E063_Boosting Supervisors: 8 Tips to Better Understand Yourself, Others and Create Inclusion

This week, we're discussing the complexities of transitioning from team members to supervisors, a process that poses both challenges and opportunities for personal and professional development.

Have you ever encountered a colleague who quickly regretted their promotion and yearned to return to their previous role shortly after assuming a senior position? It's a scenario we've encountered, highlighting the intricacies of such transitions, particularly in high-seniority roles.

But fear not because we've compiled comprehensive tips for supervisors and leaders to navigate this transition effectively. 

From mastering the art of curiosity to embracing vulnerability and learning the skill of asking pertinent questions, we're covering essential strategies to foster personal and team growth.

Self-awareness isn't just about introspection – it requires actionable steps. Whether it's investing in coaching or engaging in reflective journaling, we're offering practical advice to support your journey towards leadership excellence.

And beyond advice, we're here to offer support. 

Whether you're feeling overwhelmed or seeking guidance, our doors are always open for meaningful conversations that matter.

So, grab a cup of coffee/tea, settle in, and join us as we explore the transformative impact of self-awareness, understanding, and inclusivity in leadership.

Thanks for listening!

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This episode was produced under Safety Collaborations Limited and now continues as part of Karin Ovari Limited. While we are not currently releasing new episodes, the entire library remains active, and the topics covered are just as relevant today as when they were first recorded.

To learn more about my current work in leadership and communication, visit karinovari.com and the leadership community, The Supervisors Hub.

Connect with us on LinkedIn: Karin Ovari, Nuala Gage,

If you enjoyed this episode, please help us spread the word and leave a review on your preferred podcast player.

Stay Safe, Stay Well
The Safety Collaborators

Chapters

• 0:12 Understanding Yourself for Authentic Connection
• 4:03 The Art of Curiosity and Self-Discovery
• 15:12 Leadership Skills for Effective Communication
• 26:57 Investing in Self and Others
• 35:31 Promoting Safety Collaborations Website

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:12

When we are promoted, start a new job or meet a new potential partner, there is often a self-imposed expectation that we must be what we think others expect from us, so we put on a mask that reflects the character we have envisaged. It later creates all sorts of problems. Join us as we explore how to understand ourselves, to show up as our best, authentic selves and create inclusive teams. As Aristotle said, knowing yourself is the beginning of wisdom.

Speaker 2: 0:44

I am Karen and I am Nula and we are the safety collaborators.

Speaker 1: 0:50

Our mission is to help people have better conversations and change the way they think about safety.

Speaker 2: 0:56

Consider us your thinking partners, sharing expertise and wisdom in everything safety, safety culture and psychological safety.

Speaker 1: 1:06

Last week we shared experiences and understanding about being promoted from a team member to a supervisor and, interestingly, I had a conversation with someone on Saturday about that very topic, to actually share with me how the person that had taken over her role just three months ago has requested to go back to their original role.

Speaker 2: 1:29

Wow, there's a whole lot of questions that come around. That Absolutely, because it's a very senior position.

Speaker 1: 1:35

It just shows that it's tough. Yeah, exactly right, it really really is. So we thought this week we'd share some top tips on understanding yourself better, understanding others and creating inclusive teams and thinking about inclusive teams. There's a whole world of conversation around that as well, but a really great place to start is with yourself, and that is just fundamentally so true.

Speaker 2: 1:58

And before we even discuss tips on understanding ourselves and others and creating those inclusive teams, I think it is critical to acknowledge that this learning path isn't about changing who you are You're still fundamentally you but it's about becoming the best version of you, absolutely. And I read an anonymous quote this week and it said understanding yourself is power, loving yourself is freedom, forgiving yourself is peace and being yourself is bliss. Bring on the bliss, absolutely, yeah. And before we even dive into these, I think of times in my life where I have done exactly that. I have put on the mask of what I thought other people expected, and it's certainly. I had no power because I was always trying to remember who I was supposed to be, which means I had no freedom to just be in the moment and be present and be available to those around me. I sure as hell didn't feel peace and I can honestly tell you, in those moments my life was not blissful.

