Access Granted: Six Steps to Support Individuals With Disabilities at Work

As leaders, we have the foremost responsibility to pioneer disability inclusion in our workplaces. I’ll be the first to admit that this goal is easier said than done, but fortunately, there are a multitude of steps we can take to accomplish this crucial aim! In this blog, I will be walking us through six key areas leaders can invest in to demonstrate disability inclusion. Ready to jump in?

1. Inclusive Behavior

Just like anyone else, leaders must embody inclusive behavior toward people with disabilities, because if we aren’t walking the walk, how else will we be able to implement more robust disability initiatives into our organization? As such, there are three crucial inclusive behaviors that leaders should embody:

Listen. That’s right, simply listen! When an employee comes to us with concerns about disability, we can emphasize inclusion and belonging to them by paying attention to how they describe their symptoms, e.g. how their disability impacts their work experience. Additionally, we can also take the initiative to do supplementary research on their description of their disability—not to assume we “know” their experiences, but merely to increase our knowledge and understanding in an area we may not be deeply familiar with.

Confidentiality. If our employees request confidentiality regarding their discussion of the disability, we should grant them that privacy to the extent of our ability. We must not resist their request for confidentiality, and I additionally advise that leaders explicitly articulate that they will not disclose details of conversations regarding the employee’s disability to their fellow team members or to anyone else in the organization. There are exceptions to this confidentiality, such as when leaders may be obligated to report something to HR; if this situation arises, leaders should directly inform their employee that they have this reporting responsibility.

Support. The Harvard Business Review conducted a study regarding workplace attitudes regarding disability, and they found that managers who asked employees with disabilities “‘How do I set you up for success?’” and/or “‘What can I, as a manager, do to support you to perform your best?’” were perceived as “92% more approachable by their team.” In other words, ask employees with disabilities what they need! Ask what support they require to perform their best work! Sometimes the simplest strategies are the most effective ones, and embodying inclusive behavior is a key tactic any leader can implement to foster a safer, more welcoming workplace for people with disabilities.

2. Physical Accommodations

Felicia has had intense back issues since she was a young child, a disability that has only intensified as she got older. As such, it is difficult for her to remain sitting for long periods of time, a challenge that perhaps unsurprisingly often rears its head at work. She asked for a special chair from HR to help minimize the intense pain she experienced while sitting, but her department refused. Why? Under claims of “cost-cutting,” meaning they allegedly would not be able to afford a new chair. Upon asking to work from home, an environment that would give her greater flexibility to manage her disability alongside her job, the department refused: “We treat all of our employees equally. That means you need to be in the office.”

Every time I tell this story, I find myself getting angrier, because the logic Felicia’s department employed in this decision is devastatingly flawed. While perhaps demanding all employees work in-office may technically qualify as the imposition of “equality” (in a limited sense), it by no means produces truly equal outcomes, as Felicia experiencing constant pain while working (a situation that could be easily resolved through a simple accommodation of a specific chair!) does not put her on “equal” ground with the rest of her team—in fact, it puts her at a direct disadvantage.

Additionally, the rhetoric of cost-cutting is not one that leaders and organizations should be invoking with regard to disability accommodations. Heidrick & Struggles, an international executive search and management consulting company with global renown, puts it more succinctly than I ever could:

“A common concern cited by management is the potential cost of providing accommodations—but this fear is largely unfounded. Studies have shown that the cost of providing accommodations is actually quite low, at a median of $600. That’s because many of the accommodations needed—such as flexible schedules and allowing employees to work remotely—cost nothing. Even the cost of software, ergonomic chairs, and other physical accommodations is relatively small. The phenomenal strides that have been made in assistive technology, such as talk-to-text software, have made these kinds of technology accommodations not only highly effective but also very cost-effective.” (emphasis added)

In short, the notion of cost-cutting need not be applied to disability accommodations, simply because disability accommodations do not incur tremendous costs in the first place.

I start with this anecdote regarding Felicia’s frustrating experience to segue into the second key areas leaders can invest in to demonstrate disability inclusion: providing physical accommodations! While the specific accommodations individuals with disabilities may require is as varied as humanity itself, the following are some useful starting points that any leader can offer to reinforce the importance of disability inclusion to their workplace:

• Provide interpreters, closed captions, and transcriptions for people with hearing disabilities

• Provide opportunities for quiet workspaces and/or noise-canceling headphones as well as adjustable lights in offices for people who work better in dimmer settings (these accommodations can help prevent sensory overload, which disproportionately impacts people with autism, ADHD, and other mental disabilities)

• Have multiple ramps, elevators, accessible bathrooms, and automatic doors to help ensure wheelchair users and other people with physical disabilities can comfortably navigate the work building

• Ensure all digital content (websites, mobile apps, etc.) is compatible with screen readers as well as other assistive technology, e.g. all images should be accompanied with image descriptions

• Use programs (e.g. Microsoft’s System-Wide Live Captions) that generate captions for all visual-auditory material, though have employees on hand who can proofread/correct these captions

• Use easy-to-read fonts across written content (such as dyslexic-friendly typefaces!) and ensure there is high contrast between the text and any background colors

• Do more than “allow” emotional support animals or service animals in the workplace, e.g. ensure employees can adjust their breaks accordingly to take care of their service animal

Again, the above strategies are but a few starting points with regard to physical, in-person workplace accommodations for disability. When in doubt, go back to the first section of this blog—ask employees what accommodations they need and listen to what they say!

3. Remote Work, Flexible Scheduling, and Workplace Support

Mary has severe arthritis. For years, she worked her job virtually from home, and this set-up was ideal for her! She used a speech-to-text app to avoid strenuous typing, for example, an accommodation that ensured she was able to regularly communicate with her team without causing herself undue pain. In fact, Mary didn’t actually disclose her disability to her manager at first, in part because she was afraid of the bias and discrimination she might encounter even though the accommodations she provided herself mitigated the majority of remote work-related issues she might face.

Now, however, her employers are requiring everyone to come to work in-person three days a week. This requirement puts undue stress on Mary, because her arthritis tremendously increases the amount of time it takes her to get ready in the morning, to get in the car and drive to the office, and so forth. For an able-bodied individual, getting into work at 9 might require waking up at 7. For Mary, getting into work at 9 might require waking up at 5. As such, it’s clear Mary’s manager and the broader department did not take her disability—and likely that of many others’—when implementing this in-person work requirement.

Remote work is thus an excellent opportunity for demonstrating disability inclusion. With regard to Mary’s situation, remote work acts as a measure of equity: because her preparatory commute to an in-person workplace is intensified by her arthritis, she is more drained of energy prior to even starting her shift than a non-disabled employee would be. Remote work helps prevent her from experiencing undue pain and thus ensures she can do her best work for her company!

Flexible scheduling is a similarly inclusive practice for people with disabilities that leaders can implement, i.e. giving employees direct control over when and where they work. This practice can help people with chronic health conditions balance work with numerous doctor’s appointments, for example, as well as may simply be beneficial to people who are primary caregivers, be it for family members with disabilities, elderly parents, children, etc.

Another inclusive practice toward people with disabilities that I am personally quite fond of is the concept of disability allies, i.e. individuals—and especially leaders—in an organization who are specifically designated as resources for people with disabilities (be it because they require an accommodations, need a confidant to speak with, or otherwise could use assistance). Similar to the Safe Space program, disability allies can have some form of an identifiable marker(s) that designates their position as an ally for people with disabilities, e.g. a sticker on their office door, a line in their email signature, and/or an icon on their employee badge. Recruiting people to be disability allies provides multiple benefits: it ensures a guaranteed supported system for people with disabilities; it gives other employees a sense of purpose and an actionable means of demonstrating their allyship; and it helps foster an inclusive culture in the broader organization. Win after win!

4. Planning and Hiring

A friend of mine who has a mobility disability—she walks with a cane—recently visited me to see the full eclipse over Texas. When she had to fly back home, she requested a wheelchair at the airport, as this accessibility measure would make her travel experience less painful. When she got to the airport, however, there was no wheelchair waiting for her, and worse, no clear location for where to go to receive her wheelchair. When she asked an airport employee, she was told she had to wait in line, and moreover to wait for them to bring a wheelchair to her.

My friend waited for half an hour, during which time there was no chair for her available to sit on. For thirty minutes, my friend was simply standing and waiting, in constant pain the whole while! She eventually asked the airport employee at the desk if there was a way for individuals to perhaps be assigned a number, that way they could sit as needed and be called back when a wheelchair was ready for them, and the only response the employee had was: “I don’t have the authority to answer these questions.”

I share this story not to condemn this airport but rather to highlight an almost certain truth that undergirds my friend’s experience: there were no people with disabilities involved in this planning process regarding how airport customers received wheelchairs. The consequence? People with disabilities end up experiencing undue pain for an accommodation that is supposed to directly assist them!

In other words, another key tactic leaders can employ to foster disability inclusion is to get employees with disabilities involved in all planning. That’s right—planning for anything and everything! If a person with a disability may require access to a certain facility or event or program, then people with disabilities should be involved in preparing and executing said processes to ensure maximum accessibility.

A good example is getting people with disabilities involved in organizing events with food, as food is one the most common staples in any workplace event, and yet food intolerances and allergies are also one of the most common disabilities that individuals experience. Because “[s]ymptoms of food intolerance are often very personal, and employees might think twice before volunteering information that can leave them vulnerable to stigma or ridicule at work,” leaders should not default to assuming that their employees will disclose their food sensitivities. Instead, they should create opportunities for individuals to report food allergies/intolerances/etc., be it directly or anonymously, as well as get individuals with disabilities involved in the planning process to help create a more inclusive menu.

Relatedly, individuals with disabilities should be involved in hiring processes to ensure their organization is taking a disability-inclusive approach to hiring! Tips for inclusive hiring toward people with disabilities that leaders can implement include:

• Offer at least two ways for job seekers to contact a company, e.g. by phone and email, to accommodate for individuals who might have visual or hearing disabilities

• Emphasize on the company website, job postings, career pages, etc. that disability accommodations are available to employees

• Guarantee that job applications are compatible with assistive technologies (e.g. screen readers)

• During the interview process, integrate “universal design principles,” such as “sign language interpreters, accessible spaces[,] or video interviews for remote applicants”

If employees with disabilities and/or job seekers with disabilities recommend additional accommodations during the hiring process, be sure to listen to them!

5. Promotions and Partnerships

I have spoken many times about the importance of leadership creating talent pipelines, mentorship opportunities, and community partnerships with diverse organizations to help pioneer workplace inclusion, and this same emphasis applies to disability inclusion. It’s not enough to simply hire people with disabilities; they must also have copious opportunities for growth and support, too!

For example, implement mentorship programs for employees with disabilities, pairing them with someone who is familiar with accessibility resources for individuals with disabilities as well as someone who can provide the best guidance to ensure the employee under their wing thrives. Sponsorship programs are similarly beneficial, as they make space for individuals with disabilities to progress in the workplace with less risk of unconscious ableism restricting their opportunities.

External partnerships are also ideal for leaders to demonstrate comprehensive disability inclusion! Community partnerships with disability-centric organizations have the benefit of both “gaining internal support to build a disability-inclusive team” and creating opportunities to “reach potential employees with disabilities.” Leaders can consider looking for their local chapters of national disability nonprofits, such as Easterseals and The Arc!

6. Accommodation Surveys

Last but certainly not least: leaders can help ensure disability inclusion in their organization through the simple tactic of not generalizing people with disabilities. Disability is a capacious term that encompasses numerous diagnoses and even more lived experiences, where accommodations that may benefit some people with disabilities may not be of any use to others. In turn? Ask individuals what accommodations they require to perform their best work!

(In many ways, this blog always circles back to its first section: listen to people with disabilities.)

On one level, it’s crucial for organizations to have “a clearly defined accommodation process and statement for candidates with disabilities to request any needed accommodations.” This process should also be internally available at any point, both during onboarding and well after hiring, because individuals may need to request an accommodation for a disability acquired well into their career. For more comprehensive accessibility, accommodation requests should be available at least through both phone and email, and should ideally “provide a response within at least 24 hours on next steps.”

I’m more than happy to provide accommodations for my employees with disabilities, some leaders may be thinking, but how can I go about phrasing questions to get the best ideas of what they need and how I can help?

To help ease this valid concern, I have developed five simple questions that any organization can use as a starting point for an employee survey regarding disability accommodations:

1. What are your accessibility needs?

2. What in-person and/or remote working strategies have colleagues and employers used in the past that successfully accommodate your needs?

3. Is there anything HR can do to make your in-person work environment best for you? Examples include a quieter location, dimmable lights, an ergonomic chair, recorded and transcribed instructions, etc.

4. Are you concerned about working from home, in terms of the internet bandwidth at your house?

5. Do you have any concerns about missing work for any reason, including family/caregiving needs, disability, and health concerns? If you are comfortable, please explain.

And there we have it! Six key areas that leaders can invest in to demonstrate disability inclusion in their workplaces. What are we waiting for? We’ve got some accessibility practices to implement!

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

6 Generations, 1 Workforce—Let’s Make It Work!

Have you heard, have you heard? There are as many as six generations alive and four are in the workforce right now! Many of us are familiar with the presence of Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and the ever-growing population of Gen Z, but let’s not forget the remaining individuals of the Silent Generation as well as Gen Alpha, the newest generation, who are starting to pursue summer jobs and internships as they enter high school.

Overwhelmed by this information? Fear not, my friends: while successfully leading a multigenerational workforce may seem like a daunting task, today I will walk through three key strategies any of us can incorporate to effectively embrace and accommodate generational diversity in the workplace. Ready to dive in?

1. Age ≠ Generation

Forgive me for sounding like Captain Obvious, but I’m serious—age does not equate to generation! While this distinction may almost seem counter-intuitive, keep in mind that each generation consists of an entire range of ages. In other words, even within one generation, individuals will be at entirely different age-based points in their life—think of how some Gen Zers just graduated from High School while others might be receiving their doctorate.

As such, when leading and incorporating policies for a multigenerational workforce, bear in mind the nuances of age vs generation. Benefits meant to address age differences might include student loan debt relief for recent Gen Z graduates, while leadership techniques broadly intended to guide multiple generations should recognize how individuals within a generation “had their worldviews shaped by the same key national/global events, trends, and social forces (e.g., economic recessions, wars, social movements, breakthrough technologies)”—think of Millennials growing up in the midst of the technological revolution, for starters.

In short, to more effectively lead multiple generations, we should make ourselves aware of the nuances within generations, including age-based differences. By doing so, we will better be able to accommodate the workplace needs (and even the workplace wants) of our generationally diverse employees.

2. Reframe Generations as Cultures

Jumping right off the last strategy, because generations are identified by the significant historical events that dominated their “formative years,” it can be useful to reframe generational preferences through the visage of cultural norms. Think of how communication styles have changed across generations, with many Boomers and Gen X preferring phone calls and/or in-person communication compared to Millennials preferring email and Gen Z relying heavily on text. The Harvard Business Review puts it best: “Culture informs a common way of thinking that motivates a common way of doing among cohorts of individuals. Cultures give insight into where people are ‘from’ — and so do generations. Just like cultural differences, generational differences can distinguish teammates from one another without dividing them from one another.”

Sometimes all it takes is mentally reframing our understanding of generations to become better leaders for a multigenerational workforce, just as we have been leading increasingly multicultural workforces for decades now! Where leaders embrace cross-cultural humility, they can do the same with generational differences, focusing on curiosity over superiority. Not too complicated, right?

3. Talent Pipeline

One of the most pressing challenges that leaders of multigenerational workforces face is re-developing talent pipelines in order to accommodate the influx of new generations as well as the economic challenges faced by individuals across generations. What do I mean by this? Well, many individuals in senior generations are financially unable to retire from the top positions they currently hold; the in-between generations are stuck in middle management positions as workplace expectations rapidly transform; and the youngest generations have no room whatsoever to advance despite holding the necessary qualifications and more than enough energy. In other words: the talent pipeline is backed up!

Consequently, successfully leading a multigenerational workforce requires reimagining what a talent pipeline can be in a way that honors the contributions of individuals who have been in the workforce a long time while still paving the way for newer employees to make their mark. The Harvard Business Review recommends “creat[ing] meaningful opportunities for senior talent to remain engaged in post-executive roles,” where “[s]uch positions must include more than honorific titles, be positioned as a positive step forward instead of a step aside (or a step back), and carry real value in transferring knowledge, sharing experiences and expertise, and mentoring younger colleagues without the weight and time commitment of executive-level responsibility.” With positions newly opening at the top, individuals of middle and younger generations will have a clear view on the broader pipeline and thus become encouraged by the many possibilities for advancement that await them!

