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Archive for the ‘Women in Leadership’ Category

Seeing the Glass Ceiling

Posted by Bronia Szczygiel

I remember several years ago debating with a CEO on the shocking lack of senior women in an organisation I worked in. After a frustrating time trying to convince him of the unconscious bias women faced in a male dominated workplace, he asked me what I thought the main problem was.

I said that maybe women just weren’t as intelligent or capable as men.
“I don’t believe that for a minute!” he said, totally shocked.
“Neither do I” I hit back, “and that’s my point!”

If it’s not a lack of intelligence or capability then something else is at work.
And it’s appropriately called a glass ceiling because it’s really difficult to see.

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Changing behaviour for a different outcome: How do you break free of the same old patterns?

Posted by Liz McKechnie

How much do you really think for yourself? I mean really question…

In the days after the death of Margaret Thatcher I’ve been struck by the enormous depth of feeling about her and her policies that many people still demonstrate on whichever side of the political fence they sit.

So clearly we don’t forget…or do we? You’d think the apparent high level of emotional response and political argument her death has generated would signify a clear memory of that era and the decisions made.

You’d think that as a nation and as leaders in the workplace we could learn from the triumphs and disasters of history to build a bigger and brighter future for all.  Read more

Three Elements of Effective Feedback

Posted by Bronia Szczygiel

Finding the time and courage to give people constructive feedback on their performance can be tricky. We all know that that it’s a vital part of personal development and team performance, so it’s obviously a great thing to do.

But most of us are busy and telling people how they’re doing can be hard.

If you’ve ever had to tell someone they’re not performing you’ll know just how hard it can be. Most people like to be liked: We want to be nice and have others be nice to us. Telling them they’re not measuring up to our expectations might seem less than nice. So we feel uncomfortable about saying anything and avoid it if we can.

If you highlight an issue they may disagree, they might get angry or cry, they may criticise you, or they may not even be aware that there’s a problem.

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