#115 Beyond Stereotypes: 5 Ways To Achieve True Inclusion for Women in the Workplace

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Welcome to the 360 leadership podcast, the top rated show for driven women in senior leadership with new episodes released every Wednesday. I’m your host, Lucy Gernon, a multi award winning executive coach for women leaders and the founder of 360. Leaders Club exclusive high level membership for career driven family orientated women just like you. I created the 360 leadership podcast to share practical tips, actionable step by step strategies, and inspiring stories to support you to unlock the power and belief within to accelerate your impact and potential. So you can build a life filled with success, balance and happiness. So are you ready to achieve 360 degree success? No more excuses. No more waiting. Your time is now. Hi, there. And welcome back to another episode of the 360 leadership podcast. I really hope that you were doing so good today. And I just want you to know that this week is International Women’s Day week. And today we are going to be talking all about five ways to achieve true inclusion for women in the workplace. Now, I want to preface this episode with the fact that I used to cringe at these things I probably told you guys before because I never saw myself as different to a man, I never saw myself as being less powerful or more powerful. I always viewed myself as equal. And that is a lot of my upbringing from my mother, I was kind of raised, you know, to be in control and to make sure I was seen and heard. But not everybody feels that way. And also, despite any woman who is strong, there is still a lot of gender stereotyping going on. And there’s still a lot of unconscious bias when it comes to women. Now, I am so pleased that that is changing the world has changed so rapidly. And thanks to the work of International Women’s Day, on coaches like myself, who are advocating for women, and all of those good things, things are starting to change. Plus, women are just stepping up and really rising. So I commend you, I commend you all I love each and every one of you guys so much. I know how much crap you have to face on a daily basis. And I want you to really, really feel seen and hurt. So today, what we’re going to be talking about is what is all about the theme for this month, or this week’s episode, this International Women’s Day, which is all about inspire inclusion. And I’m gonna be giving you some strategies that if you’re a male listener, listening, you’re very, very welcome. Equally, if you’re a female, which most of you are, these strategies apply to you as a female leader as well, because even as women, we can have unconscious biases against each other too. So it’s really important to shine a light in those and become aware of your own biases when it comes to inclusion of women. Now, again, I’m going to preface this with you know, one of my company values. And one of my own personal values is inclusion. Because I remember when I was 10 years old, not being invited to a birthday party, because about one of my best friends and I had a little argument. And I remember I was absolutely devastated. And I remember like she told me she was going to drop an invitation to my house. And we had had a little argument in school over something. And she didn’t drop an invitation. But what was worse is that she was telling everybody how she was going to come to the state where I was living. And around two o’clock, I still remember this so vividly. And I was going oh my god, I’m gonna get an invitation. And I was stuck to the window. You know, when you’re a kid and you’re so excited to go to a birthday party. And I saw her car drive by my house, like her house was kind of down here a little I remember looking at the window or kind of like, is that her car and it was. And then I first saw her car drive out of the state I lived in, and I didn’t get an invitation. And I just remember like, in that moment, I was like, I am never ever going to exclude anybody. And to my detriment. That’s kind of how I operate my life. So when I saw inspire inclusion was this year’s team, I thought it was a no brainer to come on and talk about it on the podcast. So let’s talk about inclusion at work specifically, okay. If you’re listening to this show, you are most likely in corporate leadership be that male or female. So, you know, we talk a lot about culture and organizations and how the culture is created from the top down. But there’s also cultures within every department. There’s micro cultures within every meeting you’re in depending on the stakeholders who are in that meeting, right. So I think it’s really important to get clear yourself, first of all, on how you want to lead and to be the leader that you wish you had. So most of us look to maybe our bosses or other leaders and you know, maybe the top CEO and they’re not a great CEO, and they don’t instill the right values that align with your values, etc, etc. But I think it’s really, really important that you remember, you can be the change, you can be the change. And when you change, actually, you can create this magical ripple effect all around you. So the theme of International Women’s Day inspire inclusion, let’s let’s talk about it. So the aim of this campaign is to collectively forge a more inclusive world for women. So not just in the corporate world, but obviously, this is an international thing for every woman in the world. And creating an inclusive workplace that embraces diversity and empowers women to thrive starts with individual actions, and collective efforts. So we can’t do it alone. But if we want things to continue to change, we’ve got to take action. So on the website for International Women’s Day, they give some good examples. So when women aren’t present, we need to ask why not? So if you’re in a meeting, and it’s full of male stakeholders, you need to ask like, why do we not have more women in this room, because we want to have that diversity, right? We know that companies who have more women at the top actually generate more revenue. So