And there we have it: three simple tips for effectively leading a multigenerational workforce. But allow me to conclude with one final piece of advice! Despite the many differences between employees across ages and generations, leaders should bear in mind a key detail that unites many of us: a fear of change. Contrary to the stereotype that younger generations love change and older generations despise it, people from all generations often experience discomfort with change.

When it comes to successfully leading a multigenerational workforce, then, a key strategy is to clearly communicate change—“[s]end out memos, host meetings, or implement an open-door policy that embraces communication,” and encourage employees to reach out with questions! Because when people feel safe to communicate in the workplace, they will feel safe—inspired, even—to stick around and make that workplace into the most productive, most welcoming environment it can be.

It seems like effective leadership for multigenerational workforces is well within our grasp, so together, now—let’s reach out and embrace it!

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

Bring Your Whole Self to Work—Seriously!

Many of us have likely heard the following advice: “Bring your authentic self to work!” I doubt we disagree with this sentence in principle, but what does an “authentic self” actually encapsulate, and what can workplaces do to truly welcome people’s “authentic selves”?

To me, bringing our authentic selves to work means liberating our inner misfits—embracing our unique ways of thinking, doing, and being that allow us to boost productivity and thrive in the workplace. In turn, organizations can welcome people’s authentic selves by fostering environments that prioritize psychological safety.

That seems like a useful concept! you may be thinking. But what, exactly, is psychological safety?

At its core, psychological safety in the workplace refers to “a shared expectation held by members of a team that teammates will not embarrass, reject, or punish them for sharing ideas, taking risks, or soliciting feedback.” Psychological safety does not mean everybody’s getting along with everyone 100% of the time—that’d be a bit unreasonable!—but it does mean “knowing that leaders value honesty, candor, and truth-telling, and that team members will have one another’s backs.” Creating a psychologically safe workplace thus means developing and investing in a work culture that allows people to express themselves without fear of judgment or retribution. After all, as leaders, we want our teams to feel comfortable sharing new ideas and representing themselves in the truest way possible!

Sounds good, may be the next thought crossing your mind. But how can a workplace actually go about fostering psychological safety?

Fortunately, there are multiple straightforward strategies an organization can take to invest in psychological safety! Allow me to walk through a few:

1. Encourage Experimentation

One primary effect of individuals safely expressing themselves is the introduction of a variety of new ideas and new ways of thinking into the workplace, and the best way to ensure this influx of creativity keeps flowing is encouraging experimentation rather than punishing it. Leaders can emphasize that mistakes are opportunities for growth, including sharing their own failure stories, to help employees feel more comfortable about taking risks that align with their individual cognitive diversity. If we all thought the same way, after all, every workplace would be the same shade of boring!

2. Embrace Positivity

It seems to go without saying that psychological safety (and in turn, self-expression) will increase when organizations recognize their employees’ successes, but nonetheless I will state it with emphasis: acknowledge and highlight positive contributions, no matter how small, especially when those contributions go against the grain! If moments of employees’ self-expression are explicitly recognized as valuable to an organization, then employees are more likely going to find meaning in their own uniqueness and are more likely to find themselves willing to express their own unconventional ideas. Success often comes from the unexpected, and when companies recognize that reality, they help create a work culture where individuals feel psychologically safe to be themselves.

3. Emphasize the Individual

When we’re talking about fostering psychological safety, it can be easy to get lost in the “overall”: overall, how psychologically safe is our workplace? Overall, do people feel safe to express themselves? Overall, do we see cognitive diversity? And while this bird’s-eye view is crucial, it is equally important that we invest in individual’s perceptions of psychological safety (and in turn, their comfort and ability to express themselves). From anonymous comment boxes to one-on-one meetings to optional-identification surveys, finding what works to parse out individuals’ feelings toward psychological safety is imperative to creating productive opportunities for self-expression in the workplace. In short, if some team members feel more secure in their ability to express themselves than others, we should investigate why and determine what we can do to make this experience level across the board.

4. Employ Opportunities for Self-Expression

One surefire way to foster psychological safety in the workplace is simply by implementing policies that open opportunities, however small, for employees to more freely express themselves! Allow for things like a more unconventional dress code—especially for individuals with jobs that are not public-facing—such as bold colors, dyed hair, or vibrant accessories. Offer alternative work schedules that diverge from the traditional 9-to-5, in-person office work. Encourage employees to bring their external passions to the workplace; someone who reads and writes poetry in their spare time may not necessarily be on the marketing team, for example, but they still might know the exact rhetorical strategy needed for this new product advertisement to get consumers emotionally invested—open a door for that creative possibility to manifest!

If I haven’t persuaded you of the value of psychological safety and employee self-expression yet, allow me to point out a couple of the more tangible benefits:

A) Employees who feel safe to express themselves are more productive than employees who feel pressured to conform. One study found that “misfit” employees, i.e. employees who felt psychologically safe to challenge the status quo, “were significantly less likely to suffer low engagement and performance” because they were able to “more regularly take new approaches to tasks or change minor procedures.” Another study found that “misfit” employees were more likely to draw connections—both literal and figurative—across their organization, thus “generating a greater wealth of information at their disposal” that allowed them to facilitate higher productivity.

B) Employees who feel safe to express themselves are better at problem-solving than employees who all feel pressured to fit into identical molds. One study determined that in a group of people attempting to solve a problem, “adding an outsider”—i.e. someone comfortable with thinking differently and expressing their different approaches—“doubled [the group’s] chance of arriving at the correct solution, from 29% to 60%,” than adding someone to the group who had a similar mode of thinking to the original members. In other words, creating opportunities for “people to reveal and deploy their different modes of thinking” and “mak[ing] it safe to try things multiple ways” increases people’s ability not just to solve problems but to craft innovative solutions—sounds like a win-win to me!

I hope by now we’re all convinced in not just the benefits but the necessity of psychological safety to a productive, creative, and welcoming workplace. So why delay? Let’s embrace self-expression, both in our employees and in ourselves!

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

Breaking the Mold: How Managers Can Celebrate Individuality

Maya sits in her office, tapping her pen against the wooden surface of her desk—a nervous habit she has never quite been able to kick. She will soon be scheduling one-on-ones for her team, and as their manager, she wants to encourage each of them to be more open about their uniqueness and the strengths brought about by their individuality. After all, Maya is well aware of the competitive advantage that embracing diversity provides, even during economic downturns. Her current trouble?

She simply doesn’t know how to encourage her team members. What can she say to get through to them that she values their individuality?

Today, I will walk through five tips managers can consider when seeking to motivate their teams to embrace their unique selves and challenge conformity, be it during a one-on-one or even a group meeting! Are we ready to begin?

1. Emphasize the Value of Individuality

If we seek to encourage our team members to challenge conformity, the first step is to establish the inherent value that their individuality brings to the table. By doing so, we demonstrate that conformity is a hindrance both to workplace productivity and to mental well-being. Consider the following simple but powerful means of emphasis:

• “Your unique perspectives and ideas are invaluable to our team. Embrace your differences—don’t leave them at the door!”

• “I appreciate the unique strengths and qualities that each of you brings to the table. Let’s leverage the advantage of your individuality to achieve our goals as a team.”

• “Your diverse backgrounds and experiences are an asset to our team! The more you share your unique insights, the more we can learn from each other.”

• “Remember, different is not just ‘okay’—different is great. Your differences make you stand out and bring fresh perspectives to our projects.”

Inspiring, if you ask me!

2. Encourage the Application of Difference

Once the value of individuality is established, it is crucial to emphasize how that value can be applied in the workplace. Simply put, we should encourage our teams to let their diversity and individuality stand out in their work! We can remind them not to hesitate to offer suggestions or to complete their tasks in a way that feels most comfortable and efficient for them as individuals. Specifically, we might say the following:

• “Your differences are not something to be hidden or changed. Embrace them wholeheartedly and let them shine in your work!”

Delightfully straightforward, right?

3. Highlight Opportunities for New Approaches

Beyond simply encouraging the expression of diversity in our team’s work, managers can also remind their teams to embrace out-of-the-box approaches! Individuality brings about new ideas, new paths, and overall broadens the scope of possibility for getting assignments done. The importance of this innovation can be emphasized through the following:

• “I encourage all of us to challenge the status quo and think outside the box. Your diversity and individuality give us a competitive edge in finding innovative solutions.”

• “Don’t be afraid to take risks and try new approaches! Your uniqueness gives you the freedom to explore uncharted territories and discover new possibilities.”

Individuality leads to innovation leads to success—a highly motivating chain.

4. Create an Inclusive Environment

While it is crucial to state the value of individuality, it is also imperative that we create an environment where team members feel comfortable and confident expressing their differences. In other words, managers should embrace inclusivity and seek to make their workplace one where individuality is the default. How can we do so? I offer the following verbal affirmations to share with our teams:

• “I want to create a safe and inclusive environment where everyone feels comfortable expressing their ideas. Your diversity and unique perspectives are inherently valuable contributions to our team.”

• “I celebrate your individuality and want you to feel empowered to be your true selves as a part of my team. Let’s create an environment where we can all thrive and embrace our differences!”

To challenge conformity, we must first create a welcoming environment, one where our team members see that the status quo is made to be challenged.

5. Emphasize the Value of Collaboration

The crucial next step to embracing our differences is to put our individuality side by side and utilize it as a team. After all, the value of our uniqueness is best seen through collaboration! Working together allows us not just to combine our strengths but to receive support from others where we may be lacking. “Teamwork makes the dream work” might be an amusing phrase from our childhood, but I believe managers can communicate the core of this message to their team through the following:

• “I encourage us to collaborate and learn from one another. By combining our individuality and unique advantages, I am confident that we will achieve great things as a team!”

It may be a cliché, but I believe we are never stronger than when we work together.

To conclude: expressing these sentiments to their teams will allow managers to foster an inclusive, supportive workplace environment that encourages everyone to embrace their individuality and intentionally apply their differences to their work. After all, if managers give their teams permission to tap into their uniqueness, they will find an increase in creative thinking and in the achievement of exceptional results!

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

🤖 AI and the Future of Work: What You Need to Know 🤖

As someone who regularly works across business sectors, I’ve heard it all, from AI is going to take all of our jobs! to No, AI is barely going to have any impact and even to Does it matter either way? In response, I say, “Enough of the fearmongering!”

In this blog, I’ll offer a nuanced but straightforward breakdown of how AI will impact the future of jobs, from careers that are more at risk of decline to those that are more likely to remain unaffected. I’ll also offer some tips—and some reassurance!—about the future of jobs in the face of AI. Let’s take a breath and untangle this knot together!

First and foremost, I don’t wish to shy away from the reality that there are multiple jobs that are likely to decline as a result of AI. As we can see in the above graph, McKinsey & Company observes that “[a]ctivities most susceptible to automation include… [those] in predictable environments,” such as the operation of repetitive machinery, fast food work, cashiers, data collectors, office clerks, paralegal work, and so forth. Indeed, we have seen a decline in some of these careers already; consider the increasing prevalence of self-checkouts in grocery stores.

Additionally, as someone dedicated to DEI, I also want to highlight that the insurgence of AI will disproportionately impact women and people of color, especially those in the working class. Not only are “[w]orkers in lower-wage jobs…up to 14 times more likely to need to change occupations than those in highest-wage positions,” but a) women have historically been overrepresented in customer service and office support work and b) people of color have historically been overrepresented in food services and customer service as well, all of which are the primary areas experiencing decline because of AI. Why do I point this out? No to increase anxiety, but to raise awareness! Rather than getting overwhelming by What if? fears related to AI, it is crucial that we are knowledgeable about who is most going to be impacted by AI and why, as that knowledge allows us to both step and up aid those who need it and spread more awareness, helping ensure these inequities do not go unnoticed.

Taking a step back, I also want to note that less than 5% of jobs are expected to be replaced fully by AI or other automation; rather, about 60% of occupations will experience the incorporation of AI and other automation into their work. Such a distinction is crucial to highlight when we’re all gripped with anxiety about the future of our careers. In other words, the influx of AI is not going to kick us out of our positions in one fell swoop but will primarily supplement and improve the work we’re already doing. AI is thus not something we should feel unbridled fear toward—it’s but another tool we should educate ourselves on and prepare to use in our day to day!

As the above McKinsey & Company graph notes, there are also multiple areas of work that will remain largely unaffected by AI. In general, AI and other forms of automation “will have a lesser effect on jobs that involve managing people, applying expertise, and social interactions” as well as on “[j]obs in unpredictable environments… because they are technically difficult to automate.” Consequently, careers in healthcare (especially personal aides), IT, energy (especially renewable energy), managerial positions, architectural construction, and so forth will not be tremendously impacted by AI because they involve too much human-to-human interaction and/or involve too much variance for automation to offer any benefit toward. Other careers, too, such as creatives and legal professionals, have begun adapting their labor around AI rather than their field of work being “taken over” outright.

At the end of the day, it’s clear that careers across the spectrum will be impacted by AI, sometimes in total uprooting but more often just by its mere presence in their workplace. So what can we do to prepare ourselves for this shifting landscape of work?

Simple: get creative!

The increased usage of AI “drives increased need for social and emotional skills in the workplace,” especially interpersonal communication, problem-solving, adaptability, logical reasoning, collaboration, and other soft skills. AI gets the dull, repetitive work out of the way so people can “use the time that is freed up to focus on higher-value activities.” Because AI thrives on sameness, the demand for new and exciting things will be high—as such, more people will not only be able to start their own businesses but will also have waiting audiences at the ready! McKinsey & Company even estimates that around 8% of jobs available as soon as 2023 “will be in new types of occupations that have not existed before,” jobs that have not just emerged out of necessity but out of human creativity.

If I haven’t convinced you that the age of AI is not one we should fear, don’t fret. I understand your anxiety, especially if you work in a career that is more likely to be upended by automation. Let me remind us all of something crucial as AI continues evolving around us: AI is not infallible! AI is not perfect, AI is always developing, and AI is not the solution to everything. Tell me, is the image below familiar to you?

That would be one of Japan’s care robots, designed to automate and improve elder care in Japan. This often embody the idea of the “robot revolution” and a techno-solutionist vision to labor shortages.

 But wait, you may be thinking. Didn’t you say healthcare was less likely to be impacted by the AI boom?

I did! And although these robots may offer flashy images, the reality is that they aren’t commonly used in Japan, be it in elderly institutions or home care. Why? Well, these robots ultimately increased the labor of caretakers (despite their intent to decrease labor); decreased the amount of time available for caretakers to perform social and emotional care with their patients (despite their intent to increase this time); and were just “too impractical and expensive for real-life deployment.”

I offer this example not to disregard the good intentions of this automation project, as one of the main benefits of AI should ideally be the opportunity for humans to engage in greater connection with one another. If that does not work out, then odds are that the particular AI at hand won’t make a significant splash in our lives. We value—crave—human connection with one another, and even in the age of AI, that desire is not going anywhere. As such, if AI doesn’t facilitate and increase opportunities for human connection in our workplace, then perhaps that AI won’t have much of a role in our workplace at all.

To conclude, I asked ChatGPT to generate a list of 100 jobs that might be at risk of automation in the future because of AI. Well, it gave me a list of 100 jobs, but it also repeated itself more than 15 times to do so—hardly foolproof technology that can act unsupervised! We need humans to work with, not against, AI. Even though all of our lives will be changed, if we continue to develop our soft skills and hone our creativity, we’ll be able to ride this wave into the new age together—so take my hand and hold on tight!

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

Three Insights to Deliver Feedback That Empowers

What’s more stressful than a one-on-one meeting with a manager? In thinking back on my time as a young employee… Well, few things are! I would often find myself possessed with anxiety about the feedback I would receive and how it would be delivered to me. Similarly, as I ascended to leadership positions, I would become riddled with stress about how I could best deliver feedback to my team!

Anyone here had a similar experience? If so, you’re in the right place! This blog will walk through three key tips for effectively delivering feedback, from a standard performance review to a serious conflict negotiation.

Ready to discover how to more productively (and kindly!) deliver feedback?

