The Authority Series: Tara Jaye Frank on Becoming a WayMaker

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An Evidence Based HR Research Opportunity

I make no secret about how our Evidence Based Inclusion Practice is influenced by the work of others.

It can't be Evidence Based unless it is influenced by the work of others.

This newsletter is evidence of that.

In particular I'm a huge fan of Rob Briner's work.

I wrote about his work during my PhD and was delighted to get even more value from his work around Evidence Based Practices as part of my mission to help you.

Why?

He put into words things I was already doing to support you on your Inclusion Journey.

He recently shared a survey about how HR leaders think about Evidence Based Practices in their work and in the field.

If you work in HR within an organisation, then I think this is for you.

Check out the survey here.

He's agreed to share the results with me.

In the future and I'm going to make it into a podcast or an article or maybe something else.

If you have any questions about this, let me know what you think.

Last week we hosted The Authority Series.

Our guest was award winning author Tara Jaye Frank who spoke about her book:

The Waymakers:

Clearing The Path To Workplace Equity With Competence And Confidence

When I spoke to Tara I asked 5 key questions:

1) What Does This Book Have To Offer That We Can't Get Anywhere Else?

"Nobody else has my experience...

Nobody else has my perspective.

Nobody else has my way of expressing myself or my ideas."

Tara went on to say that as people get into the book, they appreciate the unique combination of her work experience and her "writerly ways".

Tara has been writing since she was six years old and went on to have a successful career in publishing and this REALLY shows in the book.

The book is a pleasure to read and easy to understand.

2) What High Impact Activity Can We Apply in Our Everyday Lives?

Tara provided a real tactical tip that resonated with me.

She suggested it would be useful to share the book "with a bookmark in a very specific place".

I liked this because she acknowledged that " it's not always likely that a leader is going to read the entire book.".

This is something I do myself with highlighters.

This is a great way to draw attention to what you think is important.

More importantly how another person can get value.

3) What Did You Put In The Book That You Wish More People Understood?

This put a smile on my face because I got this one right!

Tara wrote The Waymakers as "a leadership book that takes diverse perspectives and equitable outcomes and inclusive cultures into account".

Some people think of it as a book about Diversity or Inclusion.

Tara made the distinction:

"It centers those ideas because what it essentially says is the more viewpoints you have to draw on within your teams and in your business environment.... The more equitable your outcomes are, the more inclusive your practices are".

This means people are able to contribute fully, freely and fairly.

4) Was There Anything You Wrote For The Book But Decided To Leave Out?

Tara thought this was a hilarious question.

Why?

- Not only did she not hold back.

- Not only did she not leave anything out.

- Not only did she make sure she delivered.

She said friends and colleagues in publishing saying to her:

"Tara, that was three books in one." ??

Evidently, they thought there was a lot packed into the pages!

5) How Did Writing The Book Change The Way You Think About These Issues?

Tara said that writing the book made her feel "even more responsible for using what I've been given".

This was inspired by hearing the stories of people:

- Who have read the book

- Who are using the book

- Who are benefitting from the book

This deepened Tara's feeling of responsibility to be of service.

You know I've read the book and this made complete sense because this was a clear message indicative of her faith and personal commitments.

What brought this to life for me was when Tara referred to the book as an accountability partner for her.

Not just an opportunity to " memorialize your ideas and your beliefs and your experience on the page".

I thought that was profound.

We discuss a lot more including:

- What to do if you're trying to encourage others to be Waymakers

- Why it's important to be seen, respected, valued and protected

- How you can apply Tara’s framework for practical development?

We even get a little teaser of Tara's next book.

Here's the Linkedin Live.

If you prefer podcasts.

Get it here.

As always

I’m cheering you on.

Dr. Jonathan

Whenever you're ready, there are a few ways I can support your Inclusion Journey:

1. Work with me 1:1

2. Get Practical Book Insights

3. Get our Free Email Course