Speaker 1: 3:02

And people pick that up. That is so important. As much as we think that we are stoic and we're putting on that brave face and we might be putting our shoulders back and we might be doing all of those things, the reality is the words that we use, the statements and the constructs that we bring into conversations, and how we're listening or not listening is all a mirror. What a wonderful anonymous quote. Yeah, I loved it, and I'm sure everybody listening to this. As you hear those words, at some point you will be going yep, I know what that means. Yep, I felt that. Yep, sure, do, so I think it's worth repeating. Right, I'm going to let you repeat it. Okay, understanding yourself is power, loving yourself is freedom, forgiving yourself is peace and being yourself is bliss.

Speaker 2: 3:58

So let's blissfully jump into our top tips. What a good idea. The first one is something that comes to mind, something you and I have always been so passionate about, and I think it is one of the most critical skills needed for today's world and future worlds, and that is the art of curiosity.

Speaker 1: 4:18

There is so much research on this now that, as a leader, supervise a leadership skill regardless of what you are, it is becoming the number one skill leaders need to have.

Speaker 2: 4:28

And the lovely thing is that curiosity can be learnt and if it's something that you've forgotten or has been pushed aside or out of you, you can reignite it and bring it back.

Speaker 2: 4:38

So curiosity is a genuine desire for knowledge and the motivation to seek new information. It's that always being filled with wonder and looking around, and it drives learning, it drives motivation, it fosters empathy with those around us, because if we're curious enough to understand why people are different to the way we are, we can then actually literally do that thing of I can stand in other people's shoes and understand where they're coming from. It does things like aiding critical thinking, because you're thinking further than just immediately what is in front of you, promotes decision making and improves relationship skills, and there's a couple of articles I read and one of them was mentioned that it is a key to life satisfaction and health, because if we're curious about what is going on within us and what is going on around us that is impacting the within us, we can actually then live a healthier and better life and go back to being blissfully yourself.

Speaker 1: 5:39

Absolutely, I couldn't agree more. And interesting curiosity and wonder is also an antidote to anxiety and fear.

Speaker 2: 5:49

That's interesting. Say more about that.

Speaker 1: 5:52

Well, when you look at it from a mood, emotional, mood, perspective, if someone's constantly in a state of anxiousness, they're closing themselves off to possibility. So if we can just shift in those moments not always easy to do, depending on the levels, because anxiousness is about unknown, fear isn't. So another way to sometimes counteract anxiety is to give it a name around what's the fear. But often we can't do that. So maybe just shifting from a state of okay, I know I'm anxious right now, but what can I be curious about? That might be minuscule, but it might be just enough to crack the anxiety, to let in a little bit of light into that mood that you may be fanning in. So yeah, I think I just made that up, but I like that. The antidote to anxiety is curiosity. I did.

Speaker 2: 6:42

That's probably come from years of knowledge and experience, but yes, exactly I was going to say and a lot of personal and team experience around that as well and seeing how that plays out in the team.

Speaker 1: 6:54

Well, we think of learning teams.

Speaker 2: 6:56

We need curiosity, and it's not just using the five Ys, it's a lot more than that. It's going to a far more open degree of curiosity and thought around what is happening in the system, in the people, in the processes. That helps us learn and helps us grow as organizations. Pretend you're a kid. Well, I do. Sometimes a bit too regularly, my mother reminds me she's like oh, my goodness, lula, could you just grow up? No, actually she doesn't. She usually joins in the fun.

Speaker 1: 7:26

I was about to say they shine on your mom. She'll be straight in there. No, brilliant, brilliant.

Speaker 2: 7:35

Part of that curiosity is creating a bit of an understanding around self, so understanding the reasons you respond the way you do in certain situations, Like how come I get on really well with some people but others I just don't? And I think we've used the quote before of oh, I don't like that person. Best I get to know them better, and it's not always easy. But I think when you're a supervisor, when you're a leader, when you're in a position of power, it's essential that you get to know everyone in your team better and what makes them tick and what makes them them.

Speaker 1: 8:09

Yes, and it's not about like or dislike. No, it's about understanding Exactly, and it's more, maybe, about permission and respect than it is about whether I like or trust, or you know well, trust is a risk assessment as well, but yes, yeah, so, karen, what are some of the ways that we can get to know ourselves?

