In June we had four wonderful guests on the Art and Science of Joy podcast. Below we’ve made a summary of the key points from each episode. We hope you enjoy these joyful insights!
Our guest Vivian Acquah, a dedicated advocate for inclusive Workplace Wellness, a keynote speaker, facilitator and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) coach, shared with us her journey of overcoming bullying and a toxic work environment, and what she’s learned on nurturing peer relationships.
First of all, it is clear that when it comes to peer relationships, a lot of power is in the hands of the company and leaders. There should be a clear focus on making the workplace inclusive and diverse (which is also beneficial for the profitability of the company), but not only through top-down management; the employees themselves should be given tools to invigorate the work space.
Employees want to have a welcoming workplace and authentic relationships; this requires an environment that supports this development. The modern employee wants to be included in this family that a company can very well become. This requires an alignment of values, which the company should be transparent about; employees want to know what kind of people and company they are dedicating their time to. Just as a company should get to know their employees, the employee should be allowed and encouraged to get to know their bosses and people they work with.
You can check Vivian’s own Youtube channel, her LinkedIn, websites https://vivalavive.com/ https://lead21.amplifydei.com/ and Apple Podcasts. Don’t forget to tune in to the full episode here.
In a similar vein, market researcher and mindset coach Paula Rosecky continued our exploration of inclusion. As the daughter of immigrants and with a complex relationship to her cultural identity, Paula had a lot to share when it comes to her developing feeling of inclusions, as well as what its benefits are.
Paula wanted to make it clear, much like Vivian, that inclusion can be achieved through active participation. It is something that everyone can partake in, even if in small ways; it is not enough to wait for inclusion to happen, it is up to everyone to MAKE it happen. Inclusion may however be hindered by innate biases, which may take time to unlearn. Affinity bias, being more comfortable with the familiar, can create a feeling of safety, but may ultimately lead to stagnation both socially and when it comes to social progress in general. These biases can be overcome by consciously trying to connect with people with different backgrounds, and this adventurous attitude should also be welcome at work.
You can follow her on LinkedIn and tune in to the full episode here.
MaryBeth Hyland, qualitative researcher, founder of SparkVision and author, continued the theme of inclusion by focusing on how organizations can be led with values, as well as why one should consider doing so. Having realized that her success at work could not bring her the spiritual fulfillment she was looking for, MaryBeth decided to pivot to a healthier approach, one that includes putting her values before easy success, authenticity as a priority.
MaryBeth has noticed through her jobs, that the pandemic has led others to re-evaluate their work much in the same way she had done. An ardent believer in a values based leadership, MaryBeth believes that people are not supposed to be the means to a leader’s goal and prefers to look at the current worldwide job exodus, with people quitting their jobs in bulk, as a “Great Awakening”; who wants to be a cog in a faceless, corporate machine? Echoing what our previous two guests have said, “people are everything,” and they’ve started to take notice. It is this that also led her to authoring her book, Permission to Be Human: The Conscious Leader’s Guide to Creating a Values-Driven Culture, which gives the reader tools that help evaluate what their values are and whether they are being met in the work environment. The three things MaryBeth chose to highlight from her book could perhaps be summarized like this: 1) You have to learn more about yourself; “your values, how they show up, where they’re in alignment.” 2) Give yourself permission to be human, which includes making mistakes. 3) Work on self-improvement and never stop learning.
Listen to the Power Break episode here and connect with MaryBeth on LinkedIn and Facebook.
Kai Fuentes, the fourth guest we’re highlighting here today, dissected her experiences struggling with self-love. Self-love may not at first glance seem essential to inclusion, but “there cannot be authentic inclusion and acceptance of others, if one does not first respect and love oneself.” With self-love, you become a better person not only for yourself, but for the world itself.
You cannot discover self-love just by spending money on attractions and distractions; true self-love comes with understanding yourself, knowing that you are good enough. This acceptance may be found through thought exercises, such as writing down that are unique to you, things that make you feel good about yourself; positivity can easily get forgotten when you are in a constant hurry.
With acceptance, the world opens up to others too; the more you’re comfortable in your own skin, the easier it is for you to be authentic. Like all good things, it’s a constant work in progress for Kai, as it is for many others, so this journey of learning is best shared with others who can share your discoveries, help you in your foibles, and in turn may be helped. No man is an island, learning to live with others in tandem opens up a new, kinder world.
You can follow Kai on LinkedIn and listen to the full episode here.
Once again, we would like to send a big thank you to our guests. Each one has shared incredible stories and valuable tips as they join our journey to bring more joy to people’s lives. More great content is on the horizon; follow us on our Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and subscribe to our podcasts from Spotify, Google, Apple Podcasts, and Captivate to keep up with latest episodes and updates!
Join our journey, find the joy within!