it’s not just about all women watching the show, it’s actually about diversity and leadership. So that’s a an aside, but I think it’s really important that if you see that, and you’re constantly in an environment where it’s male, you need to start calling it out in a respectful way, you know, that’s probably going to align to your company’s D and I agenda and their initiative to call that out and to have the courage to do so. Secondly, then they say, if women are discriminated against, you must call out bad poor practice. So if you see somebody being discriminated against for not getting a promotion, because they’re just about to go out on maternity leave, but they’ve worked their ass off for you for a couple years, and they’re a star performer, you’ve got to think strategically long term. It’s not about the quick win, now you’ll find somebody, but those employers who are inclusive and really recognize women, especially when they’re at their most vulnerable, are the ones who were rated as the best employers in the world for a reason. Okay. The other thing they say is, when treatment of women is not equitable, we must take action. And we must do this each and every time. So a lot of the time we think the powers that be we talk about the powers that be, they control the shots, right, they’re, they’re moving the agendas, they’re deciding on the policies. But actually change comes from within organizations, and you have so much more influence than you will ever know, you have the influence to infiltrate up I like to call it instead of, you know, expecting them to set everything if you’re not at that, you know, CEO level, it’s up to you to be able to influence those things, too. So now, I want to give you five tangible ways, little actions you can take to make your workplace more welcoming and more supportive for women. And this is actually applicable for both men and women. So like I said, already, I’m not really, as much as I’m an advocate for women and inclusion. I’m a real advocate for inclusion for everybody. It’s about like, equality, it’s about or, like, by the time I leave this planet,

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I really hope that we’re in a place where we’re not having this conversation. We’re not having conversations about do we have enough women in leadership? Are women being treated fairly? You know, do we have the work life balance? Can women really have it all? I really hope that is my mission that that conversation will be over. But you have got to take action as a collective in order to make this happen. Okay? Excuse me. So the first thing you can do very simply is adopt inclusive language sounds basic, but to use gender neutral language and avoid stereotypes that, you know, in fact, activate those gender biases. So instead of saying things like, oh, we need more manpower, don’t have the manpower to use the phrase resources or team members. So again, those phrases like, you know, manpower, or firemen, or policemen, all those things, they are historical stereotypes that we need to start to get rid of. And the only way we get rid of them is by starting to consciously be aware of our language, okay, we’re talking about you know, the word he comes up a lot or the man or you know, that kind of thing. We need to just start stop labeling man woman and let’s just think about it more as as people okay. The second thing is to actively listen and promote diverse perspectives. So encourage the females on your team to share their ideas and their perspectives without interrupting artists. missing them. This is really important. So many women lack confidence relative to our male counterparts. Okay? It’s statistically been proven that women struggle more with impostor syndrome and self belief issues than our male counterparts. It’s just, it’s just a cultural thing that we’re in the middle of changing. So you’ve got to be really aware that there’s people on your team who don’t have confidence, and who are worrying maybe just like you are about how they’re being viewed? And is their opinion valid. And do they have enough to add and, you know, they want to be seen as being articulate, and all those things that you may be feeling. There’s people on your team who are feeling the same way too. So make a conscious point, this week, my invitation for you is to really be including those women on your team, who maybe haven’t listened to so much in the past, because we want to make sure that women at all levels feel seen and heard. So you do this by actively listening to their contributions. And what active listening means is closing down the laptop, not fidgeting, turning off the phone, making a point of even pointing and face down, like making a statement about it. Maintaining eye contact, turn your body language towards the person and listening with the intent to understand not with the intent to reply and get your point across. Okay, super, super, super important. And ask questions then to further understand. So nothing says I see you when I’m listening than asking thought provoking questions. Use their exact language where possible, not your interpretation, big mistake I see is people say also what I think you mean, is this. No, that’s not what they said, reflect back their language, and then ask questions to probe out, I suppose to get a deeper understanding of the meaning. So they still give you their language, because when we give others our language, are completely and utterly discounting what they just said, Okay, super, super, super important. And it’s important that you just are aware that you want to give women on your team and women in your organization, the same opportunities to lead and contribute as your main as their male counterparts. Women are not always the loudest voices in the room. But actually, it’s not always he who shouts the loudest there is a gender stereotype straightaway, right? See, I just said it, and I copped it. It’s not he who shouts the loudest, it’s now they who shot the lowest or the person that sounds the loudest, right? Let’s start to change those narratives. But anyway, I