Lessons learned running a marathon and how to apply these in DE&I
On Sunday 15th October, I ran 🏃♀️ the Amsterdam Marathon in memory of a dear friend and neighbour.
It was challenging weather conditions with heavy rain ☔️ and at one point hailstones but I got through it knowing that I was raising money for Sue Ryder hospice and have had wonderful messages of support on Linkedin and Facebook from friends, family and connections.
It got me thinking about lessons learned from my marathon that you can apply in other situations whether you’re a business owner, leader or colleague when it comes to progressing your Diversity, Equity and Inclusion agenda in the workplace:
🙌 you are capable of more than you think whether that’s mentally or physically. Push yourself out your comfort zone which I did running 🏃♀️ strong the whole course which if anyone that has ran 26.2 miles knows that can be challenging. And same applies when it comes to having conversations and taking action on DE&I. It will involve getting comfortable with being uncomfortable, having an open mindset and be willing to change how things are done.
🥰 enjoy the moment…I’m notorious for looking at my watch in a race so I consciously chose to take in my surroundings and enjoy seeing parts of the city as I ran. Sometimes we focus on the end point or finish than enjoy the journey. And you can apply this too when it comes to progressing your organisation’s inclusion journey. Remember to celebrate those small wins along the way!
💚 Believe in yourself and don’t let a bad day (the yucky weather) spoil your experience. Stop aiming for perfection. When it comes to building more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces, there will be mistakes along the way, things don’t go to plan or it does not have the intended impact BUT this is how we learn. As long as we learn and stay the course, ride the bumpy bits with the smooth we will get there!
❤️ Appreciate the support around you. I had so many people calling my name and cheering me on. Amsterdam is one of the friendliest cities with people lining the whole route high fives 🙌 and handing out sweets. To progress your organisation’s DE&I agenda you need your cheerleaders, supporters and those willing to step up, take responsibility and lead by example. It’s not just HR. It’s everyone’s role. Focus and maximise the support you get from those who already get it, want to change things and use this to build momentum and bring others with you!
I’ve almost recovered now from my marathon. Will I run another?! Who knows- maybe 😂!
Need support like I did helping to navigate your organisation’s Inclusion journey?
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You feel overwhelmed and unsure where to start
You don’t know where to focus your organisation’s resources and efforts to drive meaningful change
You need help putting together a framework for your DE&I strategy
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Pre-call questionnaire to assess your organisation’s inclusion journey across 5 key pillars
1 hour call with me to identify top 3 pain points and areas for improvement
Review of your top 3 HR policies through an inclusion lens highlighting areas for improvement (worth £200)
Mini action plan to overcome barriers and move forward post session and
1 month’s unlimited email/WhatsApp support from me for advice, guidance and questions and answers! (worth £125)
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What you’ll get is:
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Book a call with me to find out more!
