podcasting for their business.
How a private podcast will help your internal communications and learning experiences. Target your podcast audience Firstly, it is possible to create a podcast and make it private for your employees (or customers) only. It’s one of the first questions people ask me. There are simple ways of creating a quality MP3 which you can host on an internal platform or use a platform like Dacast. I would also challenge you to be brave with your content, why not make some of your internal podcasts open to all, what a great way to demonstrate employer branding at its finest. Using audio as part of your strategy Be wary of doing a podcast because it’s the latest thing. Do a podcast because it fits your strategy. A podcast can be very effective if it is part of a bigger campaign or message. Think about your audience and how they work. A podcast might work well for a sales team who are out and about, but it might not work as well for people who are interacting with customers all day. It’s also about peoples' preferences. Around 30% of people are thought to be auditory
learners so offering a mix of content and channels will help broaden your message reach. Repurposing content The beauty of a podcast is that it can be repurposed to work across channels and audience. If the interview is filmed it can make a great vlog, from there snippets from the interview can be used to highlight key messages, and the whole interview can be transcribed and used as an article or written interview. I have seen clients use a 30 minute podcast episode for a months worth of messaging. Be clear on the purpose of the podcast Podcasts can be very effective at broadcasting information, engaging people in a conversation (virtually) or deepening learning and development. It’s important that the purpose of the podcast you are creating is clear. Is it to help the CEO share their vision and thoughts, or answer questions, or for the listener to learn something new or reinforce messages. Before pressing the record button you need a clear idea on what your objectives.
Involving employees Find ways to involve employees. Whether it is hosting the podcast, being interviewed or creating Q&As involving employees in the creation of your podcast is a huge benefit. You can support employees to become a great host with simple coaching, you can help employees to develop scripts and content with tailored training. This makes it a great development opportunity and one that more and more employees are interested in. Have fun and be brave More than anything else, have fun creating your podcast. Create something that people look forward to listening to, whether it's challenging conversations or interesting takes on work life - be brave with your content and you’ll have a successful podcast. Claire Winter runs Winter Audio, helping people and organisations to create a memorable podcast that has impact.
Get Recommended Are you looking for fresh thinkers, speakers, trainers, experts to run workshops? - people who put the 'oh ah' into your event, your programme, your work. Are you looking to work with people who make your audience sit up, pay attention, think. With something a bit different to say.
Head over to www.get-recommended.com Recommended is the online platform to find your Rethinker. Whether you are working on a leadership programme, a conference, a working lunch talk, a well-being campaign or your own personal development project, Recommended has the person who will help you rethink work. Recommended was originally created as a directory for Another Door members, but now it's so much more. When you change career, or you are just starting out, you need a breakthrough, you need encouragement and momentum to keep going. Behind the scenes this is what it's all about. Supporting people to create talks, workshops and experiences that will help others to rethink. It’s a corporate matchmaker, the person who wants support with their project, and the person who can help. Maybe the next phase is a swipe app!
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