Prioritization in a New Global Marketplace

As a Senior Advisor at McChrystal Group, I support the organization’s go-to-market and business development strategies and offer insights on achieving commercial growth through market expansion and engagement with current and prospective clients. I recently met with Owen Daugherty, McChrystal Group's Communication Manager, to discuss the importance of prioritization and inclusion in a changing marketplace. Join me on a new blog series where I'll be sharing pieces of our conversation and thoughts on cultivating success by creating an inclusive workplace culture.

Today's marketplace is inviting companies to get uncomfortable and innovate.

Comfortable can be okay for a while, but we are currently living in a global marketplace different than what we've seen before. Employees now want to work from home or in a hybrid environment. Still other employees who work on the production floor can't work from home. How can leaders retain and integrate their floor staff with those working remotely? Companies today are faced with the challenge of keeping employees motivated, building a collaborative community, and prioritizing inclusion in a highly complex workplace. This is a new skill set for most. Yet, I believe companies that aren't up to the task will ultimately lose their customers to those who are able to evolve and differentiate.

When differentiation happens, it is a disruptor. Right now, disruption is happening at the speed of light! And I am grateful. Without disruption, innovation, and collaboration across industries, the COVID vaccines couldn't have happened as quickly as they did.

If everyone looks the same in a transactional, commodity-driven world, it's hard to set your business apart. In the end, your employees will differentiate you and invent the next best thing. I always encourage companies to prioritize their people, so that employees feel empowered to innovate, drive things forward, and set strategic initiatives for the business.

Throughout my career, I've always recommended that leaders get comfortable with the uncomfortable and lean into new challenges. Dig deeper into my tips and ideas for embracing the unknown here.

---

This conversation with Owen is part of McChrystal Group's Senior Advisor Interview Series, where advisors offer ideas and insights about various challenges and opportunities facing businesses today. You can find my Q&A with Owen here.

Guidance for Job Holders and Job Seekers

As many people across the travel industry are in search of their next role, I had the opportunity to join my good friend Michelle (Mick) Lee as part of a recent virtual discussion designed to help job seekers and job holders. This conversation was part of the WINiTIn45 discussion series, sponsored by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA).

As someone who considers herself both a job holder and a job seeker as I continue my advisory role with CWT and also build my portfolio career of other Board and advisory roles, I was especially grateful to participate in this conversation. Here are the main ideas we discussed.

Get comfortable being uncomfortable

As I started my job search, I remembered the first job I had as an individual contributor in a communications role more than 30 years ago. If you think back to your first job, I bet you can remember all the first-day jitters and how nervous you might have been at the time. But you figured it out. You got comfortable with being uncomfortable and made your way forward. It’s in the uncomfortable where learning and growth takes place! That’s the same mindset you need when looking for a new role or trying to grow in your current one.

Your network is your most valuable asset

Networking absolutely works! As Mick shared in our discussion, there are 43,800 minutes each month and you should protect at least 60 of those to foster your network. Even if you’re highly engaged in your role today, don’t underestimate the power of networking and its impact in your career and with others. If you’re a job holder, advocate for others or help make connections that might lead to new opportunities. If you’re a job seeker, take time to offer help as much as you’re asking for it. As Mick mentioned, 60% of her new hires were in some way connected through her network – either directly or indirectly. Networking really can make all the difference.

Be an advocate for yourself and others

Think of the mentors and advocates you’ve had along the way. Maybe they have provided a recommendation or steered you in the right direction for a new opportunity. Now it’s your turn to pay it forward and advocate for others as they look for new roles. In addition, learn to advocate for yourself. Feel confident in your abilities and skills, even if you don’t have every qualification listed on a job description. You’ve probably heard the following statistic: Men apply for a job when they meet only 60% of the qualifications, but women apply only if they meet 100% of them*. Start applying for roles even if you think it might be a stretch – it’s the best way to keep learning and growing.

Focus less on financials and more on culture

Often, we are tempted in an interview to only share the financial metrics of what we’ve achieved; however, those are just outcomes of our work and don’t offer the entire picture of our abilities. In a time where companies are looking to find the right fit and retain employees, it’s important to highlight examples of how you show up at work and with your teams. Explain how you demonstrate the company’s values, as well as how you’re engaged with the company to reinforce your characteristics of being trust-worthy and accountable. Leaders will know they can count on you and the opportunities will come.

Redefine what career progression looks like

As you look for a new opportunity, consider a lateral move. Often a lateral move is as important or more than a promotion. By moving into a different part of the company or into a new department, your breadth and depth of experience continues to grow. Lateral moves expand your horizons and prepare you for future opportunities. Putting your hand up lets your manager know you’re open to opportunities outside of your current role or comfort zone. I don’t believe I would have moved to multiple continents and major cities around the world if I hadn’t been up front with my leader that I was willing to try new things. You get to determine how you want to be treated and seen at work.

