Lucia Nash
HR Business Partner at Emirates Leisure Retail
As a builder of trust, people and culture, I specialise in all areas of employee lifecycle, with a particular passion for creating unparalleled Employee Experience (EX) and people-centric,...
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- Employee Experience Excellence: Creating engaging workplace environments
- Talent Acquisition Strategies: Effective methods for hiring top talent
- Performance Management Insights: Best practices for evaluating employee performance
- Leadership Development Techniques: Cultivating future leaders for organizations
- Cultural Intelligence in HR: Enhancing global teamwork through diversity awareness.
Meet the mentor
Tricky Workplace Situation Handled
- 1) Flexible working hours; additional time off work if needed 2) Option to work from home 3) In some countries, employers allow their employees to bring a dog to the office 4) Employee Assistance Programme
- Firstly, PTS can be triggered by various factors, including highly illuminated offices. Only the person diagnosed with the PTS fully understand their condition and related triggers. As such, once Robert was able to identify the trigger, he had the right to approach the Line Manager and ask for accommodation of duties and work shifts. What is wrong with the situation is that the Line Manager has dismissed Robert's request without a further probing. Furthermore, the Line Manager didn't show any form of empathy or understanding the impact of mental health can have on an employee. It would be worth exploring if the company has a Mental Illness policy in place and if yes, what are the nuances of all employees rights and procedures to be followed by the Line Manager. Accommodating working environment and change of work shifts is the minimum the company could have done for Robert.
- There could be several consequences on both, Robert and the company, if Robert is not supported and continues working in the environment that triggers his PTS. If perpetuated, Robert's condition will worsen; he might suffer from greater sleep disturbances, irritability, outbursts of anger, lower self-control, etc. If unresolved and unchecked, and unsupported, Robert might end up on a longer leave of absence to balance his mental health. Such potential and unnecessary leave of absence from work could have been easily avoided. Also, if consequences or nuances of mental illness is not fully understood by the Line Manager, it can be easily misunderstood which can then lead to unfair disciplinary actions.
- There are many ways to teach this invaluable skill. I would start with a more of a teachnical training, explaining nuances of mental illness and associated/existing company policies on the Mental Illness and what the company has put in place to support their workforce. There are many fantastic resources - both online and offline - on the topic of mental illness, which would be available to the employee / mentee. Role-playing is also a great method to explore different perspectives and re-affirm prior, theoretical learning. And lastly, workshops and lunch & learns are great ways of bringing people together and share knowledge.
- 1) All genders are represented across all levels across the organisation, especially in senior leadership / C-level roles 2) Both males and females have equal opportunities for promotion and/or inclusion in high-potential assessment and programmes 3) Women are treated equally to men, even if they choose to go on maternity leave and/or start family. Simply put, starting a family has no bearing on women's chances of advancing their careers
- 1) Significantly higher number of males in senior leadership roles than women 2) Men being promoted because they work 'longer hours' 3) Disparity in salaries (men earning more than women in comparable or same roles) 4) Certain roles being perceived only relevant for female (i.e. nurse, executive assistant, etc.) or only relevant for male (heavy-duty machinery, lorry drivers, STEM jobs, etc.) 5) Resistance from some men willing to report to a female leader 6) Sexual harassment cases
- 1) Wider talent pool and more diverse perspectives 2) Improved and enhanced collaboration 3) Better company and brand image (which important for reputation) 4) Greater profitability 5) Increase in Emotional Intelligence, specifically around Resilience and Empathy
- 8 The organisation can consider an improved work-life balance for those with childcare responsibilities and limit phone calls and e-mails (and general work expectations) after hours (i.e. after 6pm), so those with families can spend a quality time with their children and a partner.
- Brainstorming and role-playing exercise (switching roles, trying to understand various perspectives) Online learning, followed by a scenario-based assessment of acquired knowledge 1:1 Coaching
- I would potentially run an Emotional Intelligence psychometric assessment on the person I am mentoring and do a thorough 2-way feedback/coaching/exploration session. It's important to understand people's emotional responses in respect to themselves as well as others when tackling any biases or change in biases. Secondly, I would search and point out motivational Ted Talks videos that will showcase incredible achievement of a particular person that defied the age bias.