Speaker 1: 8:28

better. Well, there's a whole world of diagnostic tools out there that you can take on board. We definitely are big fans of personality, diversity and understanding that as a fundamental to who we are and how we tick. So we use e-colours and we use disc. We are certified in those tools so we use those quite regularly in our discussions and leadership discussions and coaching and teamwork. Because even in teams, the more each of the teams understand that diversity within the group, it helps an awful lot.

Speaker 1: 9:06

Coaching Well, when I say coaching, sort of that little bit of self-coaching and I think we're going to talk a little bit more about this in a minute but asking yourself questions, I'm going to come back to point one. We're still in curiosity. It is about being curious about ourselves, but it's also understanding. There's other tools you can use. What's my leadership style like. There's a range of them out there. There really is. So we had an episode episode 29, I think it was where we actually spoke a little bit more about that in a bit more depth. If you're curious, you were going to say something else.

Speaker 2: 9:39

I was going to say, if you're curious and also if the thought of your personality, diversity tool or profiling makes you go, oh my God, they're going to put me in a box. That is not, not at all. No.

Speaker 1: 9:52

And we're dead against it.

Speaker 2: 9:54

But it can be incredibly helpful. So I do encourage you especially if the listening to that made the hair stand up on the back of your neck Go back and listen to episode 29.

Speaker 1: 10:03

We use these tools as catalysts for conversation. We have a few tools in our toolbox. You can spend several hours talking about it or you can just use it as a kickstarter, as a catalyst for the next type of conversation and the types of behaviors that we exhibit and maybe why.

Speaker 2: 10:23

And then one of the ones that I do quite love is Johari's window. That's really around having look on two axes, the one being things I know about myself and things I don't know about myself, and the other being things others know about me and things others don't know about me. So the things I know and others know is all in it's in the public domain the color of my eyes, a tone of my voice, just all those kind of things that just people know about me. Like many people know, I'm the queen of hugs. I think it's pretty out there in the public domain.

Speaker 2: 10:59

But then there are things that others don't know about me. But I do know, and those may be some of the things behind the mask, because we've got the mask on of what we think others expect of us. So you might be in a position where you feel that you have to be authoritative and quite directive over your team, whereas with your family and your friends you're actually a very inclusive, conversational, understanding others perspectives, but in the work environment you've put on the mask. So there may be things that people don't know and the intention behind this is around what of those things that others don't know about you Can you start bringing into the fore and start taking that mask off to be more authentically yourself, then there are things that others know about me that I don't know and that may be things that I don't see in myself or I don't believe in myself.

Speaker 2: 11:56

So I might think of myself as this very outgoing, extroverted person, whereas in reality everyone around me sees me as quiet and reserved. But I'm being my version of extroverted or out there. I might think of myself as not very dependable, whereas my team or my friend or family might consider me the most dependable person they have in their circle, but I'm not seeing those. So again, the question is how do we have conversations that matter, that people can be honest about what they see in me, that maybe I'm holding myself back on and I don't even realize that I'm hiding.

Speaker 2: 12:35

And then there's the last block is things that I don't know and things others don't know, and it may be that actually part of the reasoning behind why I act the way I do is that I'm actually quite self-conscious or tense or whatever the reason is, and one of the examples that I loved on this was a very good friend and colleague of mine who always considered herself to be a poor swimmer until her son got taken out in a rip-tide. Yep, dear Lord, did she find out that she could freaking swim? Yeah, I bet yeah. But she didn't know that and nobody else knew that, because she'd always put that label on herself of I'm not.

Speaker 1: 13:15

I think what you just said triggered something in me. It's about the labels that we put on ourselves. How we speak to ourselves is how we kind of show up, if you like, even though it may not be intentional. That's that unconsciousness. Yes, I think what was coming to mind when I was listening to this was the inactivity and I know we've had many people suggest this off and on over the years, and somebody has actually just asked me to do this for them and that is to send a quick email or a text message or whatever to someone and say if you were to describe me in five words, what would it be? I mean, it's extraordinary what people come back with and you go oh my god, I would never have thought about that, right? So that's that things that we either don't know or we assume that we don't know, or do know. So how they view you in five words, you know, use five words to describe me. You then choose how you want to live with that.

Speaker 2: 14:05

But yes, and it's a critic. You know, getting feedback from others, whether it's in a 360 degree team review, whether it's asking that question, whether it's being open to hearing is really important Exactly, and I think that needs beautifully. Yes, I see a thought.