digress. Sometimes the people who don’t speak not sometimes the people who are quiet and who do most listening actually have the most goal to share. So give them an opportunity, create a safe space, where it’s safe for them to speak up, without the fear of getting it wrong without the fear of judgment, without the fear of feeling rejected. So, so important. The fourth thing that you can do is to challenge gender biases and stereotypes. So recognize and challenge unconscious biases that might hinder women’s advancement, and call out these anti microaggressions or anything that you see. And, you know, you want to promote a culture of respectful dialogue where behavior like that is just not tolerated. So if you hear somebody say, Oh, she couldn’t do that, or was that the boys to do that? So that’s a man’s job, okay. If say, if you work in ISO manufacturing are something, challenge it and say, Well, why not have a diverse group, or we can’t give her that job, and she probably wants to have a baby and go out on maternity leave, or whatever it is. Challenge that one, like I said, and really be aware of your own another’s biases and make sure that you’re just challenging it because we’re challenged. comps change, and change starts with you. Okay, it starts with me, and it starts with you. So actually, that’s just made me realize that actually, I had a great guest on my shoulder a while back episode number 63. Michelle toner, who is a senior leader in air and a big D and I advocate so if you look, search for Episode 63, addressing gender inequality and business with Michelle toner, I think you’ll find some real gold in there, she said shares lots of strategies that they implemented air, and they were the first company to publish the gender pay gap report before it was even a thing. So they take gender equality very, very seriously. So definitely check out episode number 63. And then the other thing you can do is really, obviously to be supportive of career development. So that’s the fourth thing is we want to be supportive of women’s career development. So encourage your women to participate in training and development opportunities to push themselves out of there. comfort zone and instill confidence in them that they can do it and allow them the space to take on challenging projects and pursue those more senior leadership roles. But you’ve got to provide the right amount of support. So I know you have a very busy job. I know leadership is so tough. But if you’re a true leader, you’re not in the weeds, you are leading, okay, you’re less doing and more leading. So this is where you should be spending some of your time, okay? Is providing mentorship on sponsorship to help them navigate their their career. So that might be encouraging them to find a mentor within your organization. I’ve talked with this tons of times, either formally or informally, it might be, you know, sends them on a training course, for confidence, for example. So

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for example, I have a corporate program, I’m rolling out right now called the leadership career accelerator, and it’s a six week program, where I’m taking women through lots of things on advocating for themselves and carving their own career path all about their personal brand, building confidence, and all of that good stuff. And I’m so pleased with how it’s going. Because it’s so so important. This work is so so important, because you can have all the brains in the world. But if you don’t have the software, or the people skills or the confidence to execute, well, you’re not going to reach your potential, right. So I think it’s super important that you in invest in your female talent. From a from a young age, like from a younger when I say young age, sorry, I’m being biased. I’m ageist but didn’t more junior members, too. So maybe those managers who are frontline managers who are just starting, they’re so important to catch. That’s one thing I’m so grateful for. When I first started out in management, I was sent on a course to the iris Management Institute, which changed the game for me, I really learned so much which I teach now myself, and it was a game changer. And equally I’ve seen people put into their first managerial roles, who’ve never received any people management or leadership training. And they are stressed to the eyeballs the team are not performing and so on, like a technical ability does not equal a people ability. It’s a skill that you need to teach. So obviously, if you’re interested in learning more about how I can support your organization, that space, you can reach out to me I will pop the contact details below here. And I think as well what’s really important just in that space is just to remember that money, Little Women as little girls were brought up to be seen and not hurt. Not to be too boastful not to challenge authority, and so on and so forth. And things have changed a lot. But we’re still living in a hangover from that culture. So make sure you’re giving them the respect the support that they need, and allow them to show their strengths. And then finally, the fifth tip I would give you on how to be more inclusive of women in her workplace. And this is the big one is to create a work life balance culture. So you might have heard my episode with my amazing clients. Suzanne hice is an if you listen to the podcast, and I will link her episode in the show notes on how she overcame burnout. So if you just I don’t know the episode number off offhand, I will pop it in the show notes below. But even if you just go on to my podcast page on my website and type in Suzanne, you’ll find our arm shore. If you Google, the 360 leadership podcast, Suzanne Sheridan, you’ll find the episode or to stick the show notes. And in that episode, you know Suzanne is a VP level in a big organization. And we work together to support her to overcome burnout. She had very poor work life balance, and she has maintained work life balance now for well over a year in a massive way. She has gone from working 70 hour weeks to running marathons like traveling the world and