One of the biggest challenges businesses continue to face today is understanding how to effectively integrate diversity, equity and inclusion into their strategy and culture. A lack of DEI or its mismanagement can have a significant negative impact on organizations, and falling behind on addressing related issues can be quite daunting.
In 1996, Brian S. Smith, Ph.D., who specializes in organizational psychology, founded IA Business Advisors, an advisory service that aims to help small- to mid-sized companies improve business performance and achieve success using the principles of influencer power. This process begins with IA Business Advisors utilizing its proprietary BizVision™, a data collection and organizational report, to evaluate how the people, processes and technology commingle within the business.
Leaders aren’t unique in wielding influence; however, having a positive influence can be unique as not all leaders remain mindful of their influence on others. Leaders oftentimes hear about the need to cultivate “mindfulness,” yet they think of it as adopting a soft or passive approach. Yet, that’s not what occurs with mindfulness. Instead, mindfulness allows you to better understand your influence, and what is influencing you, so that you may have a more positive influence on others.
Every action we take, word we express, and thought we allow to permeate our minds has the power to be influential. They influence those around us, rippling out like the rings that emanate from a rock thrown into a lake. Even one small action on our part can cause a ripple effect and lead to a much larger, greater action. Being alive means being influential.
Why do we feel the need to talk? For some, it’s anxiety driven; for others, they literally can’t help themselves and simply don’t recognize that they talk a lot. Whatever the reason is for the compulsion to speak, it’s not always a good thing. At times, those who love to talk can actually impede the creative and processing time of others.
One of the things that freedom enables is various kinds of influence. Anyone can become an “influencer” today: with a phone, a social media account, and an idea to promote, you get an influencer. The internet is so full of them that it has even become a career: Social Influencer, YouTube Influencer, Digital Influencer, and many more.
We hear a lot of chatter about today’s hiring practices. It’s everywhere in the news and our consulting company is regularly approached by clients asking for our help in navigating the “new norm.” We advise our clients to do exactly what worked prior to the recent recruiting and hiring struggles.
In terms of setting goals, these are five vital aspects needed to ensure you achieve what you set out to do. You must define and hone in on your goal (making it specific), determine the measurements needed to guide your path toward achieving your goal and ensure your goal is both attainable and realistic for you at this time.
A few years ago, I was on a business trip with an associate. During this particular trip, I met someone with whom my associate had started a relationship. A few weeks later, this person emailed me and asked if the associate still worked for us. When I replied, “Yes,” they told me that our associate had ghosted them.
