Why Your Company Needs Employee Resource Groups

Many organizations are beginning to address their Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity (DEI) policies. From funding professional development programs for minority staff to ensuring equality in the hiring and promotional process. A great way to implement a long-lasting shift towards inclusivity is by chartering Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). ERGs are voluntary, employee-led groups which increase inclusion and encourage a sense of belonging within organizations. There’s a reason 90% of Fortune 500 companies have ERGs. These groups are the perfect way to attract diverse talent, ensure the career development of your employees, and encourage progressive conversations in the workplace. 

A traditional ERG is composed of an executive sponsor, leadership team, membership base, and allies. Members of the organization are individuals who belong to the ERG’s selected group. For example, a female employee would be considered a member of the Women’s ERG. In addition to members, allies should be encouraged to join ERGs and attend open events. An ally would be an individual who is a dedicated supporter of the selected group. For example, a male employee would be considered an ally for the Women’s ERG. Both allies and members will play an important role in advancing the organization’s initiatives and attending group events. 

There are countless benefits to chartering ERGs for your organization:

1. These groups create a safe place for members to meet, discuss shared hardships, and attend specific events focused on their professional or personal development. Many teams hold meetings teaching members how to confront uncomfortable stereotypes in the workplace.

2. ERGs form a place where members and allies can come together to discuss difficult subjects like unconscious bias and work together to form company-specific solutions to discrimination. These conversations will highlight the disadvantages that your minority team members face and increase awareness. All in all, an ERG is the perfect initiative to boost your DEI plans and ensure that your employees feel included, safe, and engaged. 

3. ERGs foster the perfect environment for networking and building relationships between different groups. Bringing together similar individuals in an ERG will allow employees to form and strengthen communities within your workplace and create a tighter knit organization. In addition to this, allies will be encouraged to learn more about the groups they support from actual members through events like TED Talk viewings, speaker presentations, or group panels.

I highly recommend starting one of these ERGs in your workplace to further your DEI initiatives, increase employee inclusion, and foster a spirit of belonging. 

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 Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

Interesting Time Management Statistics

Do you struggle with time management in the office? Whether it's the constant temptation of social media or a loquacious coworker, creating an uninterrupted and focused work time can be difficult.

Here are some astonishing facts about time management, showing that you are not alone: 

• The average office worker receives 121 mails every day.

• On average, people check email and instant messages every 6 minutes. (RescueTime)

• 40% of office workers never get more than 30 minutes of straight focused time in a workday. (RescueTime)

• On average, office workers get 1 interruption every 8 minutes, or approximately 7 an hour, or 50-60 per day.

• Researchers found that productivity dropped as much as 40% when subjects tried to do two or more things at once. (University of Michigan)

• Refocusing your efforts after just one interruption can take up to 23 minutes. (University of California Irvine)

• 21% of the device time during working hours is spent on entertainment, news, and social media. (RescueTime). Top sites: Youtube, Facebook, Reddit, Twitter, Amazon.

These facts highlight just how it can be difficult it is to manage our time in the workplace properly. However, there are proven ways to increase your productivity. Let these facts guide you to remain determined and focused throughout your workday!

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

Diversity and Inclusion Employee Survey

Interested in increasing diversity and inclusion within your organization, but unsure where to start? A great beginning point is an organization-wide survey in order to gain feedbackf. By gathering and analyzing this information, your team can understand the current status of your organization and create a clear path towards improving D&I. Below is an example of a diversity and inclusion survey that can be easily altered to fit your team!

Important Terms to Understand: 

Diversity - similarities and differences of people in our workforce, our clients and the community in which we serve; includes characteristics that may be visible such as race, gender and age and less obvious characteristics like personality style, ethnicity, ability, education, religion, sexual orientation, and family situations that make us similar to and different from one another.

Equity - seeks to ensure fair treatment, equality of opportunity, and fairness in access to information and resources for all. This is only possible in an environment built on respect and dignity.

Inclusion - builds a culture of belonging by actively inviting the contribution and participation of all people.

Attitudes Towards Diversity and Inclusion Questions

The organization shows a clear commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity.

• Strongly Agree    

• Agree

• Neither Agree nor Disagree

• Disagree

• Strongly Disagree

The organization creates an environment for free and open expression of ideas, opinions, and beliefs.

• Strongly Agree    

• Agree

• Neither Agree nor Disagree

• Disagree

• Strongly Disagree

The upper-level management team shows a clear commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity.

• Strongly Agree    

• Agree

• Neither Agree nor Disagree

• Disagree

• Strongly Disagree

My manager shows a clear commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity.

• Strongly Agree    

• Agree

• Neither Agree nor Disagree

• Disagree

• Strongly Disagree

Employees of all cultures and backgrounds feel valued and respected in this organization.

• Strongly Agree    

• Agree

• Neither Agree nor Disagree

• Disagree

• Strongly Disagree

I feel included and respected. 

• Strongly Agree    

• Agree

• Neither Agree nor Disagree

• Disagree

• Strongly Disagree

Belonging Questions

I feel that I belong in this organization. 

• Strongly Agree    

• Agree

• Neither Agree nor Disagree

• Disagree

• Strongly Disagree

I feel free to be myself at this organization. 

