Mary Crittenden Ford’s Post

Over the past decade, the expectations placed on companies regarding their company culture, leadership style, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategy have notably increased. This trend is not only evident globally but can also be observed in Belgium. Today's webinar shared some valuable insights on driving DEI initiatives within organizations. Some key takeaways from my perspective: 🔰Key strategies discussed, included: starting with an assessment of the current state, setting actionable targets, tracking progress regularly, and prioritizing employee feedback. Géraldine Nolens, Executive Vice President ESG & General Counsel at Umicore, highlighted a 4-Step Approach towards meaningful DEI implementation: 1️⃣ Translate DEI principles into the core fabric of the company's culture and values, ensuring they guide everyday practices and ethos. 2️⃣ Move beyond rhetoric by crafting a comprehensive DEI policy, outlining tangible commitments to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion across all organizational aspects. 3️⃣ Bring the DEI policy to life through concrete actions across the employee lifecycle. This includes integrating DEI into employer branding, refining interviewing processes, collecting employee feedback, and conducting comprehensive exit interviews. 4️⃣ Ensure accountability by establishing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that include DEI metrics, closely linked to performance evaluations and compensation structures. ❓'How do you measure the effectiveness of your DEI initiatives, and what metrics or KPIs do you use to track progress and ensure accountability?' 💡'We track KPIs related to hiring, retention, and promotion on a regular basis, allowing us to identify trends and address any disparities in real-time. Additionally, we regularly assess DEI progress and employee well-being through poll surveys, capturing insights on safety incidents, burnouts, and other relevant topics. These surveys, consisting of short questions on various aspects, are conducted regularly to gauge employee satisfaction and identify areas for improvement.' 👩💼🧑🏻💼👨🏾💼The importance of board leadership was also highlighted: ➡️ 'The Management Board plays a crucial role in preparing the organization for meaningful DEI initiatives. They are tasked with assessing the current state of DEI within the company, identifying areas for improvement, and developing a strategic roadmap for implementation.' ➡️ 'The Supervisory Board bears ultimate responsibility for ensuring that DEI policies exist and are effectively implemented within the organization. This oversight role extends beyond mere compliance to encompass active engagement, asking probing questions, and putting DEI on the agenda during board meetings.' By adopting these approaches, companies can help shape a future where diversity, equity, and inclusion are not just buzzwords but fundamental principles that drive sustainable business success.

Conferences are all about building genuine connections and engaging in meaningful conversations. This article is a great read for anyone looking to level up their networking game! Read more: https://lnkd.in/ehn9tQbZ #InterimLeadership #MBExec #WereProYou #InterimLeaders #Leadership #CFO #Legal #GeneralCounsel #Finance #HumanResources #Accounting #ExecutiveTransition #Talent #Networking

The Slackers Are Running the Joint—Gen X Law Firm Leaders and Their Impact LINK: https://lnkd.in/egx-923T #ConsultingIssues #TheDailyConsultant #Strategy #Innovation #Leadership #Management #Business #Operations #Advisory #Finance #Project #Policy #Process #Technology

As leaders grapple with global turbulence and financial instability, they face a stark reality: adapt or fall behind. Read new insights from Right Management in the latest report from Raconteur. https://lnkd.in/dCKW9Vq2 #leadership #advocacy #insights #RightManagement #MPGMiddleEast #MPGUAE