Champion inclusivity

In a recent blog post, I talked about how often diversity, equity and inclusion are considered to be synonymous, but there are distinct differences between these concepts. Diversity brings together all possible viewpoints, equity gives everyone a seat at the table, and inclusion ensures that all feel safe and comfortable expressing their views and ideas freely. We all have the opportunity to promote inclusion within our organizations and teams. As leaders, we have to make sure we set the tone for the environment and set the expectation that everyone gets a voice, questions are encouraged, and new ideas welcomed. It’s our combined, unique experiences that create the best ideas and solutions.

Give and receive feedback

Finally, along the same lines as having a voice at the table, one of the biggest gifts we can give is feedback. It’s important to get comfortable with giving and receiving feedback. While we may be tempted to offer a response when receiving it, I suggest your only response to feedback is “thank you.” By accepting feedback from others, you can help create an inclusive environment where people feel safe sharing with others, and you can reflect on the feedback to learn and grow.

Whether you’re a job holder or a job seeker, we can all agree the pandemic has changed life – and for many, our careers – as we knew it. But we are all in this together. As my 91-year-old father has always said, “There’s a reason why your rearview mirror is small and your windshield so big… there is no point in looking backward, only forward.” In other words, the best is yet to come.

What are you doing to foster your network? Let me know in the comments below!

*This statistic has been widely cited by Lean In, The Confidence Code and in dozens of articles

A Closer Look at the I in DEI: Why Inclusion Matters

While so much uncertainty continues when it comes to COVID-19, one thing is more important now than ever: As we continue to examine what it means to value and care for others, there is a call for a greater focus on inclusion. We hear the terms “diversity, equity, and inclusion” in our everyday lives, but these ideas are far more than buzzwords or tasks to check off a to-do list.

I recently wrote about how diversity and equity are evolving in the workplace and how leaders can engage in DEI efforts. Now I’ll turn my focus to inclusion, or how we make others feel comfortable and free to be themselves, wholly and unapologetically. It’s about creating space for others to thrive exactly as they are and giving them equal opportunities and resources to be successful. Inclusion isn’t about us all being the same; in fact, it is actually about celebrating who we are as individuals, what we each bring, and how this makes the team even stronger.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are often considered to be synonymous, but there are distinct differences between these concepts. Diversity brings together all possible viewpoints, equity gives everyone a seat at the table, and inclusion ensures that all feel safe and comfortable expressing their views and ideas freely.

An inclusive workplace is built around a culture that respects and honors all facets of the human experience—such as race, gender, sexual orientation, ability, age, geography and the experiences that makes us who we are—while fostering an environment that helps all team members realize their full potential.

The right thing to do for your people and your business

Creating an inclusive workplace helps employees feel more engaged, creates space for open discussion, fuels collaboration and innovation, and accelerates business outcomes—allowing us to solve problems and drive better results. A recent Deloitte study surveyed more than 50 companies across the globe and found that organizations with inclusive cultures were:

· 2 times as likely to meet or exceed financial targets

· 3 times as likely to be high performing

· 6 times more likely to be innovative and agile

· 8 times more likely to achieve better business outcomes

Deloitte’s study also reported significant correlations between inclusive leadership and strong team performance. When working for leaders they consider to be inclusive, survey participants reported:

· 17% increase in team performance

· 20% increase in decision making quality

· 29% increase in team collaboration

Being an inclusive leader and colleague

Inclusion happens at the individual level and is only truly successful when each individual feels valued, respected, and safe. The McChrystal group recently shared insights on environments that sustain inclusion, citing the importance of four factors: fairness, integration, information and decision-making.

• Fairness means all groups are equally supported and have equal access to benefits.

• Integration means bringing together and valuing each person’s unique contributions and viewing differences as beneficial.

• Additionally, information flow is essential to inclusion, so it’s important to ensure there is diversity in the people who control this information.

• Finally, it’s key that all groups of people have a seat at the table when your company makes decisions.

As a leader, you have an important role in setting the tone for your team. Your leadership on issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion will demonstrate your expectations of others and lay the foundation for a thoughtful, considerate, inclusive culture in which your team can thrive. Let’s look at some ways you can create a more inclusive work environment.

Listen first Being truly inclusive starts with understanding the values, preferences, and aspirations of those who are different from you. Invite your team to engage in conversations and listen to others without interrupting, interjecting, or redirecting. Share your desire to learn and be open to challenging your own assumptions.

Seek out diverse perspectives Be purposeful in creating a team with diverse experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives. Encourage complex discussions and create a space where all team members can share their thoughts and opinions freely. Learn from one another and tap into those various points of view to develop strategies, solutions, and products that reflect the diverse needs of your customers. Take all ideas into consideration when you’re making decisions.

Commit to ongoing education Many organizations now offer anti-bias training but consider ways to bring that training to life within your team, including this free assessment from Harvard’s Project Implicit. Ask clarifying questions, communicate helpful tips and information, facilitate mentorship opportunities, and most importantly, invite people to share their stories.

There is always more we can do to make people feel included, and to ensure they are actually included. As a leader and a colleague, you can take the first step to ensure those in your sphere of influence feel connected, heard, and valued. Take time each day to talk with others, listen to their ideas, learn from their experiences, and find ways to help them contribute to your team’s success. What are you doing to create a more inclusive environment? Let me know in the comments below!