- 1) Resistant to change 2) Less adaptable to technology 3) Higher risk of absence from work due to illness/health related issues 4) Less ambitious 5) Stuck in their old routines / less adaptable
- 1) Incapable of leading teams if too young 2) Lack of self-discipline and time-management 3) Lack of practical experiences 4) Want to achieve and/or change things too fast 5) Less emotionally intelligent
- 1) Increased productivity and creativity 2) Wider range of skills and knowledge across teams and company-wide 3) Increase of diverse cultural insights 4) Increased engagement, profits and company's reputation
- 1) Negative or undesirable brand image (not well perceived by customers) 2) Decreased morale and engagement 3) Lower profitability 4) Hindered creativity 2)
- 1) How does it feel to work for our company? What has been your experience so far? 2) What would you like to learn about to make your experience with us more satisfying? 3) What can your line manager do better or start doing to make you more engaged? 4) Do you feel you are using all your talents and strengths in your current role? 5) What would tempt you to leave our organisation?
- 7 Offer mentorship programmes and regularly assess employees' strengths and talents in relation to their current job (and put them on a clearly-defined career pathway).
- Definitely through 1:1 coaching and real-life examples (especially when mentoring/training line managers who are responsible for others' career paths) Learning through Teaching method - giving the employee or mentee an ample opportunity to gather information and present to peers or to a leadership groups Role playing exercises. Blended learning - online and in-class (through engaging focus groups or lunch and learns)
- Generally, an anti-discrimination policy explains what steps the company is taking to prevent and avoid discrimination and protect their employees, customers and stakeholders from discriminatory and harmful behaviors. Furthermore, anti-discrimination policies are explicit in nature and hold all company stakeholders accountable to the same standards.
- 1. Create and clearly communicate anti-discrimination policies. Ensuring all employees have read and understood the policy. Additionally, having clear HR Standard Operating Procedures outlining the steps the company will take to investigate cases of discrimination and any consequences that will be associated with discriminatory behaviour (once investigated and confirmed). 2. Appoint internal anti-discrimination subject matter experts and/or ambassadors and hold regular meetings (lunch & learn, focus groups, etc.) 3. Engage employees by encouraging them to share positive stories and/or experiences about their out-of-work activities promoting anti-discrimination activities and/or volunteering with charitable organisations that combat discrimination (sharing positive examples helps employees to understand the importance of not just conforming but also helping to tackle discrimination issue). 4. If
- There are many ways employees can be mentored. One example is to share real stories from people who experienced discrimination first hand. It's imperative that employees (learners, trainees) understand the first-hand emotional implication the discrimination can have on an individual. Secondly, as HR and OD professional, I would also share real court cases where discriminatory behavour was 'punished' - either through financial fines or imprisonment. And lastly, there is a vast amount of available short videos and bite-size learning material that can be made available to employees, to start an ongoing conversation. The learning should be ongoing and people can progress within an organisation from an absolute beginner to a subject matter expert and mentor to others.
- Depending on who is being mentored (employee or line manager, or senior leader), some of the activities on increasing knowledge around inclusivity would encompass the following: 1) Mentored employee(s) be encouraged to connect and have a lunch with someone new in their organisation at least once a week 2) Encourage line mangers to create diverse project management groups. Whether hiring or promoting, HR should always challenge line managers on their choices, especially if the same or similar choices are made over and over again. So having historical data always helps when raising concerns or trying to mentor people managers 3) Senior Leaders can also be included in raising the awareness by either recording short, on-topic videos or writing a blog for a company newsletter and share with company-wide audience 4) Investing in Diversity Training is equally important; blending online learning with in-person lunch and learns, sharing experiences between employees and leaders, inclusively and together.
- We are already a very inclusive working environment; with fully inclusive practices and psychological safety in mind, our team collaboration is more fluent and open. People are not afraid of raising their concerns, views or opinions. Our employees don't come to work and fear they will be excluded from meetings or project because of their race, nationality, age, gender, etc. Our hiring practices are of a similar nature - we look at the best fit from personality and ability perspective, work experiences, etc. without holding any gender, race, nationality or age biases. We have many diverse groups and representation at all levels from the junior staff to the most senior person in the organisation.
