Once women manage to break through the glass ceiling andtake on positions of leadership they often have experiences that are differentto men. Women are more likely to be appointed leadership roles that are riskyand precarious – this is because they are appointed lead of an organisationthat is in chaos or they are not provided with the support and resources neededfor success. This is known as the Glass Cliff – referring to the danger of thepotential risk of falling which is not already apparent.
Psychologists explain unconscious bias as our ‘people preferences’. We naturally favour those who look like us, sound like us and are interested in the same things. This can deter you from hiring the best candidate for the job and hinder diversity within your team. An example of this was made evident in a survey that revealed that the height of Fortune 500 CEOs was on average 2.5 inches taller than the average American man, suggesting that a taller man was more likely to be hired as a CEO.
Have you ever been told you need a ‘coach’ or ‘mentor’? Perhaps your business hires a coach or mentor, but you’ve never really considered there is any difference between the two. If you are employing either of these, it’s important to take the time to differentiate as each are very different in their own right.
Goals are important for keeping you focused and staying motivated. With every small goal ticked off, it will leave you feeling rewarded and encouraged towards ultimate success. Remember, it may be a challenge but there is always a way of reflecting and continually learning.
Having worked as a teacher and a coach for over 30 years, I was more than aware of the recognition and praise that you needed to give pupils when they had reached their target grade, completed all their assignments on time or even answered a question correctly. In particular, as a teacher, just a simple ‘well done’ can be enough to give them the motivation that they can achieve whatever they set their mind to.
Over the last six months I’ve focused purely on being a mum (a position I never expected to be in just over a year ago). I love every minute of it may I add, but as the end of my maternity leave is looming, it’s time to think about myself and providing for my son.Listening to a radio interview featuring Rita Chowdhry, founder and CEO of Savran (a business which works with individuals and businesses to understand the strengths and values of their people and being the best in the workplace), she discussed the topic of women in the workplace.
A woman’s role in society has undoubtedly changed over the past few decades; going back generations it is clear to see that women now, more than ever, have higher expectations laid upon them by society.In my grandmother’s generation, the woman’s role was solely to provide support to their husband, enabling him to go out and achieve his goals. In my mother’s generation, the role continued to revolve around the children and the duties at home, however women began to want to achieve something for themselves.
Self awareness is the first principle of being Savvi – a framework we at Savran have developed to help our clients, managers, teams and parents to enhance their performance and achieve personal or professional goals. Savvi is an acronym and S stands for self-awareness. The questions that arise here are “What actually is self-awareness? What are its benefits? How can it help me in managing different aspects of my life?”
Every single person on this planet is unique. Each twin is a unique being, each man is distinctive and each female is one of a kind. Even with this knowledge, there’s a simpler understanding to human beings, which can be defined in four main behavioural characteristics known as DISC. By The Way, DISC is also used as a method by some HR departments to define the characteristics of potential employees.
Like many parents, all I want for my son is for him to be successful, and for most of us this means to be happy and achieve our best. In today’s competitive society, you have got to stand out from the crowd. In order to accomplish that, what I say to my son is to be ‘savvi™’ (savvy), which I define as being ‘in the know’ – an acronym for five main factors, without which, success seems distant and intangible.
As the CEO of Savran, specialists in diversity consultancy and coaching, I have worked with individuals and organisations from many diverse groups. For example, I have coached a young Asian woman to set up her own business and she has managed to increase her income threefold; I have also provided relationship and life coaching to men and women and have supported clients in the process of life-changing decisions in both their career and personal lives.
I have been a teacher and personal development coach for over 28 years. During this time, I’ve had my brain picked countless times on the question of parenting and I am often asked what advice to give our daughters. So, what do I think?Pressures are part and parcel of life; there has always been, and always will be, pressure in varying forms for every generation. I suppose the main difference that our young daughters face today is finding themselves expecting to succeed in many more ways than one – not only at school, at having the perfect home and family life, a vibrant social life, but also in striving for the best career.
What are the reasons for diversity in the workplace?I believe that diversity within the workplace results in increased performance. For example, boards and companies perform better with women on board , and businesses are also better off when they reflect the societies they serve, making companies more competitive and resulting in increased performance.. There’s also no worrying about discrimination/bias or being the odd one out.