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Psychological Safety for unleashing the potential of Diverse teams

What is psychological Safety Psychological Safety was a term popularised by Amy Edmondson. While doing her research about effective teams she chanced upon the statement “Effective teams make more mistakes”, which was contrary to what her research hypothesis “Effective teams make fewer mistakes”. Upon further research, she found that “Effective teams report more mistakes”. The members of the team are comfortable sharing their mistakes, they are willing to learn from mistakes and not afraid to be their authentic selves. Psychological Safety and Diverse Teams We know empirically and intuitively that diverse teams are more innovative, creative and highly productive. However, harnessing the power of diversity is more than bringing people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives together. It is upon the leaders to be intentional in their attempt to bring out the best in the team. To foster a culture of psychological safety it is upon the leader to create an […]

February 25, 2024

Identity, Power, Privilege

Introduction In the complex tapestry of human existence, our identities play a significant role in shaping our experiences and interactions. Identity is not a singular concept; rather, it is a mosaic of various facets that intersect and intertwine to create a unique and multifaceted self. This intricate web of identities is not only personal but also deeply connected to broader social structures, influencing the dynamics of power and privilege. Understanding Identity Identity is a complex interweaving of a multitude of dimensions which make us who we are. Identities are both influenced by and influence the social structures around us and shape our experiences and interactions. Power and privilege are closely tied with Identities. Understanding identities gives us a sneak peek into how we perceive ourselves and how others perceive us. To understand identity, imagine a flower with petals, where each petal represents an identity. Populate the flower with the various […]

December 23, 2023

Networking Skills

What is networking Networking is about building a set of relationship(s) to get things done, to get ahead in your career and to develop professionally. Hold on … before you start thinking that it is self-serving, let’s first explore what is it all about Your Network is your Net Worth Types of Network As humans, we have a natural tendency to develop and nurture our Personal and Operational Networks. Strategic networks give us the impetus to grow in our careers, learn new things, identify opportunities, generate new ideas, collaborate etc. Making your network “work” Step 1: Set a goal for yourself: Establish your short-term and long-term goals. This is a critical step as this would decide what type of network you would like to nurture. Whether it is about finding mentors & sponsors within your organisation or whether it is finding a new job or learning new in your field […]

March 13, 2023

#EmbraceEquity

International Women’s day is celebrated every year on the 8th of March. It’s a day to celebrate women and their achievements throughout history and the world. It’s also a day to remind ourselves, we still have a long way to go to achieve equity. With all the initiatives that are happening to promote women, according to the report by WEF in 2022, going by the current trends, it will take another 132 years for us to achieve gender parity. What can we do to Embrace Equity and be fair? The themes of women’s day are carefully chosen to remind us about the small steps we can take to contribute to an equitable world. Last year’s theme #BreakTheBias, brought attention to biases women (and other underrepresented groups) experience at the workplace and how to call in or call out biases. The role of allies in creating equity can never be undermined. Equity Vs […]

February 26, 2023

Personal Branding – The Power of “You”

Radha is an introvert and experienced a very high-growth career until she was a Sr. Manager in the organization. Her passion for her work is evident from her dedication and commitment. Almost everyone knows, Radha almost never misses a deadline and manages the team which gives high-quality results. Everyone knows, whenever Radha is called in for handling a crisis, she magically turns things around. The appraisal time is here, and Radha is expecting her next growth to become the part of the leadership team. To her surprise (and dismay) she does not get her promotion. When she asked her manager, he claims, he is not sure if she is ready for the next level. When Radha insists on knowing more, he hesitates and tells her, not many in the management are aware of her capabilities. She takes time off to reflect on what’s missing. Reputation or Personal Brand Radha may have […]

November 6, 2022

Bisexual Celebration Day

What is Bisexuality Bisexuality is used to refer to describe a person who is attracted to more than one gender. The attraction can be sexual, emotional or romantic. Bisexuality is a spectrum and people who identify as Bisexual experience different degrees of Bisexuality. “Bi” people are represented as the third alphabet in the popular acronym LGBTQ+ Why is Bi sexual Awareness Day important There are myths around the “Bi” people that it is considered a passing “phase”. They are often confused with Gays, Lesbians or even Straight and hence are invisibilised. Sometimes they are accused to be using the “Bi” to avoid committing themselves to a monogamous relationship. The Bisexual Celebration day was started in 1990. As allies, we need to celebrate, show our solidarity and express that they are as much a part of the world as any other individual. Busting Myths about Bisexual Myth: Bisexual people are often […]