And > But

One key strategy for effectively delivering feedback is to avoid the qualifier of “but.” When we invoke “but” after a compliment, we’re more likely to give the impression that our compliment was superficial rather than genuine, and that the critique that follows reflects our truly negative thoughts. Over-relying on “but” can also cause us to unfairly critique the person rather than their work—a situation best avoided in the workplace!

As opposed to the separative nature of “but,” “and” is a connective term. When we deliver feedback with “and,” we emphasize that we are working with the recipient to together identify a challenge and to together try to address it for the better!

Critique Sandwich

The critique sandwich, also known as the “positive-negative-positive” method—which I affectionately shorthand as “+-+”—is another useful strategy for delivering feedback. Much like the name suggests, the critique sandwich involves providing positive feedback, providing constructive (“negative”) feedback, and concluding with positive feedback.

The key to successfully implementing this tool is bearing in mind that all three components of this feedback must be related. In this respect, the critique sandwich is just like a real sandwich—the components must pair well together! (I wouldn’t enclose peanut butter and jelly with a set of cell phones, you know?) When preparing a critique sandwich for an employee, we might bear in mind that the first compliment should provide a clean segue for the constructive feedback, and the constructive feedback needs to then open a door for another compliment regarding. Additionally, it’s often productive for the final compliment to be solution-oriented! 

(I’d say this strategy is “easy as pie,” but maybe “simple as a sandwich” would be more appropriate…?)

“Right Now”

Last but not least, another key strategy for effectively delivering feedback is framing one’s observations with “right now.” In other words, if an employee is—for example—not meeting their daily quotas, rather than saying, “This employee is not performing well,” we would instead observe, “This employee is not performing well right now.” 

A small change, right? So why does it matter?

Appending our feedback with “right now” helps reinforce that anyone, from managers to employees and all those in-between, anyone is capable of growth in an organization. When we recognize that potential for positive change, we are vastly more able to offer constructive—rather than condescending—feedback to our team.

As such: while we may not perfectly nail our delivery every time, when we implement these three strategies—“and” instead of “but,” critique sandwiches, and “right now” framing—any of us can improve our ability to deliver (and even receive) feedback. But there’s no practice more effective than doing, so let us go forth and speak constructive advice into the world!

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

🎭 Breaking the Workplace Drama Cycle 🎭

Picture this: two coworkers, their boss, and a workplace disagreement that involves a whole lot of moping, reassuring, demanding, deflecting, and disagreeing—any of those behaviors sound familiar? (I know quite a few of them resonate with my own experiences!)

These behaviors—and many more—are emblematic of a particularly common conflict dynamic: the Drama Triangle. Developed by psychiatrist Stephen B. Karpman in 1968, the Drama Triangle describes a frequent triangulation of three roles in the daily conflicts that people around the world face in their personal and work lives. These roles are the Rescuer, Persecutor, and Victim, and today we’re going to walk down three linked paths to find out what the Drama Triangle is, how it happens, and two key alternatives that can foster more productive workplace dynamics! Ready to read on?

The Drama Triangle

As we move on to discuss each individual role in the Drama Triangle, bear in mind the triangular nature of these roles—the Persecutor, Victim, and Rescuer are deeply connected, and to understand them all we must also understand how they feed into one another!

Persecutors (also known as Villains) are all about control, from constantly blaming and criticizing others to acting superior and self-righteous. A common phrase you’ll hear from this corner of the Drama Triangle is, “This is all your fault!” The role of the Persecutor thus centers on finding fault with others “while feeling the need to step in and dominate to set things right.” 

Victims, in contrast, feel powerless, entirely at the mercy of the whims of the world and the people around them. They’re stuck in a perpetual state of indecision, and they typically struggle with problem-solving, meaning a common phrase you’ll hear from this corner of the Drama Triangle is, “Woe is me!” (Or a more modern version of this phrase, such as, “I can’t do this.”) At their core, Victims see themselves “as a victim of circumstances” and tend to “complain a lot without taking productive action.” 

Lastly, Rescuers (also known as Heroes) tend to be people who dislike tension and/or don’t want to see others upset, leading them to jump in and try to “fix” the problem at hand. While the Rescuer role doesn’t sound inherently terrible at first glance, the primary issue here is that Rescuers are not offering true solutions. Instead, they’re generally just trying to make the Victim feel better, trying to make the conflict go away, etc., and through this behavior unwittingly “keep Victims dependent [e.g. unable to help themselves] and neglect their own [the Rescuers’] needs.” 

Regardless of what role a person occupies in the Drama Triangle, they ultimately do so because they get gratification out of it: “The Persecutor/Villain may like exercising power, whereas the Victim gets to shift responsibility. And the Rescuer/Hero receives a sense of satisfaction for helping.”

Note that these roles all have one key commonality: each involves an individual seeking to avoid accountability! The Victim and Persecutor both blame others for a given problem, and even the Rescuer seeks to deflect true accountability by providing a superficial, temporary solution.

How It Happens

People unconsciously flock to these roles in the Drama Triangle because they are familiar and sufficient—though not healthy—strategies that we can easily employ to manage anxiety and fear during everyday conflicts. In other words, we benefit (or rather, we think we do) by occupying a role in the Drama Triangle, hence why so many conflicts lead to individuals morphing into one or more of these roles. The latter element of that statement is crucial—depending on how the tide of a conflict turns, people’s roles in the Drama Triangle will shift based on what angle will be most beneficial in leading to a positive resolution for them!

For example, if a Rescuer begins to feel unappreciated for all of the help they provide, they may begin shifting into a Victim role—“Why does no one ever look after me?”

Alternatively, if a Rescuer begins to feel frustrated and angry at how others have ignored their help, they may begin shifting into a Persecutor role—“You don’t appreciate anything I’ve done for you!”

The Drama Triangle can begin with a person feeling victimized, causing them to choose a Persecutor to blame. Another common origin is that a Persecutor may lash out at a person because of pent-up frustration (creating a Victim in the process). In either scenario, a Rescuer is likely to step in and attempt to tone down the dispute by providing temporary relief, either assuaging the Victim’s sense of helplessness or making an effort to help the Persecutor calm down.

So now we know what the Drama Triangle is and how it can manifest—but what we can do about it? Are there any alternatives we should turn to?

Alternative #1: Winner’s Triangle

Developed in 1990 by Acey Choy, the Winner’s Triangle shifts the roles Drama Triangle into three alternatives: the Persecutor becomes Assertive, the Victim becomes Vulnerable, and the Rescuer becomes Caring. But what do these shifts entail on a practical level?

When a Persecutor becomes Assertive, they’re choosing to ask for what they want instead of demanding it. Additionally, embodying assertiveness means learning how to politely—but firmly!—say “no” to what we don’t want (rather than angrily lambasting others); providing constructive—not cruel—feedback to those who request or need it; and taking positive action to resolve a situation we dislike (rather than resorting to shouting and insults). 

When a Victim becomes Vulnerable, they’re choosing to seek assistance when they need it rather than wallowing in helplessness or self-pity. For example, vulnerability might include confiding in friends and family about our struggles (without expecting them to magically resolve said struggles) or reaching out to a therapist for professional assistance. 

Lastly, when a Rescuer becomes Caring, they’re choosing to show respect to others, e.g. engaging in thoughtful discussion and validating their emotions without attempting to shoulder the burden of “fixing” the problem themself. This transition is not to suggest that we can no longer help others when we choose to embody care, but rather that becoming Caring involves assisting people with finding a long-term solution, not providing a temporary “cure” that is merely a band-aid on a gaping wound. 

Importantly, all three of these alternative roles involve taking responsibility for our own emotions, troubles, problems, and so forth, rather than ignoring them or hoisting them onto others. In doing so, we all win, hence the name of this triangle!

Alternative #2: The Empowerment Dynamic

Developed by David Emerald, the Empowerment Dynamic (TED)—similar to the Winner’s Triangle—seeks to shift the roles in the Drama Triangle to more positive and constructive positions. In TED, the Persecutor becomes a Challenger, the Victim becomes a Creator, and the Rescuer becomes a Coach. If it wasn’t obvious already, TED is specifically geared around shifting the Drama Triangle toward healthy workplace roles, so let’s jump right in!

When the Persecutor becomes a Challenger, they refuse to deflect accountability and arbitrarily assign blame during conflicts, instead choosing to “‘consciously build… others up, encouraging them to also learn and grow, despite difficult situations.’” In other words, a Challenger centers their efforts in providing healthy pressure to others (especially Creators), supporting individuals as they deal with struggles in their lives and guiding them toward a breakthrough. Think of a Challenger as someone who provides constructive but never needlessly critical feedback! 

When the Victim becomes a Creator, they claim agency in their life, “embrac[ing] ‘what inspires them’ and becom[ing] focused on solutions and outcomes, not the weight of challenges holding them back.” Becoming a Creator is all about a shift in perspective—not ignoring the reality that life can be difficult, but instead also recognizing that we’ve all got a hand on the wheel that is our life and thus we have a responsibility to at least try to steer things in the direction we want to go. 

Lastly, when the Rescuer becomes a Coach, they learn to push aside the instinct to constantly provide temporary “fixes” that perpetuate cycles of victimization and persecution, instead offering genuine support to Creators and Challengers. This support will of course manifest differently depending on context, but broadly speaking, a Coach employs “‘the art of inquiry, curiosity, and deep listening to support others in discovering what is best for themselves.’” Think of a Coach as someone who not just knows how to discover a silver lining in every cloud but also knows how to give pointers toward making a silver lining stretch across the entire sky! 

In short: the Challenger says, “You can do it!”; the Creator says, “I can do it!”; and the Coach asks, “How will you do it?” Without all three roles positively twining together, individuals run the risk of remaining stagnant!

To conclude, Drama Triangles in the workplace often—though not always—originate from a lack of communication, and in turn these negative roles can be perpetuated by organizational culture if not noticed soon enough. Leaders caught up in the Drama Triangle might “guide” their employee with an iron fist (Persecutor), become overwhelmed by their responsibilities but not seek assistance (Victim), or micromanage their employees to “solve” the problem at hand (Rescuer), all of which can ultimately hinder team and organizational collaboration, innovation, and growth. As such, countering the Drama Triangle with either the Winner’s Triangle or the Empowerment Dynamic is crucial to ensuring a healthier, more functional workplace for everyone!

What are we waiting for? We have new roles to try out for! Forgive my sense of humor, but I’m feeling a bit like a Coach today—what about you?

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

The Talent Pipeline: Cultivating Tomorrow’s Leaders

When it comes to promoting individuals from underrepresented groups into leadership roles, there’s one sentence I’ve heard many times from companies across industries: “We want to promote diverse people, but we can’t find anyone!”

My response to this anxious cry is simple: “What are you doing now to develop the future leaders of your organization?”

In other words, there are plenty of individuals across underrepresented groups who would perform excellently in a leadership role—they just need the time, resources, and opportunity to one day thrive. In this blog, I will walk us through a key strategic action any organization can take today to solve the future problem of an absence of diversity: implementing a talent pipeline!

The What

I’ll keep this explanation short! No matter the industry, most if not all organizations possess an ongoing need to have a talent pool that is available to fill positions across management. A talent pipeline is an institution-wide program (or, more accurately, a set of programs) that equips employees with the leadership and performance skills necessary to fill any vacancies within the organization as they arise.

In other words, a talent pipeline requires looking at one’s organization today and selecting the best of the best, whether they’re new hires or people who have been around for 10+ years, to train for future leadership roles! Not too complicated, right?

The How

I understand this talent pipeline concept, you may be thinking, but how the heck do I go about implementing it?

Fear not! I will now guide us through the basic steps of bringing a talent pipeline to our organizations. Step one is to identify our top talent, otherwise known as choosing the employees who will join the talent pipeline to prepare themselves for future promotions. To do so, we first need to ask three key questions:

1. Who are our highest performers?

2. Who has great leadership potential?

3. Who is interested in leadership (e.g. would want to be promoted in the future)?

Identifying top talent requires finding employees at the intersection of these three questions: high performance, high potential for leadership, and high interest in leadership. Not all employees sit at this intersection, so let’s briefly explore the different way types of talent match up under this metric!

The Spectrum of Talent

To establish the “troublesome” end of the spectrum, if an employee is a low performer with low leadership potential, they might be considered a questionable fit for an organization. They might be a new employee who’s struggling to adjust more than initially predicted, or they might be a long-term employee who is failing to meet performance expectations. This category of talent requires intervention—more on that later!—and is in many ways a direct opposite to employees we would consider “top talent.”

Now, let’s say there’s an employee who’s a high performer but who has low leadership potential—is that a negative sign? Do they require extensive leadership training? Not necessarily! Remember, a key element of identifying the future leaders of the organization involves people who are also interested in leadership. Someone who’s a high performer with low leadership potential might be a subject matter expert—occupying a niche position that is crucial to the organization but requires no leadership responsibilities. Either way, a talent pipeline doesn’t involve forcing individuals into future leadership positions; instead, it’s about finding individuals who can and who want to.

In contrast, what if we have an employee who’s a low performer but who has high leadership potential? Odds are this employee may be brand new to the organization or to their role and thus cannot be fully assessed yet for growth. While we might anticipate success for this employee, they aren’t top talent—yet. Keep giving them support and resources, and they might rise to the top!

Last but certainly not least—and to little surprise, I’m sure—we have individuals who are high performers and have high leadership potential, plus a high interest in holding a future leadership position. In other words, these are our top talent and may be the future leaders of the organization! These types of employees are role models in the organizations, are interested and eligible for promotions, and perform outstandingly. This category consists of the employees we want to bring into a talent pipeline—with their consent, of course!

Now, more often than not the majority of our employees fall somewhere in-between these categories, such as a person who has moderate performance and a moderate interest in leadership. This differential is perfectly normal, as top talent tend to be less than 5% of an organization! The small percentage of top talent makes it all the more crucial to get them involved in a talent pipeline to fully ensure they are qualified to occupy future leadership roles when the right time comes.

Development Actions

Once we’ve identified our top talent for our talent pipeline, the next step is to offer opportunities for growth. While the best advice tends to be to go with what’s right for your organization, I’ll present us here with some useful starting points! For one, I recommend implementing formal leadership development programs; rotational and/or developmental assignments; and mentorship and coaching programs. Additionally, as a base framework, a strong talent pipeline attempts to answer the following questions:

1. Where will this employee be in 1-3 years? 3-5 years? 5+ years?

2. What are their top six development areas? What skill gaps do they possess? What talent development do they require?

3. What actions will they take to develop these new skills? What benchmarks should they expect to achieve and at what times (within 3-6 months, 6-12 months, 12+ months, etc.)?

I also recommend reviewing employee progress within a talent pipeline quarterly. Oh, and don’t forget to be transparent with these employees about all things related to their leadership growth! We have their future in our hands, after all, meaning it’s only right that we handle them with care.

The Why

While a talent pipeline may seem a bit daunting, if an organization doesn’t implement one, we may not properly invest in our most talented employees, and as a result we may end up losing them—a blow to productivity and efficiency that no company wants to face.

In other words, the “why” behind a talent pipeline is getting the right employees with the right skills in the right places at the right time, ultimately resolving the problem many organizations face of “We want to promote underrepresented individuals, but none are qualified.” A talent pipeline helps ensure diverse candidates are noticed, trained, and uplifted for future promotions.

Importantly, when we make a list of our top talent, we must be intentional in including diversity—if we end up with a homogenous list, we’re not fixing our problem for the future, and odds are we’re missing out on a lot of talent! Top talent inherently involves people of different backgrounds, because to have a different background is to have different life experience and thus to have different skills.

To return to the opposite end of the spectrum, experience has shown me that many organizations many times tend to not address the worst of the worst of their employees—low performers with low leadership potential, also known as those who are toxic, who don’t care about their work, who don’t have good work ethic, who gossip constantly, who cause issues within the organization, and so forth. Instead, many companies prefer to ignore these employees, and hear me when I say that this tactic is not a long-term solution! To create a healthy work culture, we need to identify these people. Much like creating a list of top talent, we must also put a list together of this struggling talent so the leadership team can meet with them and coach them. The involvement of the leadership team is key, as it is not solely a manager’s responsibility to deal with employees who are detrimentally impacting the entire organization. The leadership team must work with managers to coach these individuals—either into a “middle ground,” or out of the organization entirely.

So, how are we all feeling? Ready to identify our top talent and guide them through the pipeline to success? Just take it day by day—where resources and assistance abound, plenty of talent is waiting to be found!

