EP: 51 We Building with Laura Kriska

12/09/21 • 44 min

We’re going to talk about a very important topic - living and working in diverse and equitable cultures. You may have heard about this as DEI or diversity, equity, and inclusion.

DEI is a term used to describe programs and policies that encourage representation and participation of diverse groups of people, including people of different genders, races and ethnicities, abilities and disabilities, religions, cultures, ages, and sexual orientations and people with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and skills and expertise. It’s a hot button at work today for sure and for good reason.

We will get farther ahead personally and professionally if we build the concept of “we” rather than staying in our own groups. It is important to understand the perspective of people that don’t believe what you believe or have different roots or a different upbringing. If we work towards a culture of acceptance, we can truly live, work and interact better together. I recently met someone who has lived in other cultures and is striving towards “we building".

Laura Kriska, is an expert on cross-cultural relations with more than 30 years of experience bridging gaps in diverse workplaces. She has worked with Fortune 500 companies on four continents helping thousands of professionals build trust across Us versus Them differences based on nationality, ethnicity, race, religion, age, or any factor of identity.

Laura’s We-building framework provides practicable and actionable insights for creating a more inclusive and productive world.

Laura and I talked about the following during our conversation:

1. How many of us grow up and live in homogenous towns

2. Ways we can branch out and encourage "we building" in homes and workplaces

3. How a lack of "we building" can happen between many different groups, including different cultures, races, religions, sexes, etc.

I was educated and encouraged by Laura’s words and I’m confident you will be too.

Resources:

Brave Women at Work Website: https://www.bravewomenatwork.com/

DEI Definition: https://trainingindustry.com/wiki/diversity-equity-and-inclusion/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-dei/

Laura Kriska's Website: https://www.laurakriska.com/

Laura Kriska's Assessment: https://www.laurakriska.com/assessment

The Business of We: The Proven Three-Step Process for Closing the Gap Between Us and Them in Your Workplace: https://www.amazon.com/Business-We-Three-Step-Process-Workplace/dp/140021680X/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+business+of+we+book+laura+kriska&qid=1636489483&qsid=132-4956091-0978944&sr=8-1&sres=140021680X%2CB00R92CL5E%2CB00M9K7L8S&srpt=ABIS_BOOK The Accidental Office Lady: An American Woman in Corporate Japan: https://www.amazon.com/Accidental-Office-Lady-American-Corporate/dp/4805311568/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2WMM3NRNTED8W&keywords=the+accidental+office+lady&qid=1636489531&qsid=132-4956091-0978944&sprefix=the+accidental+office%2Caps%2C211&sr=8-1&sres=4805311568%2CB09HN7NBFQ%2CB095N688F6%2CB091G2ZNS2%2C1946978159%2CB08LL8DYXF%2C1786818590%2CB07N69CLB9%2CB08WRNXQ9B%2C1786818574%2CB09BDKC839%2CB01GSNU76E%2CB07B8X6FFS%2CB08W5HMCQ9%2CB07M6FLWZR%2C158333582X&srpt=ABIS_EBOOKS

We’re going to talk about a very important topic - living and working in diverse and equitable cultures. You may have heard about this as DEI or diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Laura’s We-building framework provides practicable and actionable insights for creating a more inclusive and productive world.

Laura and I talked about the following during our conversation:

1. How many of us grow up and live in homogenous towns

2. Ways we can branch out and encourage "we building" in homes and workplaces

3. How a lack of "we building" can happen between many different groups, including different cultures, races, religions, sexes, etc.

I was educated and encouraged by Laura’s words and I’m confident you will be too.

Resources:

Brave Women at Work Website: https://www.bravewomenatwork.com/

DEI Definition: https://trainingindustry.com/wiki/diversity-equity-and-inclusion/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-dei/

Laura Kriska's Website: https://www.laurakriska.com/

Laura Kriska's Assessment: https://www.laurakriska.com/assessment

Previous Episode

EP: 50 Find Your Red Thread with Tamsen Webster

So, you’re probably wondering, “What is the red thread?” A red thread is the through-line of any story. It’s the answer to why people should care. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve blurted out my ideas without fully thinking them through. The words fall out of my mouth because of habit or because I’m afraid I’m going to forget my idea if I hold onto it. Can you relate?

During my conversation with Tamsen Webster, author of Find Your Red Thread: Make Your Big Ideas Irresistible, TedX speaker, and consultant, we discussed the importance of fully forming our ideas and presenting them with impact. When we follow these steps, people will buy into our ideas and endorse them. And who doesn’t want that?

Tamsen and I also discussed:

The back story behind the red thread
A few tips on how we can find our own red threads
What the idea gap is and how we can fill it
What mental hurdles may be stopping us from sharing our big ideas

This was such a fun and enlightening conversation. I hope you enjoy it and find your red thread as a result!

Resources:

Brave Women at Work: https://www.bravewomenatwork.com/

Brave Women at Work Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bravewomenatwork

Tamsen Webster: https://tamsenwebster.com/

Find Your Red Thread: Make Your Big Ideas Irresistible: https://tamsenwebster.com/book/

Next Episode

EP: 52 Heart Boss with Regan Walsh

I know that I feature a lot of books on the Brave Women at Work show, but the book Heart Boss by Regan Walsh really stole my heart. It's a great mix of Regan's personal stories and wisdom that get you thinking about how you can start trusting your intuition more.

I know that I often get caught up with being in my head instead of my heart. And while thinking logically will take us very far, sometimes you just have to go with your gut. During this conversation, Regan shares examples from her life and career when she did just that and proves that when you listen to your heart, you will always land in the right place.

Listen in to be inspired and motivated to take a deeper look at your own stories and to learn to trust yourself more than ever before.

Here’s a bit more about Regan: Regan Walsh is an NYU-certified executive and life coach who focuses on helping women who are over-programmed and underwhelmed to reclaim their lives, both personally and professionally. She contributes to Harvard Business Review and Forbes, and has been featured in Fast Company, Smart Business, NBC.com, and Today. She has coached thousands of women through her one-on-one and group coaching programs, and she is regularly asked to give keynotes, facilitate workshops, and speak on panels for Fortune 500 companies, industry associations, and foundations.

She has done so for clients like Nike, QuickBooks, JPMorgan, Nationwide Insurance, and more, for audiences ranging from 50 to 1,000.

She is also the author of Heart Boss: Trust Your Gut, Shed Your Shoulds and Create a Life You Love.

Resources:

Brave Women at Work:

https://www.bravewomenatwork.com/

Brave Women at Work Freebie: https://www.bravewomenatwork.com/freebie

Join the free Brave Women at Work Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bravewomenatwork

Heart Boss: https://reganwalsh.com/heartboss

Regan Walsh: https://reganwalsh.com/