Speaker 1: 14:23

Well, I was just thinking about. One of the other tools that we use, and I'm a huge fan of, is conversational intelligence catalyst, and that tool is all about your conversational behaviors as we grow in this role as leaders, as supervisors, the words that we use. They can trigger or make harmony, depending on how the sentences and the words that we use show up, and that tool is a way of helping us to see our blind spots in our conversational styles.

Speaker 2: 14:55

Exactly, and we did an entire series on conversational intelligence that is so worth diving into. So that goes back to, can you believe? Episodes 38 to 43. Good Lord, and there's just so much to explore in that series, believe it or not.

Speaker 2: 15:12

That was all on tip number one, curiosity. But I think it shows how important curiosity is for you, because if you are not curious, you're holding yourself back. And if you're not curious, then the second tip we have is all around your self-management and awareness. But curiosity is foundational to that, and that's around recognizing our emotions, understanding our behaviors and our tendencies and what's behind that, what brings that out of us. And I loved what you were mentioning earlier about your moods and emotions, because that is a huge one, it's massive. Our emotions can either control us or they can be stop signs for us to take a pause and go. Where is this coming from? What is making me feel like this? Being curious about how else I could be feeling in this moment and then choosing my actions, despite how I am currently feeling, for what is best for me and those around me. Not easy, is it?

Speaker 1: 16:17

There's so much to be said here that I'm like OK, we're not going to go into that today.

Speaker 2: 16:21

Where do you start? I'm not going to go into that today, because it really is about self-awareness.

Speaker 1: 16:27

It is, and another critical skill for leadership, as particularly as we grow into that role, is emotional self-awareness and really understanding that and being curious about emotional literacy. What does emotions mean? And when we think about emotions, they are what we say are predispositions for action. So all emotions are what drive us to do anything Exactly.

Speaker 2: 16:51

And I have a feeling that we will need to promise a podcast just on this. So during this year, we will definitely have a look at what that is, because there is such a depth into it. Couldn't agree more.

Speaker 1: 17:04

I was running a workshop last week and I spent a bit of time with leaders discussing this very topic and they were like big eyes in the room. It was great, they loved it. So, yeah, we should do that session for sure and think fast and slow thinking brains, exactly.

Speaker 2: 17:21

Oh, that's going to create some curiosity.

Speaker 1: 17:24

Yeah, indeed, let's do it. A next tip is be prepared to be wrong. No one is perfect, and how you respond matters, particularly as a leader. It's about being vulnerable. Vulnerability is also another very key skill for leadership, and understanding what vulnerability means. So how you respond matters, whether it's to yourself or to your team members. So let's not be addicted to being right. That is just huge and that is a thing.

Speaker 2: 18:00

Well, it's a thing and it's a huge thing, and I don't think that we realize that we're even doing it?

Speaker 1: 18:06

No, I'm pretty sure we don't most of the time, because I think of.

Speaker 2: 18:09

It's like a little tearier Nipping at your heels. Yes, because no matter what anybody says, you've got a snap or you've got a comment or you've got something coming back and you are finding reason as to why your viewpoint or your standpoint is the most important in this moment and should be listened to.

Speaker 1: 18:26

And it takes us down the road of very transactional conversations and very push-pull conversations. You will be thinking my way because that's the way I need you to do it and that's because my way is the right way. We've heard over the years on-site my way or the highway.

Speaker 1: 18:43

My way is the only way, or the highway type stuff exactly. So how you respond matters as a leader Again, to creating learning cultures, learning teams, psychological safety within your team this is a really big one but also being prepared that, yes, if you admit that something, it may be not as you thought, that you are being vulnerable and that is a good thing, even if it is excruciatingly uncomfortable, absolutely, and for many of us it will be because, again, there's this tendency towards a misconception that we have to be right and that we have all the knowledge and you don't.

Speaker 1: 19:20

We've got a good comment on that, one for a minute.

Speaker 2: 19:23

Yes.

Speaker 2: 19:23

The fourth one that we've put in as a good tip is around listening without interrupting and being in the moment and allowing others to feel included in the conversation, that their opinion matters, that their viewpoint matters, is crucial in understanding yourself, understanding others.