- 1. Decrease in biases 2. Increase of trust 3. Leading by example / setting high standards 4. Diverse and varied perspectives from different parties/stakeholders 5. Increase in employee engagement in the law enforcement team
Tricky Workplace Situation Handled
- 1) Flexible working hours; additional time off work if needed 2) Option to work from home 3) In some countries, employers allow their employees to bring a dog to the office 4) Employee Assistance Programme
- Firstly, PTS can be triggered by various factors, including highly illuminated offices. Only the person diagnosed with the PTS fully understand their condition and related triggers. As such, once Robert was able to identify the trigger, he had the right to approach the Line Manager and ask for accommodation of duties and work shifts. What is wrong with the situation is that the Line Manager has dismissed Robert's request without a further probing. Furthermore, the Line Manager didn't show any form of empathy or understanding the impact of mental health can have on an employee. It would be worth exploring if the company has a Mental Illness policy in place and if yes, what are the nuances of all employees rights and procedures to be followed by the Line Manager. Accommodating working environment and change of work shifts is the minimum the company could have done for Robert.
- There could be several consequences on both, Robert and the company, if Robert is not supported and continues working in the environment that triggers his PTS. If perpetuated, Robert's condition will worsen; he might suffer from greater sleep disturbances, irritability, outbursts of anger, lower self-control, etc. If unresolved and unchecked, and unsupported, Robert might end up on a longer leave of absence to balance his mental health. Such potential and unnecessary leave of absence from work could have been easily avoided. Also, if consequences or nuances of mental illness is not fully understood by the Line Manager, it can be easily misunderstood which can then lead to unfair disciplinary actions.
- There are many ways to teach this invaluable skill. I would start with a more of a teachnical training, explaining nuances of mental illness and associated/existing company policies on the Mental Illness and what the company has put in place to support their workforce. There are many fantastic resources - both online and offline - on the topic of mental illness, which would be available to the employee / mentee. Role-playing is also a great method to explore different perspectives and re-affirm prior, theoretical learning. And lastly, workshops and lunch & learns are great ways of bringing people together and share knowledge.
- 1) All genders are represented across all levels across the organisation, especially in senior leadership / C-level roles 2) Both males and females have equal opportunities for promotion and/or inclusion in high-potential assessment and programmes 3) Women are treated equally to men, even if they choose to go on maternity leave and/or start family. Simply put, starting a family has no bearing on women's chances of advancing their careers
- 1) Significantly higher number of males in senior leadership roles than women 2) Men being promoted because they work 'longer hours' 3) Disparity in salaries (men earning more than women in comparable or same roles) 4) Certain roles being perceived only relevant for female (i.e. nurse, executive assistant, etc.) or only relevant for male (heavy-duty machinery, lorry drivers, STEM jobs, etc.) 5) Resistance from some men willing to report to a female leader 6) Sexual harassment cases
- 1) Wider talent pool and more diverse perspectives 2) Improved and enhanced collaboration 3) Better company and brand image (which important for reputation) 4) Greater profitability 5) Increase in Emotional Intelligence, specifically around Resilience and Empathy
- 8 The organisation can consider an improved work-life balance for those with childcare responsibilities and limit phone calls and e-mails (and general work expectations) after hours (i.e. after 6pm), so those with families can spend a quality time with their children and a partner.
- Brainstorming and role-playing exercise (switching roles, trying to understand various perspectives) Online learning, followed by a scenario-based assessment of acquired knowledge 1:1 Coaching
- I would potentially run an Emotional Intelligence psychometric assessment on the person I am mentoring and do a thorough 2-way feedback/coaching/exploration session. It's important to understand people's emotional responses in respect to themselves as well as others when tackling any biases or change in biases. Secondly, I would search and point out motivational Ted Talks videos that will showcase incredible achievement of a particular person that defied the age bias.
