Shift Left Limited

Dunelm Women in Tech, moving forward in their careers ?? Yesterday was the final session of our Balance: Foundations for Leadership course, in which Shift Left Limited partnered with Dunelm as part of their women in tech programme. Four sessions, where they learnt 1???To address their real Barriers?to Progress 2?? To Speak Up & Stand Out 3?? To Handle Challenges Head-On? 4??? Learn how to have Sustained Growth & Action ????While on the course, one woman gained promotion after feeling she had 'messed up'; ????Others stepped way out of their comfort zones and participated in events they would have avoided initially. ????All have spoken of the changes they are applying NOW. They won't forget these tools and exercises, as they know the difference it is making NOW, not just in 5 years. We are having a fun day reading all the feedback; we have a wad of feedback forms to go through - Lots of 5's out of 5 ?????????? If you want to see your Women in Tech engaged in a career-enhancing programme. #shiftleft #foundationsforleadership #womenintech #success

I was once told that “no one” liked hearing my voice in senior leadership meetings. That behind their monitors, “everyone” was rolling their eyes. I was shocked. Not just by the idea that this was happening, but by the fact that someone thought this was constructive feedback. They didn’t want me to improve. They wanted me to stay silent. The truth? They weren’t used to hearing a woman in a delivery-focused role making decisions. The only time they’d probably heard a woman telling them what needed to be done was at home—from their mum or their partner. This isn’t just my experience. Too many women are still being told to “tone it down” or “stay quiet” to be more likeable. If your workplace isn’t used to hearing women make the decisions, the problem isn’t the women. It’s the culture. Are you ready to challenge it? Let’s talk about building environments where every voice is valued. #WomenInTech #Leadership #CareerCoaching #WorkplaceCulture #DiversityAndInclusion #TechLeadership

Presenteeism is costing you more than you think. Your people might be physically present—but are they truly productive? Or are they exhausted, anxious, and burnt out because they feel they have to be “always on” to prove their worth? I’ve seen it firsthand. Brilliant women in tech working ridiculous hours, terrified of being judged as “not good enough” if they don’t. Missing out on life outside of work. Carrying the weight of burnout silently—until they leave. This isn’t about productivity. It’s about fear of judgment. And it’s costing you your best talent. What can you do to change this? Because if you don’t, someone else will. #Leadership #TechLeadership #WorkplaceCulture #EmployeeWellbeing #WomenInTech #EmployeeRetention

Ever promoted someone who seemed confident and charismatic, only to realise later they weren’t delivering? I’ve seen it happen. A technical architect who dominated meetings, spoke with absolute certainty, and threw around enough jargon to sound impressive. Senior leaders thought he was brilliant. But he wasn’t. He never finished a piece of work. Never made effective decisions. He just talked. Meanwhile, others—who were actually delivering—went unnoticed. It’s a common trap. Confident talkers often overshadow quiet performers. But competence isn’t loud. It’s consistent, reliable, and effective. If you’re not looking beyond the noise, you might be missing the real talent. Have you seen confidence mistaken for competence? What did it cost your team? #Leadership #ExecutiveCoaching #TechLeadership #Confidence #Competence #CsuiteInsights

How many women in your workforce resonate with Olivia Coleman’s April 2024 statement on the Gender Pay Gap? Even outside Hollywood, too many women still face pay inequity, and they notice. As we near the UK Gender Pay Gap reporting deadline, HR leaders have a unique opportunity to lead the charge for fairness. Ask yourself: ? Are we genuinely making progress like SAP, or are we simply trying to present a ‘better picture’? ? What will our data reveal, and how will we explain it? This is your chance to shape the narrative, build trust with your employees, and show you’re committed to change. If you’re ready to turn the numbers into action and make meaningful progress, let’s connect to explore how we can support you.

Are your team members unintentionally undermining themselves at work? Small communication habits can have a big impact on confidence and authority. Here are 5 sneaky ways it happens: ?? Turning Statements into Questions ?? Overusing Modifiers Like “Just” ?? Adding Tag Lines (“Is that okay?”) ?? Over-apologising ?? Downplaying Achievements At Shift Left Ltd, we help leaders recognise and overcome these habits to communicate with confidence and impact. Curious how this could help your team? Let’s chat. #Leadership #CareerCoaching #Confidence #CommunicationSkills #TechLeadership #BusinessGrowth

Your best people aren’t disengaged. They’re in survival mode. If your team is struggling with: ?? High turnover ?? Low morale ?? Silence in meetings instead of innovation It’s time to ask a hard question: Is your workplace causing harm? Trauma at work doesn’t always look like shouting or overt bullying. It looks like: ?? Employees afraid to make mistakes because the fallout is brutal ?? Leaders who micromanage because they don’t trust their teams ?? High performers burning out because overwork is seen as commitment The result? Productivity tanks. Creativity dies. Retention becomes a revolving door. The good news? You can fix this. ?? Make psychological safety a priority. ?? Train managers to lead with emotional intelligence, not fear. ?? Build a culture where feedback isn’t a weapon, but a tool for growth. If your business is running on fear, it’s only a matter of time before your best people walk. Are you creating an environment where they want to stay? #Leadership #CultureChange #EmployeeEngagement

Redundancies are brutal. Not just for those leaving but for everyone involved— From the decision-makers to those left behind, wondering about their own future. I’ve seen leaders struggle with the emotional weight of these decisions. It’s not easy telling good people their roles are no longer needed. It’s even harder when you’re left with a team that’s anxious, overworked, and uncertain. But here’s the thing… How you handle redundancies sets the tone for everything that follows. You can either: ? Leave survivors feeling trapped, staying out of fear of change. ? Or inspire them to stay because they believe in your vision and want to contribute to future success. The difference? Compassion and transparency at every stage. If you’re going through redundancies—or still feeling the impact from past ones— Do your people need support to refocus and re-engage? Let’s chat about how to help them look to the future positively. #Leadership #CareerCoaching #Redundancy #ChangeManagement #EmotionalIntelligence #TechLeadership #EmployeeEngagement

Female high performers often struggle to set boundaries. They say yes to everything—extra meetings, last-minute requests, and tasks that shouldn’t be theirs. Why? Because they don’t want to be seen as difficult or uncommitted. But this comes at a cost: burnout, exhaustion, and frustration. At Shift Left Ltd, we help leaders set clear boundaries by: ? Asking, “Will this help me achieve my career goals?” ? Learning to delegate effectively. ? Communicating boundaries with confidence. The result? ? More focus and productivity. ? Better work-life balance. ? And they’re still seen as team players—just more effective ones. Curious how this works? Let’s chat. #WomenInTech #Leadership #CareerCoaching #Boundaries #TimeManagement #TechLeadership #BusinessGrowth

Are your best people drowning in work? Not because they can’t do their jobs, but because they won’t let go of it? High performers often take on all the extras: Organising events, setting up meetings, volunteering for every initiative… They do it to be seen as committed, but it’s burning them out. Here’s the problem… If they’re too busy doing the extras, two things happen: ? They get recognised for the wrong things. ? Their strategic impact goes unnoticed. It’s harsh but true. If you want them to grow into senior leadership roles, they need to be known for doing the job they’re paid to do—not just the extras. Are your high performers struggling to let go? Let’s chat about how to empower them to lead more strategically. #WomenInTech #Leadership #CareerCoaching #TeamDynamics #EmployeeEngagement #TechLeadership #BusinessGrowth