Monthly Virtual Event, November 2020
A fantastic panel of speakers who share approaches that they have been using to guide their organisations through this unprecedented time of change and uncertainty. Topics being discussed are the psychology of change and how to keep team culture alive whilst working remotely.
Panelists:
Julie Liegl – Chief Marketing Officer, Slack
Christina Scott – Chief Technology Officer, News UK
Kim Wylie – Global Director of People Development & Change, Farfetch
Karen Cleale – Director of Digital Intelligence & Experience, Virgin Media
How many countries are headed by women?
Out of 193 countries in the world, women govern 18 countries which is the exact same number of female CEOs in the Fortune 500. So despite many changes and milestones we still have a long way to go in terms of gender balance and power.
How the brain deals with change:
Uncertainty is the worst state for the human brain. The brain is primed for threat and so there’s a negativity bias in our brain. Kim, who has been researching neuroscience, explains that people would rather opt to get an electric shock than to be uncertain. Our brain is made for survival so when it doesn’t know what’s happening, it creates something for us to believe which is usually more negative than the reality.
Psychological safety amongst change?
Change is personal. As a leader you have to deal with people at a level that is comfortable for them. You have to recognise what type of change it is; strategic, planned or reactive. Being open to not knowing all the answers can help create empathy, honesty and trust; it enables you to appear human and explain your limitations.
Not everyone is born as an innate leader. Engaging different types of people is important – for example, not everyone is going to be great at doing in-person brainstorms. Remote working has allowed us to connect with people outside our work perona which can give a different depth to a relationship.
Building a team culture when you’ve never met people and asking them to work in agile squads is a tall ask (Zoom and WebEx fatigue). We need to be able to bring our true selves to work and be able to bounce ideas and be forthcoming about any concerns.
Tips:
- Don’t always need a meeting to discuss certain things
- Making communication with teams intentionally about their well being and not just about a status update
- Figuring new ways to engage people
- Being genuinely interested – you have to share how you are too so that it’s reciprocal
- Doing a daily mental check in
When you’ve got a crisis that is demanding certain strengths of you as a leader, then it’s easier to make a solution. Building agile teams is harder when you are working remotely.
Managing fatigue and keeping people connected?
Psychological safety is critical – to have within our teams. When people are able to speak up about what’s not going great without a fear of retribution or judgement, you have a healthier workspace. Every good team needs a certain amount of dependability. On the other hand, the structure of a team can depend on various factors such as seniority. Senior colleagues may need less management whereas junior teams may need more structure.
Are leaders made or born?
What’s your perspective on leaders being made or born?
Growth mindset – we can all become leaders if you want to. Historically, the traits we associated with leadership were typically masculine and women had to mirror this behaviour. Now, many forms of leadership are becoming known and aspired to. It doesn’t have to look like one type of personality. Different types of ways to lead where different people can bring their unique strengths to bear.