- 1) Resistant to change 2) Less adaptable to technology 3) Higher risk of absence from work due to illness/health related issues 4) Less ambitious 5) Stuck in their old routines / less adaptable
- 1) Incapable of leading teams if too young 2) Lack of self-discipline and time-management 3) Lack of practical experiences 4) Want to achieve and/or change things too fast 5) Less emotionally intelligent
- 1) Increased productivity and creativity 2) Wider range of skills and knowledge across teams and company-wide 3) Increase of diverse cultural insights 4) Increased engagement, profits and company's reputation
- 1) Negative or undesirable brand image (not well perceived by customers) 2) Decreased morale and engagement 3) Lower profitability 4) Hindered creativity 2)
- 1) How does it feel to work for our company? What has been your experience so far? 2) What would you like to learn about to make your experience with us more satisfying? 3) What can your line manager do better or start doing to make you more engaged? 4) Do you feel you are using all your talents and strengths in your current role? 5) What would tempt you to leave our organisation?
- 7 Offer mentorship programmes and regularly assess employees' strengths and talents in relation to their current job (and put them on a clearly-defined career pathway).
- Definitely through 1:1 coaching and real-life examples (especially when mentoring/training line managers who are responsible for others' career paths) Learning through Teaching method - giving the employee or mentee an ample opportunity to gather information and present to peers or to a leadership groups Role playing exercises. Blended learning - online and in-class (through engaging focus groups or lunch and learns)
- Generally, an anti-discrimination policy explains what steps the company is taking to prevent and avoid discrimination and protect their employees, customers and stakeholders from discriminatory and harmful behaviors. Furthermore, anti-discrimination policies are explicit in nature and hold all company stakeholders accountable to the same standards.
- 1. Create and clearly communicate anti-discrimination policies. Ensuring all employees have read and understood the policy. Additionally, having clear HR Standard Operating Procedures outlining the steps the company will take to investigate cases of discrimination and any consequences that will be associated with discriminatory behaviour (once investigated and confirmed). 2. Appoint internal anti-discrimination subject matter experts and/or ambassadors and hold regular meetings (lunch & learn, focus groups, etc.) 3. Engage employees by encouraging them to share positive stories and/or experiences about their out-of-work activities promoting anti-discrimination activities and/or volunteering with charitable organisations that combat discrimination (sharing positive examples helps employees to understand the importance of not just conforming but also helping to tackle discrimination issue). 4. If
- There are many ways employees can be mentored. One example is to share real stories from people who experienced discrimination first hand. It's imperative that employees (learners, trainees) understand the first-hand emotional implication the discrimination can have on an individual. Secondly, as HR and OD professional, I would also share real court cases where discriminatory behavour was 'punished' - either through financial fines or imprisonment. And lastly, there is a vast amount of available short videos and bite-size learning material that can be made available to employees, to start an ongoing conversation. The learning should be ongoing and people can progress within an organisation from an absolute beginner to a subject matter expert and mentor to others.
- Depending on who is being mentored (employee or line manager, or senior leader), some of the activities on increasing knowledge around inclusivity would encompass the following: 1) Mentored employee(s) be encouraged to connect and have a lunch with someone new in their organisation at least once a week 2) Encourage line mangers to create diverse project management groups. Whether hiring or promoting, HR should always challenge line managers on their choices, especially if the same or similar choices are made over and over again. So having historical data always helps when raising concerns or trying to mentor people managers 3) Senior Leaders can also be included in raising the awareness by either recording short, on-topic videos or writing a blog for a company newsletter and share with company-wide audience 4) Investing in Diversity Training is equally important; blending online learning with in-person lunch and learns, sharing experiences between employees and leaders, inclusively and together.
- We are already a very inclusive working environment; with fully inclusive practices and psychological safety in mind, our team collaboration is more fluent and open. People are not afraid of raising their concerns, views or opinions. Our employees don't come to work and fear they will be excluded from meetings or project because of their race, nationality, age, gender, etc. Our hiring practices are of a similar nature - we look at the best fit from personality and ability perspective, work experiences, etc. without holding any gender, race, nationality or age biases. We have many diverse groups and representation at all levels from the junior staff to the most senior person in the organisation.
- 1. Decrease in biases 2. Increase of trust 3. Leading by example / setting high standards 4. Diverse and varied perspectives from different parties/stakeholders 5. Increase in employee engagement in the law enforcement team