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

🌟 Lessons from Leaders Who Inspire 🌟

In my work as a leadership consultant, I am often inspired by the incredible leaders I get to work with. These are the leaders who reflect the core values of their organization, who know how to inspire future generations, who embrace the messy, beautiful imperfection of making mistakes and learning from them—leaders we might all aspire to learn from!

I recently had the opportunity to hear from Leigh Porta, Chief Growth Officer at Pelican State Credit Union, and Ben Manry, Senior Vice President of Lending and Member Solutions, about their leadership styles and advice, a conversation that inspired this blog.

So, who’s ready to become a better leader?

Core Practices of a Leader

The first key advice Leigh and Ben shared was that of taking initiative and learning from our mistakes: “If you just sit back and wait for [executive leadership] and say ‘I’ll do it when they give me the title or the responsibility,’ then you’re going to be waiting a long time. You really have to put yourself out there…. You have to be comfortable trying things that ultimately may not work. So you have to be comfortable with failure because you learn from it each and every time. But if you’re scared of failure, scared of messing up, you’re not going to get very far.”

In other words, if we wait around to be noticed by the C-suite or hesitate to try new ideas for fear of those ideas not panning out as envisioned, then we’re ultimately denying ourselves opportunities for growth and improvement! Though the task may be daunting, the rewards of taking that first step to introduce positive change for ourselves and our employees is well worth the risk. As the old adage goes: you live and you learn!

Relatedly, emerging into our roles as leaders begets self-reflection; in other words, why do we want to be a leader? A core quality of an effective, impactful leader is recognizing that being a leader means more than acquiring a new title and a better salary. As Ben and Leigh put it, “If you want to move into leadership because it comes with a higher title and a higher salary, well, then you’re doing it for the wrong reasons. If you want to move into leadership because it… allows you the opportunity to have an impact on the people around you, then… that’s the right reason.”

At the end of the day, leadership is a privilege, and thus it’s crucial we strive for and enter these positions for the right reason: serving our employees, enriching the community, and impacting our organization’s bottom line. Being a leader requires putting our ego aside, and by that I mean leadership is not about us but rather about what we can do to drive positive change.

In my consulting work, I see many people who desire to advance in leadership because they see it as the logical next step or as the only path to getting a raise. And trust me, I completely understand the need for a healthy salary in our world’s fluctuating economy! But part of being an effective leader is being honest with ourselves—what do we really want to do, and what does it mean for us to occupy a role that centers on uplifting our employees, our organization, and the entire community we serve?

Last but certainly not least, the final key advice Leigh and Ben shared in terms of the core practices of an impactful leader is simply that we should be our firmest evaluator and our most enthusiastic motivator! Part of any leadership journey is a journey of self-discovery, reflecting on our flaws and how to improve those weaknesses at the same time as we recognize and celebrate our own strengths. Knowing who we are as leaders means understanding our gaps and our areas for improvement, because leadership starts from within. We must lead ourselves to lead others!

Communication and Cooperation

What does it mean for us to embody leadership? How can a leader display qualities that will reflect positive opportunities for communication and cooperation between themself and their team? Ben and Leigh offered some excellent advice in this regard: “[A]s a leader, I think the two most important traits are the ones that I try to embody the most… [which are] humility and… transparency. And if someone [an employee] is not meeting the expectations, then it’s your duty [as a leader] to be honest with them and help them get where they need to get.”

To be an impactful leader is to prioritize our service-focused role toward our employees: guidance, humility, and transparency are key to helping ensure everyone on our team can fulfill their utmost potential. From recognizing common workplace biases to allowing our employees to shine in their specialized skills, when we are honest with our employees and foreground their growth, we will foster oodles of communication and cooperation throughout our workplace!

Relatedly, a crucial component of foregrounding employee growth is affording our employees ownership and agency. As Leigh and Ben shared: “[W]hen I’m short-staffed, I don’t necessarily reduce the goal or change the goal, but I definitely listen to them [my employees] and let them dictate the deadline.” In other words, part of a communicative and cooperative workplace is listening to our employees just as they listen to our honest advice! A productive, positive workplace comes not from a leader changing their team’s goalposts but instead when leaders strive to prevent employee burnout by implementing flexibility. As the youth these days might put it: LET 👏 EMPLOYEES 👏 INFLUENCE 👏 THEIR 👏 OWN 👏 DEADLINES!

Burnout isn’t fun for anyone, least of all our employees!

A third piece of advice Ben and Leigh provided in terms of encouraging healthy communication and cooperation in the workplace is simply that an effective leader makes space for multiple forms of communication. Our employees have great ideas—they wouldn’t have been hired if they didn’t!—and it’s up to us as leaders to provide environments in which they all feel comfortable sharing their ideas. Not everyone wants to speak up during a meeting (and sometimes body language can be a sign as to such!), so what about one-on-one conversations? What employees might prefer a straightforward email thread? There are unlimited possibilities for accommodating our employees’ communication preferences—we need only ask!

Time Management

One of the most significant challenges I am seeing with leaders in the workplace right now is that of workload and delegation, and Leigh and Ben ultimately shared a similar thought: “If you’re pushing yourself and you’re running ahead of everybody else, well, pretty soon you’re going to be all alone and you’re not going to get much accomplished. It takes all aspects of the [organization] working together. You kind of learn that, hey, it’s not just me. It’s all the pieces working together.”

Too often do I see young leaders struggling with the pursuit of perfection, telling themselves, If I do it, at least I can guarantee it’s done right. The trouble with this mentality is twofold: 1) it ultimately overburdens leaders with work, and 2) it denies opportunities for growth to these leaders’ team members. When we refuse to delegate tasks to our team and to other departments, we refuse to let our organization function as it’s meant to—as a sometimes messy, sometimes imperfect, but always growing and learning whole. Delegation encourages growth, transformation, and education—the ability to try new things, make mistakes, and pioneer powerful successes!

Now, this advice is not to suggest that in moments of urgency, leaders should not step in. Rather, in the process of understanding time management and work delegation, it is crucial for leaders to balance perfection with teaching moments for our employees. Part of life—part of leadership—is learning!

On a similar note, Ben and Leigh also discussed the importance of setting reasonable expectations for ourselves as leaders as well as for our team: “[S]ometimes you have to be okay saying, ‘I’ll get this to you tomorrow or the next day.’ Not everything can be delivered within the hour.”

You know how I would describe this practice? Leading by example! By foregrounding our own wellness in not overburdening ourselves with impossible deadlines, we give our team members permission to do the same. Embodying such a healthy work style thus prevents burnout and becomes a source of inspiration for our team—sounds like a win-win to me!

And speaking of practicing a healthy work style, Leigh and Ben introduced to me a simple strategy that I absolutely loved: “preserving your time.” For example: let’s say we have a day of back-to-back meetings with only a small fraction of time informally set aside as “desk time”—so why not make that time official? On our calendar, we can mark that time as “unavailable” and use it to prepare for what comes next, to just breathe, or to do whatever else is necessary for our wellness and productivity.

Of course, being the overachiever I am, I say—why stop there? Why not block out the first half hour of every day, e.g. to check and respond to emails? Why not block out the last half hour of every day to catch up on anything we missed or make preparations for tomorrow? This type of mindset—preserving our time—helps keep us grounded in an ever-evolving workplace that can sometimes just get to be too much. As the not-so-old saying goes: protect your peace!

And lastly with regard to time management, Ben and Leigh reinforced the importance of never being too busy to celebrate the success of your team. It is always beneficial, of course, to ask our employees how they would prefer to be celebrated (e.g. a luncheon, a signed card, just an email announcement, etc.), but nonetheless the value of honoring and acknowledging our employees’ victories cannot be overstated!

Future-Forward Leadership

Though it may seem counterintuitive, I have found that the most future-forward leaders are the ones who healthily engage both with looking toward the future and looking back on the past. One such area in which this dual reflection is critical is the triangulation between ourselves as leaders, our employees, and our employees’ ambitions. As Leigh and Ben wisely put it: “[P]art of that relationship that you have with the people on your team is understanding what their goals are in life and what their career goals are…. [W]hen an opportunity at another company comes up, I’m not surprised that they [the employee] took it because I’ve been coaching them that way all along. I think [that]… [i]f you get a letter of resignation on your desk and it’s a surprise to you, then you need to really go back and do an autopsy on your relationship with that person. And where was the breakdown in trust or communication where they felt that they couldn’t even share with you that they were looking elsewhere.”

As leaders, investing in our employees means supporting what is best for them—even if that means they must pursue opportunities outside our organization. It is unproductive and ultimately deeply negative for leaders to get upset at employees for following a path that takes them elsewhere. Instead, an impactful leader might do two things: first and foremost, the leader should be proud of the role they played in helping their employee get to this point! What is more gratifying and humbling than knowing our leadership has prepared someone from our team to make such a significant change in their life? And second, an impactful leader might spend some time looking inward and taking ownership of their own practices—as a leader, what might we do differently? How can we use departures as learning opportunities to better determine how we can keep employees motivated and excited to work at our organization?

At the end of the day, I believe in fostering a culture of courage, in developing an organization where employees feel safe and comfortable to be honest about what they need in their career. Future-forward leadership involves prioritizing just that!

The final piece of advice Ben and Leigh shared, particularly for emerging leaders, is the necessity of focusing on the details—or rather, of “getting in the weeds”! When we step into a new role, it often becomes crucial for us to allow for a period of adjustment. In other words, we get a feel for how the role operated prior to us entering this position, learning the ins and outs of previous practices before we make changes, propose improvements, and so forth.

In short? Don’t be too hasty, and don’t expect immediate perfection from yourself!

I have found that whenever we enter a new leadership role, it takes at least a year for us to get truly comfortable as we come to understand the nuances of how this position operates both over time and within the broader company. Following that first year, we can then begin dreaming of how we can contribute to our department to make it better—effectively, year two becomes the time in which we can concretely contribute to our team’s success, make significant impacts, etc.! Relatedly, I recommend that a leader remains in a position for at least three years before seeking to move onward, because three years is generally the minimum time necessary for leaders to demonstrate and reflect on the positive change they have instilled in a team (instead of focusing on garnering a new leadership title).

And there we have it—four key areas of advice that any leader can learn from, all vetted and embodied by the incredible Leigh Porta and Ben Manry! I cannot emphasize enough that these tips and tricks are born from their leadership experience, their workplace lives, and their brilliant minds. Impactful leaders create a ripple effect as they influence our world—and in turn, as we influence them. There is no true separation between “personal” and “business”! Leaders are in our world, we are in their world, and no matter where we are in our personal and business journeys, learning from Leigh and Ben’s advice helps us to become not just impactful leaders but impactful change-makers.

I hope these tips and tricks from Leigh and Ben can help us all to live, learn, and lead to the utmost extent of our ability!

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

The Misfit Advantage: Embracing Your Unique Identity

Raise your hand if you’re reading this blog and you’ve felt like a misfit at any point in your life. Maybe you were the last picked for sports in high school P.E. Maybe you were one of few women in your 100-person college computer science class. Maybe you were the only person who really liked that super sour candy as a kind. So, have you ever felt like a misfit?

Trust me, I’ve got my hand up! And if you’re reading this blog right now but are swearing up and down that you’ve never felt like a misfit even once in your life, let me tell you—it’s coming!

Don’t worry, I speak only with lightheartedness, because while it’s true that everybody is a misfit in one way or another, it’s equally true that there are numerous strategies we can implement to help counter the sense of isolation that comes with being a misfit and instead recognize our inherent misfit advantage. This blog will outline five key tips to help all of us embrace our misfit identity—so let’s waste no time!

1. Realize What You’re Feeling is Normal

Again: feeling like a misfit is an inevitable part of all of our lives, because we are all eventually going to end up in a situation where we’re the odd one out. I know I’ve experienced the crushing sensation of looking around and thinking, Wow, everyone else is fitting in so well, they’re so much more put together than me, but the reality is that those people are just better at hiding their misfit experience than others. So again, take comfort in the fact that being a misfit is a normal part of life!

What next, then? We know that being a misfit is normal, so what can we do about that uncomfortable and stressful feeling of not fitting in? Well, there are two options: we can choose to conform, or we can accept ourselves. I’m advocating for the latter, but I know self-acceptance is easier said than done!

It seems to me that part of the human experience is judging ourselves, and that constant judgment is the main stumbling block on our road to embracing who we are. As such—obvious though it may be!—a key step to overcome this judgment is simply challenging negative thoughts, particularly by allowing ourselves to contemplate what higher purpose may be behind our feelings of not fitting in. In other words, we must resist the urge to make ourselves small! As Mariah Driver, a misfit who shared her story online, puts it: “As a misfit, your greatest strength is your excess. Resist the urge to shrink the pieces of yourself that no one else feels, no one else notices, or no one else seems to give any shits about. Resist the urge to shrink to your container, whether that’s a job description or a social environment.” The higher purpose of feeling like a misfit might thus be challenging the status quo; it might be opening the door for fellow misfits who have similarly felt excluded and left out; it might be driving innovation and improved functionality in the workplace; or anything in-between!

In turn, we must take this feeling of isolation and turn it into compassion. Everyone in the world is going through the journey of being a misfit, so we should be kind and support one another rather than shutting people down and making them feel “wrong” in the same unkind way that has been forced upon us (and that we all hate!). Kindness is transformative, and one way to demonstrate such is simply by listening. When we create space for others, we create space for ourselves. Because we know firsthand the pain of feeling like a misfit, listening and extending that moment of solidarity with someone can mean everything. Even the smallest effort can help someone! We shouldn’t judge ourselves for how “much” or how “little” we’re able to contribute to others’ journeys; instead, we should pause and truly recognize our contributions and accomplishments—trust me, the ripple effect will always be felt.

2. Forge Authentic Connections

As someone deeply invested in DEI, I have emphasized to the rooftops the importance of surrounding ourselves with diverse perspectives to ensure that we aren’t seeing the world as a monolith. It is equally important, however, that we surround ourselves with people who will support and uplift us (and our misfit-ness), and finding that sense of belonging means some of those people will be like-minded to us. That connection is not an inherently bad thing! Engaging with individuals who share similar experiences and perspectives to us often provides validation and support, and indeed creating a community where we don’t feel judged or pressured to conform is a crucial step in embracing our misfit advantage.

In terms of the workplace, too, forging these authentic connections can manifest in finding ourselves an ally—a colleague in a position of influence who can offer you mentorship and support as you navigate any potential pushback. Remember: we may think we’re alone, but we never are. We just have to find the people who will have our backs!

3. Do Your Research

Continuous learning is great, i.e. staying up-to-date on developments in your field and seeking opportunities for skill development, but that isn’t exactly what I’m referring to when I implore all of us to “do our research.”

In my experience, one of the most painful misfit moments I’ve had is when I’m sharing a conversation with someone, and they don’t just disagree with me over a point, but they in fact shut down my perspective. Disagreement is a normal and healthy part of dialogue; shutting someone down is simply hurtful and demoralizing.

As such, “doing my research” means making an intentional effort to explore the way I think and discover the history of my perspective. Enriching my knowledge and confidence about my unique misfit perspective gives me the tools to help prevent others from shutting me down and additionally creates opportunities for me to (politely) respond to those who disagree with or challenge me. This strategy helps prevent feelings of isolation when people plainly accuse us of being “wrong,” when in reality we’re just expressing a different perspective. In short, stay informed!

4. Personal Branding

I like to think of personal branding as a coin with two sides, both equally as important as the other: professional and creative! On a professional level, embracing our misfit advantage through personal branding means making an effort to discover our strengths (born from our unique, misfit perspective), from skills assessments to constructive conversations with our team leaders. In turn, we must spotlight those strengths in applicable places. LinkedIn profiles, resumes, and in-person professional interactions (such as interviews) are all great initial opportunities for us to confidently articulate our strengths.

On a creative level, I am firm believer in the importance of art—and I use that term as capaciously as possible—to confidence and self-expression. Take up journaling! Scrapbooking! Photography! Poetry! Meditation! Make playlists! Collect trinkets that you feel a resonance with! There are innumerable creative opportunities we can harness to become more sure of ourselves, our interests, and our abilities, bringing us one step closer to fully embracing our misfit advantage.

