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Michelle Redfern: Want a More Productive Environment? Utilize and Celebrate Women and Diversity! (Ep. #27)

The BetterManager Team
Building Better Managers Podcast Episode 27 - Michelle Redfern

Building Better Managers Podcast Episode #27: Want a More Productive Environment? Utilize and Celebrate Women & Diversity!

Michelle Redfern joins us this week to talk about diversity, how it builds the capacities of an organization, and the things that managers & leaders can do to increase the success of their organization by utilizing and celebrating women & diversity.

In this episode:

Meet Michelle:

  • Michelle is the founder of Advancing Women, an enterprise providing research and advisory services on equality, inclusion and gender diversity. She is co-host of A Career that Soars! the founder of women’s network Women Who Get It and co-founder of CDW (Culturally Diverse Women and Workforces) 
  • Michelle is an experienced Non-Executive Director with Board and advisory roles in the finance, sport, for purpose and supply chain sectors. She is a proud Ambassador for Honour a Woman,  Flexible Working Day and Girls Uniform Agenda. She has held executive leadership roles at ASX & FTSE listed companies NAB, Telstra and Serco during her 30-year corporate career. 
  • Michelle is a Graduate of the AICD, holds an Executive MBA (Distinction) and holds various accreditations in organizational diversity and coaching. Michelle is an in-demand speaker and is a regular contributor to the discussion about equality and inclusion in sport and business workplaces.

Why Is Change So Hard?

  • Current event examples from Paris & Washington
  • Managers and leaders need to stop and assess where they are right now first.
  • Look at your data. So where are you now? And where do you want to be? Assess the quantitative data first.
  • The qualitative approach is next: How do you go deeper into what the numbers mean? What is the experience of women in my organization? What's it like to work here? That qualitative research is really important, and will help when you sit down to figure out what to do about it.

Just "Checking Off The Diversity Box" Doesn't Work!

  • Trying to meet a certain diversity quota, just to isolate them throughout the organization does not work. This isolation means they will probably not have any influence, and has other negative psychological effects that increase the chances that they will just leave the organization.
  • People more likely to feel alienated need Allies - both within their workgroups and across groups throughout the organization. This improves their participation, confidence to contribute, and increases the likelihood they will not only stay, but active recruit other diverse talent to your organization.

Bringing Out The Collective Brilliance Of The Team

  • Leaders need to be aware that there are many different styles and preferences of communication and presentation. How might I bring out the collective brilliance of this team of individuals who are diverse? Pay attention and ask them, "How can I bring each one into this meeting?"
  • Great leaders are great coaches!
  • Using the the Mad, Sad, Glad Toolkit to foster inclusiveness.
  • Psychological Safety - Everyone needs to feel like they are getting equal time and being heard.
  • Helping diverse team members navigate advancement.

The One Take-Away: Does Your Senior Leadership Composition Reflect Your Market?

  • Look at the composition of your workplace: Is your target market represented in your organization at all levels?
  • There might be women, but are they in senior positions? There might be women of color, but are they in senior positions?
  • And if they're not, define what actions you can take to do something about it.

Downloads & Resources

Follow Michelle on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and check out his website here.

Download the Mad, Sad, Glad Toolkit to Help Create Inclusive, High Performing Teams here.

Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite podcast platform!

Check out our blog articles on Leadership here.

About Michelle Redfern

Michelle is the founder of Advancing Women, an enterprise providing research and advisory services on equality, inclusion and gender diversity. She is co-host of A Career that Soars! the founder of women’s network Women Who Get It and co-founder of CDW (Culturally Diverse Women and Workforces).

Michelle is an experienced Non-Executive Director with Board and advisory roles in the finance, sport, for purpose and supply chain sectors. She is a proud Ambassador for Honour a Woman,  Flexible Working Day and Girls Uniform Agenda. She has held executive leadership roles at ASX & FTSE listed companies NAB, Telstra and Serco during her 30-year corporate career. 

Michelle is a Graduate of the AICD, holds an Executive MBA (Distinction) and holds various accreditations in organisational diversity and coaching. Michelle is an in-demand speaker and is a regular contributor to the discussion about equality and inclusion in sport and business workplaces.

Episode Transcript
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