Pancakes and Peacocks | Issue 7

Greetings fellow Reimaginers

This month, I feel like I have had a focus on safety. Psychological safety in teams, but also, and potentially more importantly, how we start to create safety inside ourselves. In the brilliant new episode of the podcast below, we speak at length about how we might create that in teams.

As I reflect on my own path as a people pleaser (now happily in recovery), one of my biggest learnings is that for me was that the sense of belonging I was seeking could only ever come from me. I left myself behind many times to try to fit in with others, but I still never felt like I belonged. Building my relationship with me as been critical to me being able to learn to express myself more fully with others.

When one person learns how to belong to themselves, I think it gives other folks the opportunity to belong to themselves too. When we create it for ourselves, we also understand what it takes to support that space for others.

Belonging has been a huge part of my own journey, and I would love to hear from anyone who feels like they have something to share on the topic.

With so much love as always, RPB ????

I have loved Gwen Cooper since the moment we first connected. In this episode we cover the steps of psychological safety that need to be in place before we can truly innovate, read more on that?here.

We also talked about that it is okay to start from where we are, and become deliberate about our work environments moving forward. No one is perfect, and we are all always learning. Thanks Gwen!

Ps. Did you check out the brilliant Katrina Collier last month? If not, take a listen here.

ALSO: I spoke a bit on leadership energy on a solo episode, something we all can have, but something we don't all use. In case you missed it, it is here.

Article: Creating Balance as a People Pleaser in a Startup

We hear a lot about purpose these days and how much it matters. It is exciting to jump on a mission which we feel aligned to. That’s what a lot of startups seem on the surface to give us and it feels good. We feel validated to be part of something that we believe and, deep down, secretly hope that other people will be impressed by it too.?

Working in startups is intoxicating for many, even those without the obvious link to purpose. There’s something about building something that can appeal to the full spectrum of personalities and ways of being.?

It has a particularly profound impact on people pleasers.?

What I mean by people pleasers is someone who has been coded in a way that we feel we aren’t enough, so we set about working really hard to prove to the rest of the world that we are, in the hope that we start to believe it too. I know it well as it is something I am in ‘active recovery’ from. Read the full article here.

Finally an ask, WDTY?

I recently asked my LinkedIn crew to help me figure out the human hierarchy of needs at work. I used Pancakes because, why not haha.

When it comes to pancake number two, so far we have challenge. From the brilliant Jason Dolan; 'Lack of a challenge, or worse, stagnation, leads to unhappy staff who eventually move on. So many good things come with a challenge: learning, ownership, fulfilment, teamwork, camaraderie, better understanding your interests and motivations, eventually other career opportunities.'

What else is in pancake number two? What might you add at pancake three...?

That's it from me this month beautiful people.