5. Lead by Example

Circling back to how this blog began, I must conclude with an emphasis on connection and supporting one another. A key strategy to embracing our misfit advantage is through sharing our story. I’ll be the first to admit this process may be difficult, but when we speak openly and honestly about our struggles and triumphs, we will inevitably inspire other people, reminding them and ourselves that they are not alone in their misfit experiences. And think about it—the most interesting, engaging, empathetic stories are ones where people talk about not fitting in and the perspectives gained from that experience! Isn’t the misfit quality why superhero movies are so popular?

Leading by example also means setting boundaries, because in doing so we demonstrate to others what respectful engagement looks like. If someone is making us feel invalidated or unwelcome, we can lead by example and minimize—if not eliminate—interactions with their negativity. Similarly, leading by example means taking the initiative to advocate for ourselves, especially in situations where we may not be fortunate enough to have a mentor or ally on standby to offer support in the moment. Embracing our misfit advantage thus gives us the opportunity to stand strong, inspire others, and uplift ourselves, and learning to lead by example and share our story may perhaps be the key to unlocking all the vitality of our misfit self.

The final piece of advice I offer is simple: understand that some people will be unaware and will not be ready for your misfit identity, but that does not mean there’s something wrong with you. All their hesitation means is that right now, those people are not in the correct headspace to respect or learn from the unique perspectives of others. Sometimes, we have to create a safe space for ourselves and protect our own well-being, which may mean being selective in our surroundings and company. That selectivity likely won’t be forever, but it is often important in the now—first and foremost, take care of yourself.

And there we have it! So, how are we all feeling at the end of this blog? Still struggling with the isolation of being a misfit? No more—as I said, what we’re feeling is normal. Take my hand and let’s walk this road together!

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

What Are You Really Saying? Leveling Up Your Professional Presence

Quick question: how are you holding yourself right now?

Are your shoulders back? Is your chin tilted upright? Or is your back hunched? Are your legs crossed in your lap?

The few questions above are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to parsing out our body language, particularly as it relates to professional vs unprofessional body language. Now, when we think of professional body language, our minds may immediately drift to managing eye contact or not crossing one’s arms—both of which are important to projecting a professional appearance! Body language extends far beyond these two qualities, however, and today we’re going to examine three key categories all of us can focus on to improve our professional body language.

Before we begin, I want to offer a reminder that any of us can be susceptible to embodying unprofessional behaviors and appearances—and I do mean any of us! Body language tends to be unconscious, meaning we are often not aware of the exact messages our body is communicating at any given point. To increase our air of professionalism, we must therefore be intentional in increasing attention to our behavior and making adjustments to improve our professional presentation.

Without further ado, let’s dive in!

1. Confidence

When it comes to projecting confidence, I like to suggest the following question as a starting point in drawing our attention to how we hold ourselves: “When [we]’re frustrated or overwhelmed, where do [we] place [our] hands?”

Many of us are likely already aware of how good posture, e.g. keeping our back straight and chin up, is associated with confidence and attention, as who hasn’t been told not to slouch by a parent or guardian or teacher throughout our lives? (I’m getting flashbacks to my childhood…) But projecting confidence goes beyond straightening our spine, and one of the most important areas to focus on is avoiding fidgeting.

Whether it’s moving a chair back and forth, tapping a pen, or rapidly shaking a leg, fidgeting behaviors often come across as unprofessional because they suggest nerves—or rather, a lack of confidence. During an interview I once conducted, the interviewee in question simply would not stop fidgeting. Shifting from side to side, picking at the hem of their sleeves—I knew this person was almost certainly just stressed and nervous, but this behavior did not come across as a positive sign that they would confidently fill the role they were interviewing for!

Correcting our tendency to fidget may be easier said than done, but a good first step is simply making an effort to be more intentional about how we present our hands. During meetings or discussions, for example, we can use controlled hand gestures to emphasize our points, imbuing our actions with meaning to help ensure we’re less likely to succumb to unintentional movements. Additionally, we can keep our hands visible and relaxed, such as resting them on the table during a conversation. Seeing someone’s hands actually helps communicate that we can trust said person, and thus making our own hands visible can demonstrate our own honesty and trustworthiness! Ever gotten a negative feeling about someone who constantly keeps their hands in their pockets or hidden under a table? That’s because our brain unconsciously concludes that this person is hiding something. In other words, to project confidence and openness, keep those hands visible!

When it comes to presenting confident body language, of course, we should be cautious about swinging too far to the other end of the spectrum. Picture this: in the middle of a conversation, the person we’re talking to puts their hands on their hips, all of a sudden taking up twice the amount of the space in the narrow hallway the two of us currently occupy. How does this shift in body language make us feel?

While putting one’s hands on one’s hands can communicate a sense of confidence and control, it can also be read as aggressive, unwittingly causing discomfort in the person on the receiving end of this posture. In other words, putting our hands on our hips may come across as overcompensating in the realm of confidence!

If we’re looking for an intentional act of body language to demonstrate confidence that is less likely to be read as aggressive, I recommend steepling: putting our hands together so the tips of our fingers touch, but the palms remain separate. This gesture is common among world leaders, politicians, and executives, as steepling suggests confidence, conviction, and sincerity. Just be advised not to overuse steepling! Because it’s a very precise gesture, I recommend employing this language in high-importance settings as opposed to incorporating it into our everyday professionalism.

Projecting confidence extends beyond controlling our hands, of course! On the most minute level, chewing or biting our lips can suggest insecurity. Taking a step back, our clothes can exude professionalism, too—are they ironed? Clean? It’s not about the expense of our outfits, but rather how put-together we appear!

To circle back to the start of this section, straight posture is important, and a necessary follow-up is noting how we sit. In other words, when we sit down, we will appear more confident and professional when we sit all the way back in our chair. Sitting on the edge of our seats, in contrast, can suggest anxiety that in turn may make those around us feel more uncomfortable, and there’s little more unprofessional than causing discomfort in those around us!

Not too difficult so far, right? Onto the next category!

2. Distractions

What’s more frustrating than trying to have a conversation with someone whose mind seems to be pulled in 20 directions at once? When it comes to presenting professional body language, minimizing distractions in our environment is key to coming across as respectful and attentive.

As a general tip, we should avoid frequently checking our phones/watches/etc., as this behavior suggests boredom, impatience, and a general lack of professionalism. In my experience, I tend to notice this behavior from individuals in more powerful positions, such as a manager who constantly checks their email while a team member attempts to hold a conversation with them. Remember: there’s a time and place to stay connected with technology, and more often than not, the middle of a conversation is not that moment! In other words, embodying professional body language in these circumstances means removing distractions—we can put our phone on silent, close our email, and in general make an effort to keep a lid on any tasks that will try to pull us away from a professional conversation. No screen deserves more attention than a person we’re speaking to!

Another example of unprofessional body language to avoid is overly adjusting our clothes. Reminiscent of fidgeting, continually adjusting our attire can suggest anxiety, as this behavior communicates we are literally uncomfortable in our own clothes. As a very literal solution, then, we can take time every day to evaluate how relaxed we feel in our professional clothing before we leave the house! Taking this small action helps ensure we aren’t distracted by our attire at any point during the day.

Ready for the final category?

3. Engagement

As a nice segue, it goes without saying that reducing distractions to improve professional body language also helps ensure we are projecting ourselves as engaged and invested during professional situations! We’ve all been told to avoid crossing our arms, of course, as doing so can risk suggesting we’re bored, but physically demonstrating our engagement in a professional setting extends beyond this advice.

Consider the following scenario: two people are watching the same presentation. One person, we’ll call them Ashley, is facing directly toward the presenter. Their feet are flat on the ground, and their shoulders are back—though relaxed—giving the impression that their body is open.

The other person, we’ll call them Creon, is sitting at an angle toward the presenter. Their shoulders are hunched over, giving the impression that their body is closed, and they have their legs out in a reclining fashion. At some points, Creon even drums their fingers on the table in front of them.

Based on their respective body language, who do you think is demonstrating more engagement with the presenter?

I can hear it now: a sea of voices have all said “Ashley!” in enthusiastic unison.

In all seriousness, physically facing the person we’re interacting with goes a long way in demonstrating engagement, because to literally turn away from someone implies we are figuratively “turned away” from the topic at hand. Similarly, keeping our feet flat on the ground projects stability and investment, while lounging in a seat tends to give the impression that we’re bored or otherwise not engaged, and drumming one’s fingers on the table can project impatience.

If we’re on the other side of this scenario as the presenter, a surefire way to demonstrate engagement through our body language is by moving purposefully during our presentation. “Purpose” is absolutely key here; we should avoid pacing, which can come across as shedding nervous energy, just as we should generally avoid remaining in one place for an entire presentation, which can risk implying a lack of effort or interest.

Maintaining engaged body language to communicate professionalism is equally important in more casual professional settings, too, such as chatting with a colleague on break. One crucial strategy is to avoid touching others without their consent, including when it comes to more relaxed body language, such as clapping a person on the shoulder. When in doubt about a person’s preferences, simply ask! We should avoid assuming that all individuals are okay with a hug or pat on the back or a hand on their shoulder.

Another strategy is to avoid excessive laughter. Now, I don’t mean that we shouldn’t laugh or smile in the workplace! Any setting without laughter and joy is one I wouldn’t want to go near. But excessive laughter, in contrast, can suggest that a person is not confident or is unfocused on the work at hand. Again, I encourage smiles and laughter in the workplace, but when someone only ever seems to be smiling and laughing and is otherwise not attuned to their tasks, that can be a sign of unprofessionalism!

We’ve covered numerous examples of professional and unprofessional body language in this blog, which I hope serves as an informative starting point as we all seek to increase awareness of how we present ourselves in professional situations. As leaders, though, we must be sure to take in all of these strategies with one key caveat as we observe the body language of our employees: give people the benefit of the doubt.

Reading body language is not a science, and we must thus be careful to notice if we are assuming something about a person’s beliefs exclusively based on their body language. If someone is crossing their arms in front of us, are they actually bored, or is this position simply comfortable? If someone is fidgeting with a pen, are they actually inattentive, or do they have ADHD or another disability? This latter point is especially crucial as we all seek to make our workplaces more inclusive toward people with disabilities, as some disabilities (such as Tourette’s) can produce particular body language or result in repetitive movements that we should not hold against our employees.

Even if a person does not have a disability, we should always keep an open mind and consider the other factors that may be shaping their body language. One of my employees is on the shorter side height-wise, and as a result she does not often sit at the back of her seat. Does this body language mean she is always anxious, or does she sit forward to ensure her feet are not dangling off the floor (which is extremely uncomfortable when sitting for long periods of time)? Again: we want to increase our awareness about body language, not continuously judge people, and that means giving our employees—and even ourselves!—the benefit of the doubt.

Let’s conclude with the same question with which we began: how are you holding yourself right now? Perhaps your head is tilted to the side, suggesting you’re in deep thought about all you have just learned in this blog.

Well, what are you still sitting around for? Back straight, feet flat, hands open—the world of professional body language awaits!

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

Thumbs Up or Oops? How Body Language Connects—and Confuses—Cultures

When former president George W. Bush was inaugurated in 2005, he lifted his fist with his pinky and index finger extended—a symbol that, in the United States, represents the Texas Longhorn football team. A seemingly innocuous gesture in the U.S., for many other countries in the Mediterranean and Latin America—from Italy and Spain to Brazil and Argentina—this gesture is used to mean that someone’s spouse is cheating on them!

As one might imagine, this incident led to quite a (comical) kerfuffle amongst global reporting, and it goes to show that not even world leaders are immune to the potential confusion that comes with the multitudinous nature of body language. Fortunately, the many meanings associated with similar gestures around the world open doors for us to learn about other cultures as well as demonstrate greater inclusivity by making an effort to respect different cultural norms.

To appreciate these opportunities for knowledge, let’s walk through five examples of body language that vary in meaning around the world! Ready to dive in?

1. Thumbs Up & “OK”

Answer honestly now: did you react with a thumbs up or classic “OK” symbol (forming a circle with your thumb and index finger while extending the other three fingers) to the previous question? Watch out—these two gestures can have wildly different meanings depending on where we are in the world!

While both a thumbs up and the “OK” symbol tend to indicate approval or a job well done, these meanings are not universal. A thumbs up in France may simply indicate “one,” as in France many people count on their fingers by beginning with their thumb. In Malaysia, it’s common to point with one’s thumb instead of the index finger. But watch out—in Greece, a thumbs up can be seen as a rude insult meaning “Up yours!” The “OK” symbol carries a similar risk, as in Spain, Greece, and Brazil, this sign can come across as calling the other person an a-hole (pardon my censoring), a meaning I know I want to avoid. As such, when using a thumbs up or the “OK” symbol around the world, we must keep in mind that the message we’re intending may not be the message that’s received. Otherwise, we might get in trouble!

2. Handshake

Speaking of hands, an action as simple as a handshake comes with many different expectations and styles around the world! In the U.S. and much of Western Europe, a firm handshake is common, as it’s a sign of respect and authority. However, expect some frequency in the number of times we might actually shake the other person’s hand! In the U.S., as many as five to seven shakes is common, as compared to the U.K., where three to five tends to be the average range. In France and Germany, handshakes tend to consist of no more than one or two pumps—anything greater might come across as overeager and domineering!

In other regions, of course, handshakes are less common, such as in East Asia—e.g. Japan—where bowing to another person is the preferred signal of respect and greeting. On the opposite end of the spectrum are much of Central and South America, as well as parts of Southern Europe, where intimate handshakes are common; in these regions, “a handshake is longer and warmer, with the left hand usually touching the clasped hands or elbow.” Some parts of Africa even prefer a limp handshake as standard.

In other words—we need to study our handshake! We must practice flexibility when greeting people from around the world!

3. Eye Contact

Speaking of greeting others, this blog would be remiss without mentioning eye contact. In the U.S., maintaining eye contact during a conversation is a sign of respect, and to avoid eye contact is often considered rude. Spain and Greece, too, tend to prefer strong eye contact during a conversation. But this interpretation is not universal!

In Northern Europe, such as Finland, eye contact tends to only happen at the very beginning of a conversation; too much eye contact may come across as embarrassing as overly intense. Japan, too, has different norms of eye contact, as lengthy eye contact tends to be read as disrespectful.

As Hamlet famously said: to make eye contact or not to make eye contact—that is the question, and the answer will vary depending on where we’re at in the world!

4. Arms During Conversations

Not only do expectations for where our eyes go during a conversation vary among countries, but so too do expectations for how we use our arms. In the U.S. and especially Italy, it is exceedingly common for individuals to use their arms (if not their entire body) when speaking with another person—after all, there’s a reason we use the phrase “talking with your hands.” As someone born and raised in the Middle East, I can confirm that we also love to be expressive with our bodies when holding conversations, too!

But once again, such expressive movements are not standard across the globe. In much of Northern Europe, using one’s arms and hands when speaking is not preferred, as these exaggerated movements tend to be associated with over-dramatization and even insincerity. In Japan, using one’s arms for emphasis in conversation is often read as impolite. When traveling the globe, then, we need to check our arms—let’s only use as much movement as the other person seems to be comfortable with!

5. Personal Space

Last but certainly not least, norms related to personal space—particularly during casual conversations—greatly vary around the world, so much so that regions can be broadly classified as “high-contact,” “medium-contact,” and “low-contact” cultures.

Northern Europe and parts of Asia tend to be classified as low-contact cultures, meaning there is limited physical contact between people who don’t know each other well or are just meeting for the first time (be it a shared bow or a brief handshake). This norm doesn’t mean people need to stand several feet apart, but more that if we’re used to more casual contact, we should limit that instinct in these regions.

Much of North America, including the U.S., and parts of Western Europe are considered medium-contact cultures. Handshakes, for example, are common and are signs of respect, but we wouldn’t necessarily be hugging complete strangers or standing very close in casual conversation.

Latin America, in turn, as well as Southern Europe and the Middle East are broadly classified as high-contact cultures, meaning people tend to be very physically friendly with one another! In the Middle East, for example, it’s not uncommon for men to hold hands and kiss each other as a greeting (though these familiar greetings would not be seen between men and women). And who can forget the famous “la bise” of France—if you travel to France, you may not depart unkissed!

At the end of the day, the same body language can have a plethora of meanings around the world, meaning we should take caution to learn what a gesture means before we travel to a new country. While this task may seem daunting, I encourage us to view it as exciting—and often funny! What’s more interesting than getting to learn about how everyone in the world may read the same hand symbol as possessing a totally different meaning?