Speaker 2: 19:42

But this is a huge one in around creating that inclusive team. And often in coaching sessions people will say but people just come to me at the most awkward time, so I'm typing at the same time as trying to listen to them, or I'm actually supervising a job or observing a critical operation on site, and this is when someone's picked a moment to come and try and ask me a question or have a deep, meaningful conversation. And having the skill and the ability to say no or not now and set a time when you can give that conversation fair attention is so worth practicing. Because the more we can do that, the more people will understand that it is coming from a place of care and that when you have the time, they will have your undivided attention to be able to deal with their concern, regardless of whether that's a work concern, personal concern. So this crosses every relationship.

Speaker 1: 20:36

It made me think what I was listening to you. It's think about this question how do you feel if you're not being listened to or if you're being interrupted because you haven't had the time to finish your thought Exactly?

Speaker 2: 20:48

or when you've said something and you just realise that the person hasn't actually heard a word you've said. You just feel disrespected, oh yeah, exactly.

Speaker 1: 20:57

So I think here the huge tip on this one is that silence is your friend, not your foe. Yes, it is absolutely, and especially if you're feeling a little uncertain by not trying to talk over that uncertainty but rather being quiet and listening for more and a good tip. If you want to find out what's coming from the other person's mind or heart, you just say that's interesting, what else? While you process.

Speaker 2: 21:23

Yeah, favour two words in the world. What else? Exactly yeah but on that silence, one and it links to something we said in the Bridging Cultures series is that often people are in multicultural teams, thinking in a different language and then having to process into the language that you're having the conversation in. And silence just shows that deep respect that I'm giving you space and time to think. Perfect.

Speaker 1: 21:52

Which leads into ask questions for which you have no answers. Be curious funny about that word Just keeps coming back. He pops up all the time. He just keeps coming back. Right, it's like a boobarang. Anyway, ask questions for which you have no answers and don't be afraid of that. It is a misunderstood skill and we've already said this a couple of times. You know there is too much of a misconception out there that we have to have all of the answers. I don't know anybody that had all the answers. Doesn't matter whether you're Einstein or someone else. They did not have all the answers and they'd be the first people to tell you that they kept iterating and being curious. We did a great episode recently, actually episode 51, called the Question is More Powerful Than the Answer, because until you actually ask questions for which you have no answer, you don't know what to answer. You don't know how you can be the best person or the most useful person in that moment. What does it that the other person needs? Not so much. What do you need?

Speaker 2: 22:59

I mean it's lovely, and there are just so many hints and tips and ideas on how to do that, and learning to ask the right questions isn't easy because it isn't a skill that we are actually taught.

Speaker 1: 23:12

No, we're not.

Speaker 2: 23:13

You know, and so often we go down that path of we keep asking the same question but we're not getting the answer we want, and it's like well, actually that's a good time to ask a different question.

Speaker 1: 23:23

I've told them 10 times and you look at them and you go well time to ask a different way, and they look at you going. What do you mean? Think about that for a minute, exactly.

Speaker 2: 23:34

The good news is that we can help you and your teams in actually learning how to ask better questions, because it's all around conversation catalysts and creating conversations that matter, and questioning is a very key component in that and on the, you don't have to know everything or you don't have all the answers. The next tip is around building the capacity to be comfortable in asking others. You are not google, and it's not only okay to ask, but it's also healthy to ask others, whether it's for help to gain more knowledge, to ask for additional time or space or whatever it is that's needed. Asking others for input and the Karen I mean you know we've spoken about this a few times is, we've mentioned earlier ask questions for which you have no answers, but sometimes it's really important to ask questions for which you think you have the answers and hear what others bring to the party.

Speaker 1: 24:39

I think it's appreciating and I think this goes back to not being addicted to your way is the only way or not being addicted to being right. It's being curious and appreciating that you are not a lone ranger. You are part of a team. Make use of the team. People generally at the front line have the answer ask them.

Speaker 2: 25:01

How many times have we said that in the last couple of weeks with clients? Don't try and figure out the solution on your own. Let us help you get the answers from your teams because they know what they need. They just don't know how to tell you a lot of the time.

Speaker 1: 25:18

Or there may not be that feeling of safety to ask the question, because this is a self-perpetuating cycle If you're not feeling safe to ask your boss, then who's not feeling safe to ask you, and so it goes round and round and round.

