What’s the plan?

Reflections on last week’s Balance the Board ‘Accelerating Change’ conference have taken some time to process. We covered so much ground that would benefit a woman who wants to accelerate her career. Or a company who want to develop a pipeline of senior women leaders. For this article I’ve focused on the career women; what did I take away from the brilliant women and men in the sector and what can I share from my own career journey through the hospitality that will accelerate change?

?Let’s take a tour.

?First up mentoring.?

?I loved the session on Mentoring, the view that leaders have an obligation to ‘grow talent’ is one I can support. We all know that mentoring is about a learning relationship, and it’s traditionally been about a more experienced (dare I say older) colleague imparting their wisdom to a more junior colleague. It’s about guidance, support, advising, knowledge sharing and the figurative arm around the shoulder. I like Aisling Kemp ’s mantra ‘still we rise’.

For me, mentoring is simply about rising together and seeing the journey with clarity through strong conversations first with yourself and then with trusted people, like your mentor. The conference showed the power of mentoring for female leaders in the hospitality sector.

If you want to super charge though, invest in a coach, someone that puts you front and centre and find a sponsor in or outside your business, someone who will recommend you to others.

?

Show imposter syndrome the door

It was a frequent confession at the conference. Everyone has a point in their career when they doubt their achievements, or question if they have the talent to do the role. It’s natural. During this conference Jeannette Linfoot provided the positive mindset approach that’s essential to overcome imposter syndrome. Here I’m going to say everyone in my Brilliant Women community has all had to overcome the feeling of simply questioning your abilities to take the leap, do the role, apply for a promotion and so forth. That mindset is everything so thanks Jeanette.

And let’s have more on this conversation, every hospitality conference for leaders (no matter the gender) should share their vulnerabilities, accept the imposter syndrome inside and learn how to kick that niggling voice out of your head so you can fulfil your potential.

If you want to super charge, start helping others, whenever they minimise themselves, tell them they are minimising and maximise, visualise and see yourself in the role, look in the mirror and tell yourself “I am a CEO”

Play BIG

谷歌 are big. They have a brilliant initiative empowering women and other underrepresented groups to celebrate their achievements in the workplace and beyond.

Thanks to Hugh Dickerson the conference covered ‘accomplishments don’t speak for themselves’. Now this is interesting for me as an #IAmRemarkable facilitator.?Hugh, a senior leader at Google, highlighted the program, which seeks to improve the self-promotion, motivation and skills of women and underrepresented groups and to challenge the social perception surrounding self-promotion.

Interestingly Hugh mentioned the impact of this initiative which impressed me. Up to July 2022 they have had over 400,000 participants from over 1000 organisations in 170 countries take part. That's aiming for BIG coverage and I like that very much.

How does that relate to your career? It's back to that mirror moment. Think BIG and follow the path to getting to the destination you really want.

Lean into your strengths

I loved the session Mike Adams OBE facilitated on Disability vs This Ability. Why should we hold ourselves back and not recognise we all have superpowers? In fact it's one question I will always ask 'what are yours?'. I found it disheartening when Mike explained someone once tried to usher him into another meeting where the D & I meeting was instead. To my absolute glee, he advised them he was in the right room and not only that but he was chairing the board meeting about to take place.

Our strengths are not always visible, we need to know what they are, wear them like a badge of honour and importantly, be able to articulate them to ourselves and others. What are your superpowers, what differing experiences have you lived that can help others and leverage your career? If you don’t know the answer, get curious and find the answers.

Next up is building strong support networks and leveraging them

I’ve always believed in the power of community. Social media is not just a place for me to write articles and post posts. It’s about the power of messaging people and having DMs turn into Zooms which turn into in real life coffees. That’s what I am all about. The conference showed me the power of that network as I got to say hello to old industry friends and meet people in person for the first time. I’ll cover more on that soon.

Learn from your mistakes and be strategic

As Kate Nicholls OBE and Nick Mackenzie MRICS revealed in their interview the journey Greene King have been on, learning from mistakes and making Diversity, Equality and Inclusivity as a real part of their strategy and not a project or worse, a tick box exercise.?

If you want to move the dial you have to try new things, not everything will work, but worse, you may stand still if you don’t try new things and be brave. Far too many women I know stay in ‘jobs’ for too long, I always moved jobs every 2/3 years because by then, I’d done the job and proved myself. These regular moves, I can now see in hindsight, created a career.

?If I had my time again, I would be much more strategic, think, plan and evecute a career and not just hold down a ‘job.

?And finally,

In the room were people of all genders, ages, races, neurodiversity, abilities and capabilities. True diversity was achieved at this conference, it made for interesting conversations and as a people watcher, I could visually see the diversity, equality and inclusion and it made me happy!

Suzie Welch was right, if we want to future proof our businesses or your career for that matter, be intentional, inviting and leveraging differing experiences and thinking, why wouldn't you do that?