If you feel comfortable with the gesture, take my hand—we’ve got a whole world of body language to explore!

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

Transforming DEI Conversations Through Creative Lego Play

Ever get tired of the mundanity of some DEI workshops? Simply sitting at a table and just… talking?

Important as these conversations are, I sympathize with the lack of excitement! That’s why today we will be exploring five examples of physically engaging activities that highlight the intersection of DEI and team-building—and best of all, these activities involve legos! (If you’re a kinesthetic learner, I’ve got a good feeling these activities will be adored by you.)

1. Self-Portraits

This activity is precisely what it sounds like: everyone will build a self-portrait using legos! Giving everyone 15-20 minutes is usually appropriate, and as leaders we must clearly establish that these lego self-portraits can be in whatever style our team members prefer. Literal? Abstract? A “self-portrait” should simply be a reflection of oneself—however we choose to interpret that! One person might focus on their physical appearance, another person might focus on their cultural background, another person might focus on their favorite hobbies, or anything else altogether.

A creative twist to this activity is to have individuals build their self-portraits anonymously, e.g. giving people small trifolds or bent pieces of cardboard to hide their builds and prevent others from peeping. Afterwards, employees can guess who each self-portrait belongs to and explain why they think so! The builders can then provide additional explanation as to why their portrait represents themself after the fact.

If it wasn’t obvious already, this self-portrait activity is intricately linked to DEI because it a) gives people an opportunity to uniquely express themselves (literally or abstractly) and b) encourages team members to make connections between one another and learn more about their colleagues. In the process, we create an inclusive environment where self-expression is explored and celebrated!

2. My Personal Identity

The concept of this activity is simple: using legos, individuals will “[b]uild a model that represents who [one is] today, which includes values, skills, passions, and… contribution to the team.” The key difference between this activity and the previous self-portrait is that where the self-portraits focus primarily on self-expression, “My Personal Identity” must involve a connection of one’s self to the team as a whole! When arranging this activity for a team, we might ask some variation of the following questions:

• How would you title this piece?

• What part of this design represents your personal values? Your work values?

• Which part of this design reflects your private life?

• What does each color represent?

• Which part of this design reflects your skills in the workplace? As a team member?

I love this activity because it incorporates DEI by encouraging participants to connect reflections on their personal identity to their contributions as a team member. In other words, the process of exploring our personal identities becomes a celebration of the diversity amongst our team, from various cultural heritages to multitudes of educational experience and more! When it comes to demonstrating diversity of thought in the workplace, this activity couldn’t be more effective.

3. Builder, Looker, Runner

Searching for a hands-on activity that explicitly connects DEI with teamwork? Search no longer! “Builder, Looker, Runner” is a creative take on a team-building activity that integrates the core values of DEI.

For this activity, split participants into teams of three. Each team has a structure already built for them. Their task? To rebuild it! Simple, right?

Not so fast—within each group, “[o]nly the builder can build, only the looker can see the original structure and the runner serves as the middle man, taking instructions from the looker to describe to the builder.”

On its own, this exercise is one that encourages teamwork, unconventional thinking, and creative communication, all of which are implicit elements of DEI. After all, bringing together diverse perspectives inherently requires patience and communication to come to the best solution! Additionally, one of the core conceits in this activity is the fact that the builder, the looker, and the runner are of equal importance in successfully rebuilding the group’s assigned structure—on the most literal level, this activity could not be accomplished without equitable recognition of each role’s significance.

Consequently, there are also ways to explore the ramifications of inequitable treatment through this activity! Teams might be assigned random disadvantages; maybe one team’s runner has to hop on one leg, maybe one team’s builder can only work with their non-dominant hand, maybe one team’s looker can only glance at the structure for five seconds at a time. For this approach to be most effective, one team would serve as a control group with no disadvantages, showing how equitable accessibility between the builder, looker, and runner is the best way to guarantee success.

4. (Un)Building Biases

(The original activity that this section refers to was actually conceptualized with Play-Doh, but we’re reconfiguring it here to focus on legos with the rest of this blog’s theme.)

Imagine this: Pictionary, but with legos! Participants are split into groups of any number, and within each group everyone takes turns being the “architect.” As the architect, an individual draws a card and does their best to recreate whatever image on that card out of legos—all while their teammates throw guesses at them! Once the card is correctly guessed, another person becomes an architect, and the process repeats. The “winner” of the game would be the group that correctly guesses the most cards within a given span of time, e.g. 15 minutes.

How does this activity relate to DEI? you might be wondering—a fair question! Much like “Builder, Looker, Runner,” this activity requires communication, collaboration, and patience, all of which are instrumental to the implementation of DEI initiatives in any workplace. Beyond this connection, however, I encourage a version of this activity adapted to be specifically about unconscious biases.

In other words, instead of the terms on the cards being generic like “cat” or “house,” they can be different biases. And to ensure accessibility, these cards can include descriptions that give the architect a better idea if they aren’t too familiar with the term; similarly, the guessers might have a list of all the possible biases (and more, for extra difficulty!) if they are new to the topic, helping ensure they don’t have to pull guesses out of thin air. All in all, “(Un)Building Biases” offers a fun, engaging way to introduce participants to different unconscious biases and open doors for conversations about what we can do to overcome them!

5. Team Vision

Last but certainly not least, “Team Vision” is an activity where everyone works together to “[b]uild a model that represents [what] the team… want[s] to be.” In this process, the team must collaborate as they decide what and how they want to build, why it should appear a certain way, what value certain colored/shaped bricks will represent, and so forth. (Regarding color symbolism, consider how yellow might represent happiness, pink might represent dedication, green might represent financial success, etc.!)

This activity embodies the spirit of belonging within DEI, as “Team Vision” requires ensuring everyone has an equal voice not just in the final project but also in the vision for what this team’s future should look like. What better represents inclusion than giving every employee at the table a say in how they want their team’s future to grow and blossom?

And there we have it: five fun, physical activities that combine legos, team-building, and DEI. Dare I say that we are building an investment in DEI and teamwork through the construction of these lego projects…? What a robust foundation of diversity, equity, and inclusion to grow from!

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

GROWing Better Body Language

The scoff. The eye roll. The exasperated sigh. The furrowed brows. The shrug. We’ve all seen examples of disrespectful, dismissive, and outright rude body language in the workplace, and I doubt it’s an exaggeration to say that we all wish this body language was far less frequent among some of our employers and employees!

As leaders, one of our responsibilities is guiding our employees to embody their best, most professional selves in the workplace, and coaching them to improve their body language falls under that umbrella. Today, we’re going to walk through a few key strategies for addressing negative body language in employees, so straighten your shoulders and get ready to dive right in!

Focused Feedback

For starters, I recommend this video by leadership consultant Joe Mull as an introductory point for learning how to manage negative body language in employees, and as such I will walk us through the key points Mull addresses!

First and foremost, the most effective way to improve poor body language in employees is through focused, one-on-one conversations that specify and provide feedback on the negative behavior the employee is (likely unwittingly) embodying. In other words, we must enter these meetings with specific examples and circumstances during which the employee has displayed the negative body language that we want to help them fix.

Step 1: Prepare ourselves to describe the physical details of a person’s negative body language.

What do we mean by this? Let’s look at the following two descriptions:

“Jess, you’ve been holding yourself really negatively during team meetings lately.”

Although there is mention of posture, this description doesn’t offer much specificity about how the employee has been negatively communicating with their body.

“Jess, I’ve noticed that during the last few team meetings, you tend to roll your eyes or furrow your eyebrows and shrug when someone presents a new idea. This behavior reads to me like you aren’t receptive to others’ suggestions, and it tends to stifle inter-group discussion.”

Not only are there specific examples of the employee’s negative body language, we can also see how this body language is having a detrimental impact on the entire team. Again: specificity is everything! Because body language so often occurs unconsciously, our employees will struggle to correct their negative body language if they are not aware of what specifically needs to be improved.

Step 2: Invite continuous engagement.

Once the employee has agreed that they need to address their body language—more on how to get to that point later!—we should ask them, “How should I let you know if I witness this behavior again?” In other words, we want to a) reassure our employees that we don’t expect them to magically improve their body language overnight and b) remind them that they are not undertaking this journey alone—we will be there to support them and guide them through mistakes.

A solid starting point, right? Let’s dive into some ways we can flesh out this approach even further!

GROW Model

While the above advice provides a clear introduction to addressing poor body language in employees, there are few key components missing. For example, how do we get our employees to agree that their body language needs improvement in the first place? How do we ensure our employees are engaged and inspired to present more positive, professional body language?

The GROW Model is a key tool leaders can employ to help fill in some of these gaps, as this model offers us a step-by-step method to successfully coaching employees in any arena! Allow me to direct our thoughts to utilizing the GROW Model specifically as a means to help employees improve negative body language:

G is for Goal, meaning the first step a manager should take when invoking the GROW Model to coach an employee on body language is to ask about and acknowledge the employee’s goals. Importantly, these goals do not have to be literally related to body language—that connection will come later. Where do they see themself in the organization within a year? Two years? Five years? In what direction do they want their career to go? The point of the G in GROW is to develop an understanding of what our employees want, because only then will we be able to truly tailor our feedback in a way that is productive and engaging for them.

R is for (Current) Reality, and in terms of helping an employee improve poor body language, R means laying out for our employee what their body language currently suggests and how those implications might impact their future goals. This step is where the focused feedback from earlier comes in, as leaders must be able to clearly describe the poor body language they have observed and how that body language could be detrimental to the employee’s vision for the future. For example, let’s say we have an employee who is struggling to project confident body language; they tend to keep their shoulders hunched, unconsciously making themself smaller, and they have difficulty maintaining appropriate eye contact. However, this employee’s Goal is to one day be a team leader themselves. As we give feedback on this Reality, we might say:

“I’ve noticed that your body language currently suggests you don’t have a lot of confidence, which could get in your way of achieving your goal to be a team leader. I’ve observed how you hunch your shoulders often, and you tend to fidget with your pencil and look down during our team meetings.”

Once we’ve presented the specifics of our employee’s body language and how that Reality may hinder their Goal, we move onto the O of the GROW Model: Options and/or Obstacles. This step is crucial, as this point is where we invite the employee to share their own ideas about how they might begin the journey of improving their body language. In other words, we ask the employee what Options they think they have as well as what Obstacles might be in their way. To return to the previous example, we might say:

“How do you think you can present yourself more professionally in meetings? What changes might you make in your body language to project more confidence?”

The O of GROW should not be rushed past in a meeting, as this is the opportunity for the employee to develop solutions attuned to their own self-improvement.

Once multiple Options are on the table, we turn to the final step: W, also known as Will—what will they do to move forward? As leaders, our responsibility when walking through the Will step is guiding our employees to narrow down their Options into a practical, solution-oriented plan to improve their body language. We should emphasize the importance of aligning their body language with their goals, and we should also reassure the employee at hand that we will provide observation and support throughout the journey. This step is also where we might schedule a follow-up meeting to provide continuous feedback about their body language—praise if we see improvement, and constructive criticism if we are not yet seeing positive results.

I want to emphasize the importance of ensuring the final two steps of the GROW Model—Options/Obstacles and Will—are led by the employee. People are more committed to personal and professional growth when they come up with their own solutions to get there! As such, the GROW Model is particularly apt as a method for coaching employees to improve their body language because it easily allows us to link that improvement with the employee’s aspirations. Rather than unintentionally coming across as a personal attack about how someone holds themself, feedback through the GROW Model is clearly about learning, moving forward, and dismantling obstacles to help ensure our employees can successfully reach their goals!

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com andBreakingVases.com.

What's Adding Fuel to the Fire of Workplace Conflicts?

Have you ever found yourself in the blazes of a heated workplace conflict and wondered, Geez, what keeps adding fuel to this fire?!

I have some great news for you: you aren’t the only one! All of us have been in these stressful shoes, but what we may not have realized is that there are invisible factors at play influencing these fiery conflicts: unconscious bias. From in-group bias to attribution bias, today we will explore eight different biases that often shape our workplace conflicts without us even realizing! Ready to dive in?

Overconfidence Bias

Overconfidence bias is exactly what it sounds like—when individuals are overconfident and in turn overestimate their knowledge, experience, and abilities in a given situation. (It probably goes without saying, but overconfidence bias is not conducive for an environment dedicated to conversation and collaboration!) I’ve found that this bias is highly prevalent nowadays, as many of us enter conflicts truly, truly believing that we are right and the other person is wrong. Both social and traditional media reinforce this divisive bias, making it even easier for us to assume we are “good” while others are “bad” and “untrustworthy.”

A leader experiencing overconfidence bias, for example, might overestimate their ability to manage a conflict within their team, where mishandling this issue may lead to future workplace tension. The existence of this bias does not mean the leader in this example doesn’t know their team members well, but rather that their area of experience is not necessarily in conflict management! Just because we have a title doesn’t mean we’ll always know what’s right in a given situation—sometimes it’s better to seek help from HR or an external mediator.

Attribution Bias

Attribution bias is the tendency to attribute a person’s behavior to their individual character rather than considering any alternative reasons as to why a person may be acting a certain way. If any of us have experienced a customer getting angry at a service-facing employee for not “smiling enough,” perhaps even accusing them of hating their job, that’s a common example of attribution bias! There are infinite reasons a person may not have a perfect smile on at work 24/7, be it because of a health crisis, conflict at home, or even just having a rough day, but attribution bias dismisses that nuance to simply accuse a person’s character.

A more specific example is the all too common struggle faced by employees with disabilities: the fear that attribution bias will negatively impact how their employers and coworkers may perceive their disability. I have a friend who has severe arthritis to the point that she cannot type. She works virtually and has taken great pains to ensure that her manager and her colleagues are not aware of her disability, because she fears that if they knew, they might blame a slow response to an email on her disability. Similarly, one of my employees has a friend with ADHD that experiences executive dysfunction, where at work they have been accused of “not trying hard enough” rather than their manager and fellow employees making an effort to understand their disability.

Fortunately, addressing attribution bias is simple: rather than assuming we know the reason for a person’s behavior, take a step back and consider other possibilities!

Blind Spot Bias

Blind spot bias refers to our failure to recognize our own cognitive biases while readily identifying them in others, such as remembering situations in which others have displayed bias while not recalling conversations in which we ourselves exhibited biases. Before I continue, I want to note that “blind spot”—while not an ableist slur—perpetuates the historical treatment of disability as metaphor, and thus I am all for finding different terminology to refer to this bias! Maybe misidentification bias? Oversight bias?

An all-too-common example of this bias would be a heated debate in the workplace (or, truth be told, at home). As tension increases, more angry sparks fly until this debate becomes a full-on blaze! We’ve all seen and been part of this type of argument before: one person raises their voice as they get more invested. The other person proceeds to raise their voice, too. Then the first person demands, “Why are you raising your voice?!” to which the second person responds, “You raised yours!” And don’t get me started on body language. Metaphorical hackles raised, furrowed brows, a clenched jaw—our bodies often scream our anger long before we do! What we might notice here, though, is how often we don’t even realize we have initiated an act of frustration, e.g. raising our voices, which exemplifies blind spot bias to a T.

In-Group Bias

In-group bias refers to the notion that it’s easier for us to view people we’re similar to favorably, that we’re more likely to forgive missteps and mistakes by people we have connections with. In other words, if there’s disagreement during a cross-departmental project, employees are more likely to side with individuals from their own department—especially their own team—and even outright ignore the perspectives of people in other departments.

For a more specific example, consider a situation relayed to me by a friend: a company is in the middle of negotiating with a supplier. They keep asking for more and more from this supplier, but are refusing to improve their compensation. If the supplier pushes back about this unfair agreement, employees of the original company are more likely to complain about the supplier—because they have created a sense of belonging and group identity as a team—rather than considering the perspective of the supplier. It’s important for anyone to have their friends’ and coworkers’ and company’s best interests at heart, but it’s just as important to consider the perspectives and experiences of others, too!

Projection Bias

Projection bias refers to when individuals assume that other people share the same interests, values, beliefs, etc. as they do, which can lead to interpersonal conflicts and a lack of empathy. Politics, for example, is not a stranger to workplace conversations, I have witnessed many a situation where individuals will speak intensely about their political perspectives to a fellow coworker—without knowing where that coworker falls on any of these issues, because they have simply assumed they share political beliefs.

