Hey Monsters!
As we are bringing March to close and have celebrated International Women’s Day, it is time to talk about the pink elephant in the room – women and ageism. This year’s IWD Motto was “Inspire Inclusion,” and it calls out every one of us to forge a more inclusive world for women. Because we all have skin in the game, elevating the position of women in business and society benefits everybody, not just women and girls.
Just like we still have a gap in gender diversity, we equally don’t talk enough about age diversity on teams in organizations. Similarly to how we overlook women in many areas, we have strongly rooted biases connected to people’s age and their ability (or disability!) to grow, learn, take on new challenges, and lean in. New Age Leaders understand this complex issue and see the full potential of everybody on the team.
This phenomenon affects everybody, but it is even more severe towards females. Women around the world are affected by the “never the right age” bias. At the beginning of their careers, they are considered “too young” and inexperienced to get promoted or take on leadership roles. When they enter their thirties, aka what is socially considered “child-bearing age,” they are expected to focus on raising their children rather than growing their career. Again, they get overlooked and passed on for promotions. And finally, once their children grow up, they are considered “too old” to move on to the next ladder and be a high-potential talent.
Does this sound like a familiar pattern, Monsters? Time to reflect and review your own biases about women on your teams.
New Age Leaders are able to smash their own biases around age and elevate the position of women on their teams, starting from what is, to what could be. Because inclusivity is the heart and soul of all cultural transformation. A workplace transformation that is long overdue.
In fact, did you know… teams with inclusive leaders are 17% more likely to be high-performing, 20% more likely to make high-quality decisions, and 29% more likely to behave collaboratively.
And why do we need to boost our inclusivity right now? Well, 32% of millennials say that decisions are made from the top down in their organizations and employee feedback is never acted upon.
So, here’s my next question for you to ponder… How can you practice inclusive leadership with your teams more often? Could you include them in the decision-making more often or crowdsource your creativity options, so people who wouldn’t normally contribute develop ownership over the strategy?
Reverse-mentoring is also a very interesting approach to include a different point of view. Alternatively, could you consider a shadow board, which is simply a board of NON-executives that shadow the executive board… and mirror their work, with the idea of feeding back ideas and insights to influence future decision making and lead strategic projects in a new way.
This is just a suggestion, as there are a million ways how you can start practicing inclusion with your teams TODAY. Here are 3 simple tips:
- Invite Regular Feedback: Actively seek feedback from team members. Create an open and safe space for them to express their thoughts, ideas, and concerns.
- Crowdsource Creativity: Encourage collaboration by crowdsourcing creative solutions. Allow diverse voices to contribute, ensuring that everyone’s perspectives are considered.
- Ownership and Accountability: Foster a sense of ownership and accountability within the team. Let individuals take charge of projects, allowing them to contribute and lead in their unique ways.
Remember, it’s time to unleash your inner monster and conquer the world of leadership. Inclusion is the tool that will help you unlock positive change! 🌟
P.S. You can work with me if you need support in creating a culture of age diversity on your team across all generations. If you would like to know more about New Age Leadership, you can purchase my book “Dear Monsters” here.
Photo by LinkedIn Sales Solutions on Unsplash