Speaker 2: 25:33

Yep, as we're working through these every time we we talk about it. It just shows just how every single level is another one into creating inclusive teams when we are open to actually embracing them. And a huge one is about investing in you, because it will change your life and there's so many ways of investing in you, so how have you invested in yourself recently, kez?

Speaker 1: 26:03

Funny, I just threw in another one there. I do a lot of reading and I'd listen to podcasts, so there's that way you can learn through others, getting ideas. So through reading, through podcasts, through, I think also the other thing is doing things that are a little bit out of your comfort zone, Doing things like something that's actually completely unrelated to work, sometimes A hobby. So I recently for yeah, could be a hobby, it could be, you know or just doing a few random things. So recently I decided to go and do something called the 9D breath work Sounds a bit out there, it is, but it was amazing.

Speaker 1: 26:42

It was absolutely amazing. It was doing something completely different to everyday life and it's just enough to give you that little sort of shift. And I think we were calling them glimmers this year, yes, but yes little. You know some shifts in all of this and it helps to balance and I think this is another one here, you know balance your own energy and to bring in the creativity that you do need to have as a leader as well. How do you be creative? Sometimes really difficult to do in the heat at the moment when you've got a whole pile of stuff that needs to get done, but being creative might be the way to help get that stuff done.

Speaker 2: 27:21

You know, I so often think of those moments of when everything is just becoming so overwhelming and we're not able to shift from anxiety to curiosity. Is that's usually when it is the best time to actually go and make a cup of tea? Yes, walk away. Yes, and it's amazing how that five minutes, 10 minutes, half an hour of walking away can just create a completely different environment, and that is part of investing in you.

Speaker 1: 27:47

And I think one of the really big ones that we have and have done a lot ourselves is coaching. So being coached. I think something else that's really important in here and coaching is there's a whole variety of different ways of looking at coaching, but generally it's about having one-on-one conversations with somebody that can help maybe bring out the best in you and help actually discover or make visible what we don't know about ourselves, and that is also then leads to our capacity to grow. So coaching is a very, very powerful tool and that's why we use it. It's one of the tools that we use in all of our engagements and it is also going to be going to be sorry, I just got a giggle. I've got this little tiny furry creature trying desperately to get into my lap right now, which is a bit inconvenient.

Speaker 2: 28:40

But in case you're wondering, it's not just some random furry creature. Hopefully it's your cat.

Speaker 1: 28:44

Yes, he's, most definitely, is my cat.

Speaker 2: 28:47

Clearly little Michelle is going. Mom, I think you need a break.

Speaker 1: 28:52

Come on, little one.

Speaker 2: 28:55

On the investing in you last week when we were speaking about the transition into becoming a supervisor and how, for so many people, it is just such a lonely path. And that's where our dream of the safety leaders hope was born from, because it's a massive part of creating a community where we can be curious, where we can ask others, where we can learn to ask different questions, we can be heard, we can admit when we were wrong and go oh, I know I need to respond in a better way, but I don't know how to do that.

Speaker 1: 29:31

help and that is a big part of that. So on our website, if so, if you go to safetycollaborationscom forward, slash the safety leaders hub, in fact, or there is a link on the homepage it will take you to that page that explains more about the design and the intention behind the safety leaders hub. You can sign up on that and be on the waiting list. It's not quite live yet. We're launching it in the next couple of months, so certainly go there and have a look at it and give us some feedback will be awesome. Lucky Last, I think, is one that I know personally I can do a little better at, because whenever I do do this, it is very powerful, and I like going back over the years and looking random books that I've decided to journal in and reading through it and I go oh my, that's a bit of wisdom.

Speaker 1: 30:21

Oh, my, oh that I've moved on from that. So journaling is a really powerful tool. I think what it really does is take time to reflect. It helps us to reflect. It doesn't need to be prescriptive and I feel that's really important to say it literally is someplace to do a brain dump. And it can be in any way Emotional brain dump, Like for me it's often poetry.

Speaker 2: 30:45

Anyway, brain dump will be a poem about how I'm feeling in that moment or on that day about that experience. Other days it'll be a five page diatribe of just emotional vomit and other days it's like sunshine and butterflies and roses of excitement.

