Sabrina Norris, SHRM-SCP

However, it’s not enough to simply lead with empathy; leaders must live with empathy. This means consistently embodying empathetic values in every interaction and decision, creating an environment where employees feel genuinely valued and understood. When empathy is a lived experience, it fosters trust and loyalty, leading to a more cohesive and motivated workforce.

But... Do you want to propel your career? It’s important to understand whether the desire for a promotion is driven by genuine growth and fulfillment or if it’s masking other issues. Taking a step back to evaluate your motivations can help ensure that any career move aligns with your long-term goals and personal values. Sometimes, lateral moves or even taking a step back can provide new opportunities and perspectives that are more fulfilling in the long run. Before you do anything, you need to really consider if the need for career advancement is a symptom or a problem.

Remember, social media is a powerful tool to amplify your brand story. Don’t be afraid to take that first step—it’s less scary than it seems! Leveraging social media is crucial for sharing your brand story and connecting with your audience. You need to understand where your audience is most active. Research where your target audience spends their time. Tailor your content accordingly. Don’t hesitate to seek advice. Reach out to people who resonate with your message. Politely ask for tips or insights. Most people are happy to share their experiences. Observe successful individuals or brands in your niche. What content do they share? How do they engage with their audience? Adapt their strategies to fit your unique style. Start posting.

Your story evolves overtime as you grow, your values change, and your motivations change. You can't just "know your why?" You have to stay curious about your why. When you reflect on your story, you will start remembering key moments in your life that shaped that. This bank of memories will be the place you pull from when creating content about your story. You can't just relay information to people and expect them to connect with the story, no you need to weave in emotions. Instead of saying "I worked hard" say, "I pulled all-nighters fueled by coffee and determination. Before you know it, you will have captured concrete details, developed a consistent tone, and land in a play you are able to start practicing your story.

Monitoring progress is easier that it has ever been. Most payroll vendors have fairly good D&I dashboards in their analytics module to help you stay in front of trends. For smaller business that may not have access to an analytics dashboard, use power bi. It was built for small or medium size business you might not have a compliance team or a D&I department.

Most people will tell you to ensure the CEO champions the efforts. What if she doesn't? When talking with my peers, they often mention my recommendations are great but won't work for their organization because the CEO doesn't prioritize D&I. If the CEO doesn’t champion the initiative, there are still steps you can take to promote diversity and inclusion. My suggestion is, advocate from within by engaging with other leaders and employees who are passionate about D&I. Use this group to collect data on diversity metrics. Metrics like representation, pay equity, turnover rates, etc. use this information to start to build your compelling case for D&! This will help you demonstrate the impact on business operations.