I've got a message for CEOs. If you want to run an efficient and effective business, consider taking a hands-off approach and developing effective delegation strategies. I have compelling data to support this perspective. **Productivity:** According to the American Management Association, organizations that delegate effectively experience a 30% increase in employee productivity. **Revenue:** Forbes reports that CEOs who delegate well see a 33% increase in revenue. **Employee Engagement:** Gallup's research indicates that when employees feel their skills are utilized through delegation, engagement levels rise by 70%. **Employee Turnover:** According to CEO Monthly, successful business owners who delegate effectively enjoy significantly lower employee turnover rates. Dr. Jim Schleckser is the CEO and Managing Partner of The CEO Project. He has extensive leadership experience across public and private sectors, as well as multiple industries. Jim has built, acquired, and led various companies, including international businesses with multiple operating units. Before founding The CEO Project, he served as the president of Spirent Communications PLC, a global publicly traded telecommunications firm. In addition to his professional accomplishments, Jim is actively involved with many non-profit organizations, including the National Association of Corporate Directors, Boy Scouts of America, and Youth With A Mission. He previously served as Chair of Junior Achievement of the National Capital Area and currently sits on the boards of Defenders, Daniel Defense, and AltoVista. Finding other high-performing CEOs to validate your critical business decisions can be challenging. At The CEO Project, we connect you with compatible groups and implement a proven framework for success. Our business advisory group helps accomplished CEOs tackle challenging issues, resolve constraints, drive growth, and improve outcomes. We guide hundreds of high-performing CEOs—many of whom are part of the Inc. 500/5000 list or recognized as E&Y Entrepreneurs of the Year—through a disciplined approach for addressing difficult issues, which leads to breakthrough thinking and better decision-making. Jim is also an engineer, an avid soccer player, a certified sommelier, and he recently climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. For more information, visit: https://theceoproject.com/  LinkedIn: @theceoproject  Email: jimschleckser@theceoproject.com  

“What’s the right way to think about the risks and rewards of selecting a board member as your next CEO? And if you decide to give a director the job, how can you—and the person you choose—maximize your chances of success?” Find out more by reading this great article by my colleagues at ghSMART

In my experience, business development in law firms is something most lawyers genuinely want to improve. But lawyers often struggle to make consistent time for BD. The paradox? Worrying about work pipeline while drowning in work. Sound familiar? If you’re a leader in your firm and you want to create more space to focus on what matters, After Action Reviews could be part of the solution. They help you reflect on what’s working, what’s not, and what you can do differently—all while building BD into your routine without adding more stress. When you work with me this is one of the things we look at - freeing up time. You can read more in the article. https://lnkd.in/gCcVPQcJ

I’m excited to share a new presentation I've developed that dives deep into the complexities of bias and offers practical strategies for fostering human-centered connections within organizations. Through personal stories, cutting-edge research, and real-world examples, we'll explore how to: * Embrace belonging with curiosity * Explore humanizing differences * Build inclusive, thriving teams I believe this collaborative work can help break the limitations of bias and nurture an inclusive workforce. Let's work together to create a culture of curiosity, empathy, and connection where everyone can thrive. Message me to learn more. #Leadership #DiversityAndInclusion #BreakingBias #HumanCenteredDesign #EmpathyInAction #InclusiveLeadership #WorkplaceCulture #LVJonesConsulting #DEI #HumanConnection #LeadershipDevelopment

“📢 Building trust with the team is an absolute must for effective leadership!🫱🏾🫲🏿” Check out Michael Termini’s incredible article on trust and empathy! 🌟 Michael emphasizes the importance of trust-building, highlighting how leaders who genuinely empathize with their team members create an environment where everyone feels valued and supported. #CSuiteSuccess #GuestColumn #TrustBuilding #EffectiveLeadership #EmpathyMatters #TeamPower

We have continued to notice point solutions are introduced over integrated solutions as the preferred approach in law firms due to what appears to be a lower-cost option to achieve a desired outcome. Such solutions often offer little value beyond their core function because they are not integrated or cannot be integrated with existing core systems. This leads to double handling of information reversing any productivity gains the firm intended to introduce. ‘Built to Last’ written by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras is based on rigorous research focused on leadership styles within organisations that were quantitively and qualitatively ahead of their competitors over the longer term. Similar to the organisations recognised in Built to Last, law firms need to take a more holistic view of the structure of their systems they introduce to excel over the longer term. #builttolast #integratedsystems #productivity #holisticview