Speaker 1: 31:00

Yeah, it can be a set of images I have actually started taking. There's a lovely app that I'm using now it's on the Apple phones and I just now actually talk to myself and it's quite nice to replay that and listen back. I even listened to it not long after I've recorded because it's still very fresh, cause it's amazing, once you've recorded something, it's sort of like it's gone, but if you listen to it again, you go, oh, wow, okay, cool, a bit of wisdom. And then I might write something down or I'll add an image to that recording or something that gives it a little bit more. Oh yeah, cause I'm very picture does tell a thousand words, sort of thing. So if there's an image on the day that can add to the recording, it brings it to life. So there's any manner of ways to do this.

Speaker 2: 31:44

You do know, though, that talking to yourself is one of the signs of madness.

Speaker 1: 31:48

Although Apparently only if you're answering yourself.

Speaker 2: 31:51

Sometimes I need good advice, so I have to speak to myself Exactly, and journaling is self coaching. So you know we often use the growth model and that is you know, asking yourself those questions can really help you move through. What are your goals, what is your current reality, what are your options? What way forward do you choose, what are the tactics that you need to build on to achieve this, and what are the habits that you need to have in place to maintain and have this as being consistent?

Speaker 1: 32:25

Interesting, as you say that I think some people might go. Oh my God, that's a lot of work. So I'm going to give you three more little questions.

Speaker 2: 32:31

Do the easy version, and it's not quick and dirty, it's just Well, it's not, no, not necessarily easier.

Speaker 1: 32:39

So the one is what is the story that I'm running, what's the story I'm telling myself, what's the movie that's playing out in my head, and does that movie need to look a little different? What's at stake for me here? So, what do I need to shift? Why is it important? Because often we can just say, oh, I should be doing this or I need to do that or whatever, and that just goes out the window as fast as it came in, so to speak. So, unless we say, well, what's at stake for me here if I don't do this or make an adjustment, and then what's missing? Simple as that, what's missing.

Speaker 1: 33:15

So these are three other small questions that are very big, and then we can go into. Okay, so maybe then you'll get to the what's missing, or you might. You know what's at stake for me here, and then we're something. Well, what do I need to do about it? And that's when I think the growth model is brilliant. It all ties into each other. Yeah Well, for the sake of what is actually one of my favorite questions Are we making changes because you yourself feel that you need to make the change, or is there some other external reasons why things might need to change, because, I mean, people's careers can be on the line here, exactly. So how do we help them? And when you're under stress, we get blinded by our own light.

Speaker 2: 33:56

And I think these are also great ones of helping to take the mask off.

Speaker 1: 34:00

Yes, very much so. What's important about shifting? There's a whole range of questions, but that's a pretty good start. By working with these tips and understanding yourself, you will be able to embrace how others are different and their strengths, know how to make them feel included and the fabulous result is you will have more inclusive teams. I think the other real benefit there is that you may go back to our lovely anonymous moment. You may actually start to experience a little bliss.

Speaker 2: 34:33

And what a joy that is in a daily thing.

Speaker 1: 34:36

So how do we?

Speaker 2: 34:37

get there, because tips are one thing, but turning these into reality can be quite a different story. And if you want to understand yourself and you want to understand others and create more inclusive teams, but you have no idea where to start or you've listened to this and gone, that's really good, but I'm actually finding these eight tips almost a little bit too overwhelming for where I'm at right now. Yep, let's have an obligation free conversation. That matters to get you started, and it is as simple as booking a call at hello, at safetycollaborationscom, and either Karen or I will connect with you and look forward to having that conversation.

Speaker 1: 35:17

I might just add actually on the website, if you go to the contact page, you actually have direct connection to a calendar link. So feel free.

Speaker 2: 35:25

So thank you for joining us today. It is always lovely to have conversations that matter. Our website, safetycollaborationscom, as we've mentioned a few times. Clearly we're very proud of it, so go and have a look, because that's where you will find the show notes for this episode. You can leave us a message via the message us section. Follow us on LinkedIn safety collaborations, Karen Ovarie and newly gauge, and sharing is caring. We would love you to follow us on your favorite podcast platform and please do press the follow button. Leave us a review. Five stars would be awesome, because all of this helps to grow and share our collective conversations with those who maybe don't have some way to turn or who would just like to learn a little bit more. Till next week, Stay safe and stay well.