Another common example of projection bias is the matter of personal boundaries! Some employees, depending on their culture, are very forthcoming about their personal lives, for example, while others are not, which may lead to an awkward shutdown if someone asks, “How are your family doing?” to a coworker who prefers to keep their personal life separate from their professional career. Similar, hugs! I’ve been affectionately dubbed a “hugger,” but I’ve had to challenge my projection bias and recognize that not everyone wants to be hugged, and that I should ask first before launching myself at them with affection!

Projection bias is also deeply relevant in terms of cultural differences in the workplace. In the U.S., it’s normal for everyone to speak up and express their opinions during meetings. When I worked in Japan, I learned that such is not the case there: managers speak on their teams’ behalf, meaning a meeting in Japan will not involve everyone speaking. That doesn’t mean those employees aren’t engaged, just that their cultural expectations are different—it’s up to us not to project our own expectations onto them!

Self-Serving Bias

Self-serving bias is exactly what the name suggests: attributing one’s successes to oneself (e.g. we completed a project through hard work and/or talent) and discrediting one’s failures as a result of external factors/circumstances (e.g. we didn’t get a raise because our boss was having a bad day, nothing to do with us). In other words, we interpret the world through a lens that serves ourselves! Self-serving bias commonly leads to a lack of accountability, where we don’t recognize our own role or culpability in a given problem.

I’ve noticed self-serving bias rears its head often in people who are resistant to the implementation of DEI initiatives. For example, if one of such people receives a promotion at work, self-serving bias would imply that they earned this promotion through hard work, expert qualifications, and dedication to their company. If another team member gets promoted, such as a person who was hired after the company revised their hiring process for greater inclusivity, then self-serving bias would imply that person  undeservedly received this promotion because of favoritism or because of “woke-ness” (even though it’s well-documented that DEI is, plain and simply, a good business practice).

Based on this example, I think we can see how self-serving bias relies on the universal human insecurity that we aren’t good enough, meaning the best way to counter it is to appreciate our strengths and make an intentional effort to understand and work at our flaws!

Status Quo Bias

Status quo bias simply refers to a preference for the current state of affairs. In other words, status quo bias commonly results in resistance to any kind of change—even change for the better! Since change is inevitable, status quo bias is no stranger to any workplace.

When Millennials began joining the corporate workplace en masse in the late 1990s and 2000s, I remember the kerfuffle caused by their preference for open office spaces as a means to increase communication and collaboration throughout the workplace. This change was difficult to process for some employees in senior generations, whose status quo bias meant they preferred traditional spaces and offices with doors, causing them to be resistant to these layout adjustments!

With time and understanding, of course, Millennials and their preferences were gradually welcomed. But allow me to give us all a heads-up: more change is coming! Rumor has it some Gen Z (born ~1997-2012) workers prefer the previous closed office environment. Organizations may need to start dusting off their layout plans AGAIN!

Negativity Bias

Negativity bias refers to how negativity (negative interactions, negative words, etc.) is more likely to stick and ingrain itself in our minds than positivity. For example, people are often more likely to remember negative work experiences they’ve had with individuals rather than successful collaborations!

A more specific scenario would be a manager providing a performance review to an employee. Though unintentional on the part of the manager, negativity bias may cause the employee to perceive the constructive feedback they are given as more hurtful or more significant than it’s meant to be. As a result, the employee may internalize a sense of inferiority or come to believe that they are not valued or appreciated by their employer.

Just because negativity bias exists doesn’t mean critical feedback isn’t important, of course, but to help counter this bias, it can be useful for all of us to make an intentional effort to reflect on positive experiences we’ve had and positive feedback we’ve received to help create a more balanced perception of our experiences.

There we have it: eight of the most common biases that might add fuel to the fire during our workplace conflicts. So, next time we find ourselves in a fiery situation, we must remember to watch—watch our words, watch our thoughts, and watch our biases! If we do so, we will have the upper hand to understand how our biases may be shaping our behavior, giving us an advantage in dousing the flames and resolving conflicts to everyone’s benefit. And who doesn’t love a secret advantage?

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com andBreakingVases.com.

Let's Create a Culture of Courage

While I have spoken extensively about the importance of companies supporting DEI in the present, workforces will continue to evolve as the future arrives. In turn, we must incorporate a focus on making our work cultures more courageous. If we don’t have this emphasis, we’ll lose out on the innovation of the younger generation, and that’s a situation no organization wants to be in!

Some companies are preemptively shifting toward this culture of courage, offering events like “Fail Forward” sessions that encourage employees to openly share their failures and the lessons they learned from these experiences. In doing so, they create an environment that welcomes risk-taking and prioritizes celebrating innovation and bold choices over penalizing mistakes. After all, we have to keep in mind that investing in a culture of courage doesn’t mean mistakes will no longer happen! Instead, when people inevitably make mistakes, a courageous work culture emphasizes taking those mistakes in stride and learning from them for the better. The more we encourage employees to trust themselves and the more we create a space where failure does not equate to losing one’s job, the more likely we are to inspire innovation and achieve exciting accomplishments among our organization.

So, what existing models can we learn from to foster a culture of courage? Let’s walk through four key examples!

1. Canadian Automobile Association

We’re starting off with a different sort of organization than I usually invoke, but hear me out: the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) demonstrates a deep investment in creating a culture of courage through the use of what they call “recognition data.” In other words, CAA carefully attends to the challenges and successes of their employees, allowing them to positively embrace and reward employee innovation and risk-taking! They have both monetary benefits and Team Awards (e.g. a “Round of Applause” award), where this support of employee ingenuity and emphasis on not penalizing failure has led to decreased turnover. What’s more, CAA’s data specifically “show[s] turnover is the lowest for employees who have received awards from both their managers and their peers.” In other words, when an organization invests in a culture of courage that inspires mutual support between peers, employees are more likely not only to recognize one another’s accomplishments but to come together and develop potentially revolutionary innovations together—sounds like a win-win to me!

2. W.L. Gore & Associates

W.L. Gore is a fun model to learn from, in my opinion, because of its unconventional approach to organizational management. Gore has what’s known as a “lattice organization”—in other words, there are no “ranks” of employees, and there is no absolute, supreme career hierarchy. Any associate can speak to another as an equal, a commitment to courageous conversation and risk-taking reflected in the fact that all employees of Gore become shareholders.

Now, I’m not suggesting every company needs to switch over to this horizontal structure! Rather, we can take inspiration from Gore’s commitment to a culture of courage through their dedication to ensuring that no conversations or mistakes are ever shied away from. Everyone is on an equal playing field, meaning individual mistakes become broader lessons for everyone to learn from, and individual accomplishments become uplifted for the entire organization to celebrate. The benefits to this courageous approach are infinite, as each and every employee contains limitless creativity and innovation! As such, if we learn from Gore’s example and emphasize a level playing field and courageous communication, there’s no telling how far that will propel that success of our organization.

3. Patagonia

Ah, Patagonia—a company renowned for its emphasis on tending to the environment and being a steward of the planet. This company’s emphasis on a culture of courage is all but endless! I could talk about the fact that their “retention rate for mothers returning from maternity leave is 100 percent,” how they offer subsidized childcare and have childcare centers on-site, how “[i]f a breastfeeding mother needs to go on a business trip, the company pays for the mother, baby, and a nanny to travel for that trip,” how Patagonia thus gives their employees the opportunity to bring their full self to work—how Patagonia ensures their employees have the tools to make courageous decisions about their careers without sacrificing other elements of their lives. I could talk in-depth about this marvelous set-up and Patagonia’s clear support of allowing their employees to practice courageous behavior.

Instead, though, what I want to focus on here is how Patagonia commits to crafting a culture of courage to the fullest extent: investing in courage outside of the workplace. What do I mean by this? Well, if a Patagonia employee “‘has previously taken a nonviolent civil disobedience class and is subsequently arrested while peacefully protesting,’” such as protests in support of the environment, the organization will post their bail. While I certainly don’t expect every organization to switch to this level of commitment to a culture of courage off the bat, isn’t that an inspiring example to learn from? To trust the courage of their employees both within and outside of the workplace—how incredible!

4. Zappos

I want to conclude with Zappos because this organization offers an excellent example of investing in a culture of courage from as early as the hiring process. After all, demonstrating one’s commitment to courage must extend beyond employees who have “been there a while,” else newcomers become too fearful to embrace their individual ingenuity. Zappos offers dedicated training to new hires for its first week, but more crucially, they actively encourage these employees to reflect on how well they feel the position and work environment suit them. If these hires decide Zappos is not the right place for them, Zappos compensates them with $2,000 for their courage and honesty! While not every organization may implement this exact strategy, the example of Zappos is nonetheless crucial to learn from because of their emphasis on welcoming courageous behavior—behavior that may buck the status quo—from the moment employees are hired.

And there we have it! Four examples to learn from of companies demonstrating a clear commitment to crafting a culture of courage. I say we follow their footsteps and embrace the reality that failure is inevitable, mistakes are just opportunities, and success can only come after error—to do so, all we need is a little courage.

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com andBreakingVases.com.

Differently Abled or Disabled? Which one is Inclusive?

“Oh, wow,” I say, catching the interest of my friend who sits beside me. “Did you know that Australia is wider than the moon? That’s crazy, isn’t it?”

“I don’t know about ‘crazy,’” my friend says, gently poking me in the arm, “since that’s a historically ableist term, but that fact is definitely news to me!”

I laugh, nod, thank my friend for the correction, and resolve to use more inclusive in the future—such is the ideal response as we broaden our knowledge about common ableist microaggressions! This blog will focus on walking through common examples of microaggressive ableist language that many of us (myself included, if you couldn’t tell!) have unwittingly used in casual conversation throughout our lives. Note that this blog will not cover ableist slurs, as slurs extend beyond microaggressions into intentionally abusive language, and I thus do not want to minimize their impact by including them in a post that centers on microaggressions.

Ready to get started? We’ve got three broad categories to cover!

Specific Terms

We’ll kick this blog off with specific ableist terms to avoid and viable alternatives as we begin the journey of modifying our language to be more inclusive of people with disabilities:

Physical Disabilities

Rather than lame, which derogatorily refers to people with physical and mobility disabilities, instead replace this metaphorical usage with uncool, boring, uninteresting, and/or unexciting.

Rather than dumb, which derogatorily refers to “d/Deaf or hard of hearing people, people with speech-related disabilities, or people with linguistic or communication disorders or disabilities,” consider replacing this metaphorical usage with uninformed, ignorant, and/or silly.

Rather than deformed/deformity, which derogatorily refers to “people born with absent limbs, disfigurements, or other atypical appearances, or who later have amputations, burn scars, or other changes to their physical appearance that are stigmatized in society,” instead try simply describing the person’s appearance/visage/condition/etc. “Facial difference(s)” is also a common neutral and inclusive term!

Not so complicated, right? Out with one term and in with numerous others!

Mental Disabilities

Rather than crazy, insane, or “mental case,” all of which derogatorily refer to people with mental or psychiatric disability, instead try unpredictable, reckless, hasty, misguided, and/or wild.

Rather than idiot(ic), moron(ic), or stupid, all of which derogatorily refer to people with intellectual disabilities, consider replacing these words with dangerous, uninformed, risky, and/or reckless.

See, that wasn’t so difficult to walk through! Let’s move into some examples of microaggressive ableist phrases that require a bit more discussion to parse out their issues.

Turns of Phrase

“Just turn a blind eye to his obnoxious behavior.” “Oh, she’s so deaf to any constructive criticism.” “We conduct blind reviews of all submissions to our journal.”

The history of disability as metaphor is a lengthy one, and this figurative usage continues today in the above phrases and more. Blindness and deafness refer to specific experiences of disability, and to render them metaphors is to disregard the lived reality of millions of people across the globe. As such, consider the following linguistic substitutions! Instead of “blind/deaf to” or “turn a blind/deaf eye/ear to,” consider “willfully ignorant” or “turning their back to.” Instead of a “blind review,” consider an “anonymous review.” These substitutions prioritize the underlying meaning of the aforementioned without reinforcing ableist, microaggressive language in the process.

“They’re wheelchair-bound/confined to a wheelchair.”

Let me ask a simple question: what about a wheelchair suggests it binds or confines those who use it? Similarly, what about a cane or crutches or braces suggest they limit or restrict those who use them? These devices are collectively known as “mobility aids,” and they accomplish exactly what this phrase implies: provide increased opportunity for mobility and freedom of movement for those who use them! As such, phrases like “wheelchair-bound” reinforce the ableist assumption that individuals with mobility aids are “restricted” rather than benefited by these aids. Instead of the above turns of phrase, then, consider using the following substitutions: a person who uses a wheelchair, wheelchair user, a person who uses crutches, and so on and so forth. It’s as straightforward as it sounds!

“Oh, she suffers from ADHD and autism.”

“Suffers from”? Who said ADHD and autism and other disabilities are inherently suffering experiences? In reality, many disabilities are not frequently associated with suffering (neither physical nor mental), and thus to assume they “cause” suffering is functionally ableist. This turn of phrase can be sufficiently replaced simply by “has”—“she has ADHD and autism,” “he has social anxiety,” “they have seizures.” I include the last example not to suggest that seizures are desired or painless experiences (those who experience seizures know they can result in pain), but rather to emphasize that destigmatizing disability means adopting neutral descriptors for all disabilities—no exceptions!

How are we feeling so far? Ready to dive into the final category of common ableist, microaggressive language that we can continue unlearning? Let’s go!

Euphemisms & Contextual

“Don’t say that, they’re not disabled! They’re just differently abled.”

The euphemism of “differently abled” is often well-intentioned, as it and similar phrases (e.g. “physically challenged” or “handicapable”) are ostensibly attempting to reduce stigma around disability. However, they often function as replacement terms for “disability” and “disabled,” when “disability” and “disabled” are not “dirty” or “impolite” words that shouldn’t be used. In fact, “disability” and “disabled” are neutral, inclusive descriptors of people’s lived experiences! As a society, we have been conditioned to believe that able-bodiedness is “right” and “normal.” The euphemism “differently abled” reinforces this idea, as it seeks to link all bodies to the notion of “able-bodiedness,” when in reality disability is everywhere! Disability is its own “normal,” and as such we have no need to avoid saying “disability” or “disabled”—again, these are neutral, inclusive descriptors, and we should absolutely incorporate them into our everyday conversations.

“Yesterday she was fine, but today she’s mad at me again. She’s so bipolar!” “Ugh, sorry I’m so OCD, I just need to have a neat desk.” “My favorite shirt got stained yesterday, I’m super depressed about it.”

What do all of these sentences have in common? Each of them uses “a specific disability diagnosis or name as a metaphor or hyperbolic representation of traits stereotypically associated with said condition.” In other words, each sentence uses disability as a shorthand to communicate an emotion/habit/experience/etc., and in doing so minimizes the lived experiences of people who actually experience these disabilities. Rather than referring to bipolar disorder as a shorthand for extreme shifts or indecisiveness, we should consider saying exactly what we mean—“indecisive,” “switching quickly,” “extreme differences,” and so on and so forth! The same logic applies to the other examples. We shouldn’t use OCD as a shorthand to describe someone being meticulous; we can instead say meticulous, focused, fastidious, and/or particular. Relatedly, we shouldn’t use depression as a shorthand for sadness (and especially to refer to a minor inconvenience); we can instead say upset(ting), sad(ness), tragic, and/or devastating. Again, this logic applies to any use of disability as a shorthand for describing elements of the human experience—we can simply describe what’s happening without comparing that experience to disability!

And there we have it: three common categories of microaggressive ableist language that all of us can begin replacing in our conversations today. Know, of course, that this blog is not intended to be comprehensive, as the reality is that ableist language pervades much of our daily lives simply because we have not been taught to recognize these terms and turns of phrase as ableist in the first place. All the same, I hope I have offered us a strong start to recognizing the seeming omnipresence of ableist, microaggressive language, as well as giving us the tools (and replacement terminology!) to begin dismantling this global issue!

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com andBreakingVases.com.

Tips For Being Inclusive Towards Individuals With Disabilities

Disability inclusion is becoming ever more common in today’s workplaces, a reality to the benefit of both people with disabilities and the rest of society! One key way all of us can advance our inclusion journey is thus educating ourselves on microaggressions faced by people with disabilities. In this blog, I will be discussing some of the most common behavioral microaggressions that people with disabilities too often have to deal with on a daily basis.

