How do you foster a culture of innovation and learning among your executive peers?

The importance of defining a shared vision and purpose among business peers cannot be overstated. It helps to set the stage for success, by providing a common purpose and direction that all employees can work towards. It encourages collaboration and creativity, while also providing a sense of accountability and responsibility. It also helps to create a sense of unity and purpose, allowing everyone to work together as one team.

Let's tell it in a story! Why? People learn through storytelling. Of course, your vision story must be engaging. People must be able to identify with what is being proffered within the story. They need to be able to see themselves working at that Company. The story must be so riveting that a staff member will not be satisfied working at any other firm on the planet. Futuristic in its tone and loose and sinuous in its organization, a vision story is written as if the Company has already completed the work needed to achieve it. Where do you begin? When I work with my clients on Visioning, I start with a very basic question: "What can this Company become?" And, so begins the journey of discovery that becomes the story.

Respect is equally important for fostering a healthy work environment. Respectful behavior not only helps to build trust and collaboration among colleagues, but also creates an atmosphere of mutual appreciation and support. When employees respect each other, they are more likely to listen to each other’s opinions and work together to find solutions to any problems. This creates a sense of unity and encourages employees to come up with innovative ideas and solutions.

What can we do to Right the Ship? Give people something to believe in! Yes, leading a business in these times of great mistrust is daunting. To offset the effects, efforts must be aimed at enhancing a sense of "being in to together" within your organization. Trust quotient has been hurt with all that has been going on in society in recent times. With that, I'm a strong believer in establishing a sense of community to energize a team. Besides shaking them out of any feeling of hopelessness that they may feel outside of work, giving them something bigger than themselves to be part of inside of the workplace provides a platform for you to establish a shared sense of destiny that can go a long way to rebuilding trust and focus at work.

Listen more than you talk - We have two ears and one mouth for a reason Create a gracious space that welcomes diverse thoughts and voices. I do not use the term "safe spaces", because my definition of a "safe space" is not the same as what others may think. Allow ideas to be shared honestly and candidly, people need to feel they can express their position without fear of offending someone or any type of retaliation. Make sure to provide time and space to pause and unpack complicated issues, because we are all human with various lived experiences, traumas and triggers. We must open ourselves to being vulnerable during these types of discussions, so we too are receiving and not just giving our thoughts and opinions.

One way to promote diversity and inclusion among peers is to create a safe and open environment for discussion and debate. This might involve introducing topics of discussion that focus on the experiences of marginalized groups, or creating a designated space for students to talk about their experiences. It’s also important to create an atmosphere of respect and understanding, where everyone is encouraged to share their ideas and opinions without fear of judgement or criticism.

Don't forget the power of 1-on-1 coaching! Most of my coaching clients want to establish a community of leaders to drive the organization towards the achievement of its vision. This requires leaders that make the choice to lead everyday -- this means working on, not only core leadership skills, but, adjustment in mindset and the reinforcement of the behaviors necessary to inspire others. When we do this, we re-shape culture and align it with the strategic objectives of the business. I help them to do that by coaching a