Taking Care of Business
Taking Care of Business
Take care of your people! They take care of your business.
I was out a few days ago eating breakfast with a friend, and we happened to start talking about a few job openings at my organization. As we discussed the positions and the organization’s workplace culture, I mentioned a few things, like wellness kits that I sent to our team during the pandemic and the “Caught Her LEADing” initiative I implemented. The idea behind “Caught her LEADing” is that every team member has the power to recognize each other stepping up and leading in their roles. Your title doesn’t need to be classified that way to be a leader. My friend was blown away because she’s never even received a card from her boss. You’re probably thinking the same thing I did: What in the world?! Right!
I say all that to demonstrate that if you are in an Executive position, I want you to stop and think about what type of culture you are creating within your company. Do you have a culture of grace and growth? What does that mean? I’m glad you asked; I’ll explain. My philosophy is that grace allows people to grow. We often hear that failure is part of the process, but when our team members face challenges, fall short, or deal with a learning curve, what do you do?
Do you have a culture where you embrace working mothers or penalize them? I remember many times during the pandemic that as a woman, the leader of an organization, and a mother to my two year old, it was important to embrace the reality of what those things meant, in real time, while working from home. I can still see the looks on a few faces when I had to hold my son and take a meeting. My son was on camera, and I was still productive. Yes! In fact, I grew our budget to impact more girls and hire more staff while working from home during the pandemic. I never wanted to make my team feel how I felt many times. So, we embraced motherhood and the reality that mothers make it happen! Who said you couldn’t do both? A man. Yeah okay! I’m a #momboss and proud of it!
Do you have a culture that allows everyone to be a leader? Great leaders understand that they don’t need to be the smartest person in the room. They know how to organize a team of leaders. I believe great organizations and companies are like football teams. We all play a role. It’s critical that we play our position to win. It takes a team, and guess what? We all WIN!
What’s your workplace culture? Leaders, check yourself and remember to take care of your people! Let’s work together to create a work culture that reflects your company’s values.
Enjoying the Journey,
Joy Nelson Thomas