Inappropriate Physical Contact and Behaviors

Though it should go without saying, I find it often bears repeating: we must not touch a person’s wheelchair, their guide dog, their crutches, or any other mobility aid they use without their consent! (Guide dogs in particular are always on the job and thus cannot be distracted from the work they’re doing. Although they may be cute, it is never appropriate to go up and pet a guide dog or any service animal without permission.) One mentality is to think of a mobility aid like an extension of a person's body, and—in simplest terms—it is rude and plain wrong to touch another person’s body without their consent. I know that I would be extremely uncomfortable if a stranger came up to me and grabbed my arm! As such, the key point here is simple: respect personal space, including that of mobility aids.

On a related note, sometimes able-bodied people attempt to “help” people with disabilities, and sometimes that help comes from a kind-hearted place. Where that kindness turns into an ableist microaggression, however, is when assistance is imposed: when able-bodied people assume people with disabilities need help to accomplish everyday tasks, and especially when able-bodied people do not ask for consent as to whether or not the person with disabilities needs help (or worse, when able-bodied people ignore whatever response they are given!). Increasing awareness about this particular microaggression is not to suggest that you shouldn’t open the door for a wheelchair user, for example, or that you shouldn’t offer to help carry boxes for a person who’s using a cane, but rather that we should ask whether or not the person needs assistance rather than assuming people with disabilities are helpless or incapable of accomplishing tasks on their own. Sometimes people with disabilities need help, sometimes they don’t, and the best way to find out is simply to ask!

Inappropriate Conversational Strategies

Behavioral microaggressions toward people with disabilities extend beyond the more physical aspects, including if not especially into how able-bodied individuals navigate conversations with people with disabilities. One of the most common conversational microaggressions that people with disabilities face is the denial of privacy, also known as the dreaded What happened to you? and any other questions that invasively demand a person with disabilities share information about their disability. However, no one owes anyone an explanation about their personal life, be it related to their disability or their hobbies or their favorite movie or anything in-between! People have a right to privacy, and we should respect that right for people with disabilities by refusing to engage in unnecessary and rude interrogation about their disability. As such, if someone who has a disability wants to share their experiences, that is solely their own prerogative.

On the opposite end of the microaggression spectrum is disregarding or denying a person’s disability, e.g. refusing to recognize the impact of invisible disabilities or insisting that Oh, we all have some disability as a means to minimize the other person’s experiences. Just as it is rude to hyperfocus on a person’s disability, it is equally rude to pretend they don’t have a disability (and in turn don’t need accommodations). The underlying message of this microaggression is that the feelings and experiences of people with disabilities are not real, that their feelings don’t matter, and that their feelings are not important to us. In my experience, this message is not one people truly subscribe to, because I have repeatedly found that humans are empathetic and seek to make connections with one another! As such, when people choose to share information about their disability and their experience(s) as a person with disabilities, we must be respectful and trust their knowledge.

Another common microaggression against people with disabilities is the conundrum of eye contact, be it forcing neurodiverse people to make eye contact or be it deliberately avoiding eye contact with wheelchair users and people with facial differences. With the former, we must challenge ourselves to rethink the “necessity” of eye contact in every situation: is a person with social anxiety disorder really being rude by avoiding our eyes, and if not, can we continue our conversation without the implied “need” for eye contact? With the latter, we must intentionally challenge the social stigma surrounding wheelchairs and especially facial differences, where facial differences are too often understood as “ugly” and “something to look away from” instead of part of humanity’s natural variation. Fortunately, we can actively counter these ableist beliefs by looking our colleagues with facial differences in the eyes when we speak to them! And know that although these eye contact situations may seem to be in opposition with another, they are both rooted in ableism—it’s up to us to recognize what situation we’re in and modify our behavior accordingly to ensure maximum inclusivity!

Yet another microaggression that we see all too often (especially in the media) is the patronization of a person’s disability, particularly treating them a source of “inspiration” simply because they’re disabled, e.g. telling someone that they’re So brave! for living with a disability. Too often people with disabilities are rendered “inspirational” simply for going about their ordinary life, with the only difference being the fact that they have a disability. And don’t get me wrong, people with disabilities can certainly be inspirational, but we must resist the ableist assumption that they are inspirational “because” they have a disability or because they are “overcoming” their disability. Rather, disability is just a fact of life and another element of humanity’s innate diversity!

The final common conversational microaggression I want to touch upon here is unwanted medical advice, such as recommending “medical procedures, treatment, or medication that may ‘solve’ their disability.” To counter this microaggression, we must simply remember that people with disabilities are always going to be the foremost expert on their own experiences. (We certainly don’t know anyone else better than we know ourselves, so the same applies to people with disabilities!) Not only is offering unsolicited medical advice to people with disabilities at best redundant (they’ve likely heard it all before from their doctor as well as through their own research and experiences) and at worst rude, it also reinforces the ableist assumption that disability is a medical problem to be “solved” instead of an inherent element of human diversity. Not all disabilities demand “treatment” and a “cure”!

Remember: people with disabilities are actually that—people who happen to have a disability. When interacting with someone who has a disability, a good rule of thumb is to engage in conversation the same way we would an able-bodied person, be it talking about the weather or last night’s football game or their favorite movie. If you’re someone who shakes hands upon meeting someone for the first time, do the same when meeting a person with a disability! The person will respond accordingly, be it shaking your hand or offering an alternative, from a fist bump to a friendly nod.

Note that the breakdown of behavioral microaggressions I have provided here is far from comprehensive. To learn more, see below for a from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society that notes numerous examples of microaggressions that many people with disabilities unfortunately face on a daily basis:

I encourage everyone to visit their website for numerous other examples!

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com andBreakingVases.com.

3 Overlooked Areas For Engaging Employees Across Generations

One of the most consistent observations I have witnessed in my consulting work is the difficulty of engaging employees across generations. Tackling this challenge is critical for increasing competitiveness and growth, and particularly for increasing cross-generational camaraderie and synergy in the legal and judicial field. Today I will walk through three key areas that, if overlooked, will result in missed opportunities for engaging and supporting multi-generational legal workforces:

1. Succession Planning

Did you know that approximately 10,000 individuals of the Baby Boomer generation (born 1946-1964) retire every day? What a striking statistic! We are thus in the midst of a massive transition as Baby Boomers pass the torch on to Gen X (born 1965-1979) and Millennial (born 1980-1995) leaders, and if an organization isn’t prepared for that transference of leadership, then they will lose out on valuable knowledge acquired by the Baby Boomer generation. One survey even found “that only 57% of the aging workforce has transferred less than half of their knowledge to the incoming one, with 21% yet to do so”—so what can we do to address this looming issue?

Fortunately, a simple solution presents itself: to nip this concern in the bud, an organization must clearly document the responsibilities associated with every position as well as develop and implement a detailed succession plan in order to ensure this transition goes smoothly. The reality is that “only 26 percent of legal departments have a succession plan in place,” making this gap a crucial first step to address. Additionally, teams should consider offering upskilling and knowledge transfer programs that focus on mentorship and job-shadowing not just as employees reach retirement but throughout their career. Flexible work environments can also be beneficial, allowing employees of the Baby Boomer generations to transition to part-time and/or hourly work before fully retiring and thus helping ensure all of their knowledge is preserved for future generations of leadership.

2. Adapt & Retain

Millennials are the largest percentage of the U.S. workforce as of 2024, and that dominance is only expected to increase in years to come, as they are projected to compose almost 45% of the workforce by 2030. Some estimates place that percentage as high as 75%, but I think they’re lumping in Gen Z (born 1996-2012)—the newest generation to enter the workforce—who are estimated to make up 30% of the U.S. workforce by 2030. More on Gen Z soon!

With this shift in workforce percentages is a shift in workplace culture, and many Millennials do not thrive in environments identical to what worked best for Baby Boomers and Gen X. So, what steps can organizations take to ensure they’re retaining Millennial workers in the face of Baby Boomer retirement?

One key area of focus is technology—Millennials not only witnessed but came to adulthood in the technical transition of the 21st century, and as such “[l]egal department leaders should take advantage of millennials’ tech-savviness as emerging technologies continue to change the practice of law.” In other words, allow Millennials to weigh in workflow software (e.g. to automate manual processes), engage them in conversations about AI and the law, and so on and so forth—encourage their lifetime of expertise!

Other strategies to implement in order to retain Millennial workers are allowing for variable work hours to accommodate and reflect Millennials’ desired emphasis on work-life balance; and take the time to customize feedback options based on how Millennial workers prefer to proceed. Some may be content with annual performance reviews, while others may want more consistent guidance and advice!

3. The New Generation

As aforementioned, Gen Z is predicted to compose 30% of the U.S. workforce by 2030; in other words, nearly a third of our workers will be in their 30s and younger, taking the world by storm. Engaging and retaining Gen Z requires a different—though not dissimilar—approach to retaining Millennials: perhaps above all else, Gen Z are focused and determined to make a difference in the world. They are motivated by a sense of safety, security, and social conscientiousness, and if an employer offers that environment, they are ready to stay. So what steps can the legal world take to embrace the energy of Gen Z?

For one, Gen Z is “the most racially and ethnically diverse generation” yet, and Gen Z has no patience for lip-service diversity. They want to see inclusive hiring practices at work, from diversity in promotional materials to their interview panels.

Student loan debt is no joke, and law school is particularly expensive, so one surefire way to attract Gen Z employees is a competitive salary and comprehensive health insurance. Building tuition reimbursement into positions is also a positive look for Gen Z, who are more likely to stick around at a department they feel is invested in their career and well-being—helping them address the unjust burden of debt saddled onto them is a crucial way to demonstrate that investment.

Lastly, Gen Z craves meaningful feedback. Teams can thus develop and integrate a culture of feedback, where focusing on an individual’s performance and regularly providing them with both praise and constructive comments reinforces the value Gen Z offers.

Again: a major generational shift is happening. Teams across industries must adapt to the changing workforce in order to avoid missed opportunities. After all, when their employees thrive—young and old alike—so do the organizations!

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com andBreakingVases.com.

Four Tips For Fostering a Culture of Courage at Work

Workplaces are driven by innovation. Innovation necessitates change. Yet so many of us find ourselves tied up in fear at the prospect of taking the risks required to propel change! After all, people are wired for survival. The consequence of this aversion to risk is that in organizations across industries, the dominant culture is the implicit insistence to play it safe, where we are “more afraid of potential losses than excited about potential gains.” So how can organizations challenge this mindset? How can we ensure our employees “feel psychologically safe at work” and are empowered to make innovative suggestions and pursue bold risks?

My suggestion is simple: we must foster a culture of courage.

In this blog, I will walk through four key strategies organizations can implement to promote a courageous work culture, because we must nurture courage in our everyday actions in order for courage to become something we successfully practice. Ready to get started?

1. Organizational Initiatives

Let’s begin with the broadest scale and gradually narrow our way inward! There are a multitude of company-wide initiatives that organizations can implement in order to incorporate a culture of courage into policies and opportunities, and here I will introduce us to just a few:

One way to introduce an emphasis on courage to employees is by hosting courage-building workshops. After all, when in doubt, bring in an expert! Inviting psychologists, guest speakers, or leadership experts to run engaging workshops with employees that help them develop tools to practice courage and hone resilience. Additionally, interactive discussions, artistic opportunities, and any other range of activities provided through these workshops can aid employees in identifying their fears and developing appropriate coping strategies for dealing with those fears. Does this initiative sound exciting? It does to me! A workshop-based approach is thus a great early step to fostering courage in one’s workplace.

Another strategy is to implement a “courage challenge” program. Gamification is ever popular in maintaining employee motivation, and thus an initiative that allows employees to “choose their own adventure” in the realm of learning and practicing courage is ideal. Employees can select goals that range from speaking up in meetings to public speaking to external volunteer commitments and anything in-between, where at the end of this program, organizations must reward employees who excelled at their “courage challenge” and recognize the efforts of those who may have struggled. After all, reducing shame and insecurity is imperative in fostering a culture of courage!

Speaking of avoiding insecurity, another early initiative for building courage is to ensure no one feels like they’re going at this task alone. Instead, create a “courage buddy” system. This initiative is as straightforward as it sounds: pair employees with a “courage buddy,” where both individuals are mutually supporting one another as they pursue various goals (be those goals a formal element of the “courage challenge” program or part of another initiative entirely). For these courage buddies, consider offering joint courage-building activities or other formal opportunities for these pairs to make progress together.

2. Destigmatizing Failure & Embracing Openness

I’ve offered some suggestions for initiatives an organization can implement to foster courage in their workplace, but what can we as individual leaders do to encourage courage amongst our employees? First and foremost, we must embody courage ourselves. Former Microsoft President Kate Johnson describes courageous leadership as “When you see a person trying to get it right, instead of trying to be right.” In other words, fostering courage in the workplace involves focusing on the process—getting things right along the way, including learning from our mistakes, instead of nailing everything perfectly on the first go. As leaders, we can thus foster courage by destigmatizing failure and embracing openness among ourselves. We must talk about our own failures in order to normalize failure as a necessary element of meaningful progress! We should share stories of times we’ve taken risks and made difficult decisions, and that includes being as open about the times those risks didn’t work out as we are about the risks that succeeded. When we frame the value of risk-taking as related to the choice rather than the outcome, we help foster courage in our employees by implicitly reassuring their anxieties about risks—it’s not about succeeding or failing, but the courage to make a decision and learn from whatever falling dominoes that follow.

Need a more specific example of how to model courageous leadership to employees? Leadership expert Karin Hurt recommends a simple courage-building team exercise, where we give every member of our team an index card or slip of paper with an “H” on one side and an “F” on the other, with all leaders keeping a card for themselves, too. Then, everyone takes a few moments to write down their biggest Hope and their biggest Fear about whatever project, task, goal, etc. is at hand. An open and honest discussion follows afterwards, with the team leaders leading courageously by example.

3. Create Channels for New Ideas & Dissent

We’ve gone through the initial steps of fostering a culture of courage, from introductory organizational initiatives to how leaders can embody courage as an example. But how do we put courage into action for our employees? My key recommendation is a simple one: create a “safe-to-fail” environment through the establishment of channels where people can safely express new ideas and concerns without the anxiety of judgment or punishment. These communication channels can take a multitude of possible forms, of which I’ll list a few:

• Anonymous suggestion boxes (physical or digital)

• Company-wide surveys (anonymous or optional identification)

• An in-person town hall (including the collection of written feedback, for people who prefer not to or may not physically be capable of speaking up)

Of course, we should not feel limited to these three avenues, because any channel that encourages employees to openly speak up is precisely the type of opportunity that fosters courage in the workplace. It is also often helpful to provide basic guidelines for these “safe-to-fail” opportunities in order to ensure mutual respect and polite engagement from all participants, such as limiting interruptions and offering the IDEA criteria: “Is the suggestion Interesting, Doable, Engaging and what Actions or first steps can put the plan in motion?” Some organizations have also found it useful to rotate the position of “dissenter” amongst employees, especially within teams, where the role of the dissenter is “to challenge a course of action or find flaws in a proposed decision.” By normalizing dissent and encouraging alternative ways of thinking, we “remove much of the individual’s personal risk [regarding new ideas] and replace it with institutional permission,” which allows courage and courageous action “to become the norm rather than the exception.”

4. Reward Courage & Courageous Actions

Perhaps the pinnacle element of fostering a culture of courage in our workplaces is the simple practice of positive reinforcement: reward acts of courage from employees and recognize their courage in public environments to demonstrate to others that courageous behavior is welcomed and supported! Such rewards might include a monetary bonus, an anecdote shared at a department meeting, or a physical trophy. Personally, one of my favorite examples of celebrating and rewarding courage is Google’s Courageous Penguin Award, given to individuals who dared to suggest or try a new strategy without certainty in its success. The name “comes from how penguins stand by the edge of an iceberg and consider jumping in the water,” unsure of whether they will dive neatly into the water or hit ice beneath the water’s surface; it thus “takes a courageous penguin to take the first leap.”

At the end of the day, organizations who recognize and reward their employees who dare to “‘stick their neck out’” and challenge the status quo “reduce collective fear [in their company] and build the psychological safety needed for others to report, share and discuss what’s not working.” To put it simply: a risk should beget a reward, and fostering a culture of courage involves recognizing that balance.

And there we have it—four key strategies for encouraging a culture of courage in any organization. So what are we waiting for? We’ve got risks to take, employees to inspire, and new ideas to celebrate!

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization.

Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.