September 23, 2022

Priming Effect

What is the first animal that comes to your mind when I say “Think of any animal except an Elephant” It doesn’t need any research to say, your answer is of course is an Elephant. In this example, I’ve primed you or I have used Priming effect on you. Which mean, I made you think in a pre-determined way. If you observe, I’ve consciously primed you but you have been primed without your conscious knowledge. Blame it to your lazy system 2 of your brain for leaving the task of thinking about the “animal” to system 1. As humans we consider ourselves rational in our decision making, without realising we are primed in our decisions. During COVID times we are primed with messages on virus and pandemic. The moment we hear about someone suffering from fever, without a blink of eye, we think it would be COVID. Did you read […]

February 9, 2021

8 Myths Vs Facts – Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH)

The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition & Redressal) Act (also known as POSH Act), came into force in Dec 2013. Seven years later, the Act continues to call for debates in terms of its interpretation. An organisation with more than 10 employees is suppose to have a committee to build a culture of respect within the organisation. Here are list of eight Myths & Facts around the Act. Myth Vs Fact 1 There is nothing called harmless flirting. Oft times, flirting has much deeper impact on the receiver than what may be visible at the surface. This is specially true when the power differential between the two individuals is high. Sometime the tone itself may indicate flirting. Myth Vs Fact 2 If you are the person who forwarded it, you can be held liable, even if you are not the creator or the originator. Myth Vs Fact […]

February 9, 2021

Women please Seek “advice” & not “feedback”

Workplace feedback is critical for growth of individuals for them to align their goals to that of the organisation, to monitor if they are in the right direction, to measure if their actions are yielding results. When feedback is concerned, Women have to work smarter (and harder) , whether it is giving feedback or seeking feedback We are constantly getting feedback on our performance. While driving a car, the speedometer gives us feedback as to how fast / slow we are doing, the mileage gives us feedback how well our vehicle is doing vis-a-vis other vehicles of similar category. Reema’s Story Reema’s 8-year high growth career in customer support in a cosmetics MNC suddenly looks to be under question. The new manager, Rohan, who is from an FMCG background, seems to be targeting her. Six months ago, when Rohan was new to the organisation, he did everything feasible to built […]

February 8, 2021

Gratitude to 2020

What a year 2020 was ! We express our sincere Gratitude to 2020 What a roller coaster year 2020 has been. Ananya-Women@Work was no different. Just as we moved into our new office space, on the 8th of March 2020, the pandemic hit. Training programs were postponed, contracts cancelled, new business looked bleak, most of our clients moved from office to home based business and Diversity and inclusion initiatives were not a priority. New space – a blessing Like a few others’ when the pandemic started, we thought it is a temporary situation and life will go back to the old ways of being. However, it didn’t take us long to understand, world moving to new ways of being. The new space provided us with much needed privacy and we could maintain our COVID protocols including social distancing and avoiding crowded spaces. That leads us to our gratitude to the […]

January 24, 2021

Being a Trans Ally

13th November to 19th November 2020 is being celebrated as Transgender awareness week. This blog talks about being or becoming a Trans Ally During war the word “Ally (plural Allies)” is used to identify countries who are friends or are fighting the same side. Putting in perspective, a Trans Ally or a Transgender Ally is a person who does not belong to the Trans community not only openly supports them but also advocates for their rights. Before understanding how to be an Ally or what qualities you need to develop as an Ally, let’s first talk about the difference between sex and gender. Sex & Gender Sex refers to the a person’s biology which includes the chromosomes, hormones & the anatomy (reproductive organ). A person’s sex is assigned as “male” or “female” based on physical appearance at birth. Intersex are people who do not have we defined sexual organs at […]

November 18, 2020

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