Leadership Archives - Page 8 of 22

When toxic féminity exists at work

Empowering Women, Leadership, Workplace Culture / My Holland

In many countries, young girls are brought up to fit a mold their societies dictate. These include expectations that women must be submissive, married by a certain age and bear children. Even in a professional setting, many employees believe women should be subservient, passive, dress appropriately and focus on support instead of leadership. Also, several companies bypass women for promotion because they could become pregnant and their absence can cause disruptions in operations. There’s even a common belief that women are emotional and thus cannot make rational decisions. Note that it’s not just men who think this – women too. What then is Toxic Femininity? It is behavior that upholds gender stereotypes and norms that degrade and discourage women from growing personally and professionally. It is also exhibited when women try to conform to traditions or norms at the expense of their individuality. The definition of femininity is not the same everywhere, as culture, society, laws and even religion affect it. The social standards of one country may be different from that of another. But this doesn’t mean that change is impossible. It might take time for others to rid their societies of toxic femininity. Nevertheless, here are a few ways to handle it. Check your beliefs Unknowingly, you might tolerate or advocate toxic femininity because your beliefs guide your behavior. Do you believe that there are roles for men alone or that women are incapable of specific tasks at work Today, there aren’t any jobs for men only – maybe male dominated but not exclusive. Analyze your belief system and ask yourself if you’re being fair to women. Be open to new views that you never considered before. Make sound judgment It’s going to take a while to change your beliefs. In the meantime, ask yourself if a person’s gender affects your evaluation of a colleague. Even in a professional setting, certain traits are instantly attributed to women. For instance, they’re sensitive. You know that men can be sensitive too. When you assess a woman, ensure her gender isn’t a factor. Make It Part of the Conversation It isn’t wise to tell others that they are perpetuating toxic femininity. But when the opportunity arises, ask why they think that way. This allows you to share your views, though contradictory. Discussing rather than telling people they’re wrong is always the better option. They may disagree with you, but get them to think about it.

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Adopting a Coaching Culture

Leadership / My Holland / Coaching Culture

Adopting a Coaching Culture Most people think of sports when they hear the word “coaching.” But this also exists in other organizations. Training often needs to be differentiated from coaching. The former is identified with an HRD, while the latter is the responsibility of all leaders in an organization. One definition of coaching is instructing and counseling a person or group to improve their performance and productivity. Sounds simple? It’s not and isn’t spoon-feeding. A coaching culture inspires and accelerates growth within an organization. Leaders apply techniques that empower employees to grow in a supportive environment. Managers can be called coaches. You might be one if you meet the following criteria: A coaching culture doesn’t guarantee success and it isn’t for every organization. But there’s no denying that it can help an organization achieve its goals. So, a lot of businesses are adopting coaching. Unfortunately, many companies take shortcuts, like conducting seminars or hiring motivational speakers. These have short lifespans. For a coaching culture to work, people should realize it is an ongoing process. Leaders should be the real coaches if they want it to work. Where should transformation begin? Experts will say that change should begin at the top, which might even require a vision update. Top management, especially with big corporations, has to be on board. A culture shift can be implemented smoothly with support from decision-makers. But middle managers can effect change too. One person can make a difference if you’ve read a recent blog: Be the Conscience your Organization Needs. Be the drive in your organization if you believe a coaching culture is needed. When your upper management sees the benefits and positive effects, they will also support a culture shift. Adopting New Habits is Key More of the same will not result in any culture shift. Practices need to be changed. For instance, leaders can begin consulting with subordinates when setting goals and planning. Also, they can get more involved in the daily grind with their employees. Managers could also schedule more time to meet with employees individually and advise them on how they can perform better. There are many ways leaders can become coaches. It starts with them, but it should also include their employees.

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Build More Trust in Hybrid Settings

Happiness at Work, Leadership / My Holland / Trust

Build More Trust in Hybrid Settings It wasn’t long ago that the whole world came to a standstill because of the pandemic. Remote work became the new norm, if at all possible. Employees who still received paychecks while working at home faced new challenges. Leaders and executives, too, were caught unprepared as they were unsure of how to manage people who were only virtually present. The All-Seeing Eye Sixty percent of employers surveyed used tracking software to monitor employees working from home. Also, they checked the social media accounts of their workers more often to see what they had been up to. Companies justified the use of technology to “watch” employees. Also, many managers believed that their direct reports would not be as productive when nobody could “see” them. Many remote workers felt they weren’t trusted enough and soon developed negative views about their superiors. Trust Begins With You As a leader, do you need to monitor your remote employees closely? About 40% of more than 200 managers surveyed in 2020 were not confident with people working offsite. As a result, they tend to micromanage employees they can’t see. Why not cut remote workers slack and give them the benefit of the doubt? And if you want them to perform as expected, follow these tips to build trust instead. Check your biases Do you look down on remote work? If you believe it’s not beneficial, you’re setting yourself and your colleagues up for failure. Give it a chance! Set clear goals What tasks need to be done by the end of the day or week? As long as employees know these, you don’t need to check on them often or “look” over their shoulders. Asking for a progress report every hour is counterproductive. Schedule times for zoom and calls Be clear when you want people working from home to contact you. Call for zoom meetings only when necessary, as messaging or SMS for updates can be enough. Provide the proper equipment and support You can’t assume workers have the right equipment for remote work. Maybe, they need new software or faster internet connections. Think of your employees’ welfare Many studies show that working at home is not a vacation and can be stressful. Employees end up accomplishing tasks and unavoidable chores. Be flexible and help your remote workers cope. Sure, they save on travel and meals, but they might babysit, prepare food, answer the door and feed pets. When you show that you understand their situation and believe they’ll deliver, then you’re building trust.

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Leadership

When toxic féminity exists at work

Adopting a Coaching Culture

Build More Trust in Hybrid Settings

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