#CuriousMoments with Advita
It’s been an incredible couple of days speaking at various events about internal comms and inclusion.
I started my mini tour speaking to the fab folks at the Gambling Commission about allyship and trust. Then, I headed to Unily’s brilliant event, Unite, to talk on a panel about belonging and technology. And last but not least, I popped over to the Inside Housing event to chat about collaboration and trust.
Trust, as you can tell, was a recurring theme over the past couple of days, and it was also a topic that Steven Bartlett covered in his keynote at Unite.
I knew, after listening to Steven’s podcast and watching him on Dragon’s Den, that it was going to be an enthralling conversation. It exceeded my expectations. He shared so many gems that I couldn’t write quickly enough. But the one comment that stood out to me was about the inconsistent leader.
He shared that we often expect leaders to be consistent in how they lead. And to some extent, that’s the right thing to do to ensure fairness. But we often underestimate how different people are, and sometimes, as leaders, we may need to adjust our style to help that person thrive.
This personalised approach is so powerful (we dedicated a whole section in our book Building a Culture of Inclusivity) that it can transform cultures as it can help build trust.
He shared some brilliant examples of how Sir Alex Ferguson, the ex-manager of Manchester United, motivated his team through the personalisation. He ensured he got to know every single player, from what their strengths were to their weaknesses. He used that insight and knowledge to help them be even better players.
As internal communication professionals, we can sometimes overlook the personalisation element of our work as we often have to communicate to the masses. But it’s worth thinking about how we can support the leaders in our workplace to enhance the experiences of their colleagues to help them thrive further.
Thank you, Steven, for giving me many things to reflect on. And a huge thank you to my fellow panellists who allowed some healthy debates and conversations.
Congratulations to Unily and Inside Housing for hosting these brilliant events.
Originally posted on LinkedIn, Follow me for more curious moments.