power and her team, you know, doubling down on her leadership and all that. So go check out that episode. But the reason I share that is because because Suzanne, as the leader is now modeling a behavior of work life balance, it gives her team permission to do it, too. So if you’re the kind of person and you’re a workaholic, and you’re working 50 6070 hours a week, your team are going to feel pressure to do that too. And I hear this over and over and over again. I can’t log off my boss is a workaholic, what are they going to think if I’m not online, so if you’re not there yet, in terms of, you know, Kurban your own hours, at least set the expectation that your team that you value their life outside work, because what’s the point in working your ass off all the time if you have no time to enjoy it. And what’s worse is that you hold so much power over the women in your organization. nation in terms of how their lives are being lived, how their children feel, how healthy they are, like, you have a lot of influence over that not by choice, but it’s just, it’s a fact. So choose to use your power and your influence for God and create a culture of work life balance, because it is it is a problem for women. So allow them flexible working arrangements, allow them remote work, compressed work weeks, again, I was doing a four day compressed work week before it was a thing because I had to set boundaries around my life, and what was going to work for me. And like, it was very, very difficult for me to do that at the time. But I had to think about my family. And when it was affecting my family, and I never got to collect my kids from school, and I was constantly working, I knew something needed to change. And what was what’s even better that I want you to remember about condense workweek is that when you know you’re working a four day week, trust me, you are working your ass off in productivity, you’re not going to be losing out, it’s not about hours worked. Oh my god, if you’re multitasking, come back to me. It’s not about the hours your team work. It’s about the results they produce. So I’m going to say that, again. It’s not about the hours your team work. It’s about the results they produce. And it’s up to you to set the tone as a leader, you know, in terms of what results do you want them to produce, getting yourself organized, right? These are the tangible goals we’re working towards, and then allow them to celebrate and allow them a little bit of breathing space, if they meet them. It’s not about the 40 hour a week, it’s really not as to just no need for anymore. But anyway, that’s a totally separate conversation that gets me super fired up. So in summary, I think I’ve gone through all of that, I’m just going to quickly share again, five ways that you can achieve true inclusion for women at work. And as lots more number one, we talked about adopting inclusive language. So instead of saying manpower, we might say things like resources or team members, changing those old quotes, like he who shouts the loudest to the person who shouts the loudest things like that. Number two, actively listening, making women feel seen and heard, encouraging them to speak up to share their perspectives. Number three, then is to challenge those gender biases and stereotypes when you see them and call them out. Challenge it because we need to get to a place where women feel included, because we all deserve to feel seen and heard. The next one then is to be supportive of your women’s career development. So again, providing them opportunities for growth, and in getting them involved in mentorship within your company, getting them coaching if necessary, if they have big confidence blocks, for sure, private coaching is brilliant for that. And obviously I spoke about the program I run for women leaders as well. So if you want to know about that, absolutely, please reach out to me, the details will be below here in the show notes. And then finally, create a work life balance culture, by you leading by example, allow that flexible working, like this whole thing about everyone has to be back in the office five days a week, guys, do we really have to go back there, like I lead my team entirely virtually I have team in in the UK, in the Philippines, in Portugal, in Spain, in Ireland, they’re all over the place. I have clients all over the world, and I managed to work it remotely. I’m not saying that you should have your entire team remote because that is a challenge. I’m not gonna lie. But I can run a pretty successful business by doing it remotely. And you can too if you get yourself organized and structured, okay. So if you found this episode valuable, I would really really appreciate if you would share it with other leaders, either male or female in your organization. I want to get this message out about what it really means to include women and why it’s so bloody important because it is so important. So literally, just wherever you’re watching, if you’re listening on Apple podcasts right now, or you’re listening on Spotify, literally just grab the link, share it, pop into your work Whatsapp group, or stick it in an email and send it out to your people monitors list or your leadership team list. And encourage them to listen to this episode. Because together the more people who know about this and have even small tools and tactics like I’ve shared today, we’re going to make a big difference. And so I’d love to hear from you like what what do you do in your organization to promote gender equality? How do you ensure that women are included and are given the support that they need? I’d love to hear from you. And I’m going to be popping a post on Instagram on LinkedIn for this podcast. So if you see it, please answer the question like I’d love to hear from you. What strategies do you use? Because then other people who are reading the comments will be a Want to learn from you too because there’s so many little innovative ways we can do this together so that’s it for this week’s episode I hope you found it valuable until next time you take care of yourself and I’ll talk to you them