• Strongly Agree    

• Agree

• Neither Agree nor Disagree

• Disagree

• Strongly Disagree

The organization and my team value my contributions. 

• Strongly Agree    

• Agree

• Neither Agree nor Disagree

• Disagree

• Strongly Disagree

I am recognized for my accomplishments at this organization. 

• Strongly Agree    

• Agree

• Neither Agree nor Disagree

• Disagree

• Strongly Disagree

I feel included in communications about important information.

• Strongly Agree    

• Agree

• Neither Agree nor Disagree

• Disagree

• Strongly Disagree

When I speak up at work, my opinion is valued.

• Strongly Agree    

• Agree

• Neither Agree nor Disagree

• Disagree

• Strongly Disagree

Recruitment and Advancement Questions

The organization recruits and hires employees from diverse backgrounds.

• Strongly Agree    

• Agree

• Neither Agree nor Disagree

• Disagree

• Strongly Disagree

The organization is fair in its hiring and promotion practices. 

• Strongly Agree    

• Agree

• Neither Agree nor Disagree

• Disagree

• Strongly Disagree

Advancement and professional development opportunities are fairly given to all staff. 

• Strongly Agree    

• Agree

• Neither Agree nor Disagree

• Disagree

• Strongly Disagree

Discrimination and Harassment Questions

I know where and how to report concerns about discrimination and/or harassment.

• Strongly Agree    

• Agree

• Neither Agree nor Disagree

• Disagree

• Strongly Disagree

The organization takes appropriate action in response to incidents of discrimination and/or harassment.

• Strongly Agree    

• Agree

• Neither Agree nor Disagree

• Disagree

• Strongly Disagree

I strongly encourage you to utilize these questions as the backbone for your diversity and inclusion survey. Feel free to add extra segments or tweak the existing questions to better suit your organization’s needs. Hopefully, this tool will help you on your journey to creating a more inclusive workplace culture, ensuring that your organization harnesses the true benefits of diversity.

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LEARN MORE

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

Three Keys to Formulating Your DEI Strategy

It feels as if overnight, the focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) has shifted from being a “nice to have” to an essential part of an organization’s reputation and brand. While it is positive that there is a significant newfound focus on this area, some are rushing to be part of this emerging wave without a clear plan. Below are three key elements to include while developing a DEI strategy in order to ensure that your focus is intentional and effective. 

1.     Understand Your Organization’s Current State: 

Before you enact a DEI strategy, you should have a clear understanding of your starting point by identifying employee diversity across the organization. Start by compiling and analyzing the percentages of minority employees at the entry, management, and executive levels. Even if you feel your company has good diversity, a common issue many notice is that most of that diversity is at the bottom of the chain compared to senior levels. It is important to continue periodically tracking progress as it enables your executive team to understand the organization’s current state, highlight gaps, develop targets.

While numbers are telling, an important method for understanding how DEI is perceived at your organization is to gather employees’ thoughts of the overall organization, their leadership team, and supervisor’s commitment to DEI through surveys and focus groups. Listening to your employees is crucial for getting a pulse on their experiences and for learning from your team about the DEI initiatives that they value.  

2.    Create a Leadership Talent Pipeline:

Frequently executives express the difficulty in finding well-qualified, diverse candidates for leadership roles. To alleviate this issue, I advise developing a leadership talent pipeline that plans the development and promotion of highly talented and diverse employees over ten years.  Over a planning session, identify employees with future leadership potential and ensure they are diverse candidates. Then, document a talent development plan for each that includes targeted training, coaching, job rotations, performance reviews and potential promotion schedules in two-year increments for the next ten years. After this initial planning, periodically review and amend this pipeline throughout the years as candidates progress. 

3.     Encourage Discussions and Learning Related DEI Topics:

In order to harness the full advantages of diversity, you must build a culture of inclusion and belonging within your team. One method is to establish internal Employee Networks.  These are employee-led groups that center around individuals who share characteristics such as gender, ethnicity, interest, or other defining criteria. These networks seek to increase inclusion by planning activities that promote DEI discussions. Additionally, they also provide mentorship, encourage skill development, and create a sense of community for their members and allies. For these groups to be effective, it is essential for the executive team to show their support, provide funding, truly listen to these networks, and include the employee networks as part of the organization’s DEI strategy. 

            With a genuine and intentional focus on DEI, not only do organizations create a healthier work culture, but they will have positive impacts on their employees’ personally by encouraging them to value the differences in others and have an inclusive mindset. This will result in a ripple effect that creates a healthier community.

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Learn more about Dima Ghawi’s DEI Strategy and Training.

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

Motivating Your Virtual Team

An essential part of being an effective manager is motivating your teams. After a difficult quarter or a hard week, nothing is better than recognizing those team members who went above and beyond to ensure the success of your group and the company. When making the switch to working virtually many leaders may find this hard to incorporate into their new remote management styles. In this blog, I will share with you ideas of motivating virtual teams. 

Recognizing individual team members and their successes is just as important for virtual teams as it is for groups who meet in a physical office space. I once heard a story of a remote manager who wanted to thank one of his employees who had worked overtime for a week in order to meet stressful corporate deadlines. The manager thought back to previous conversations with this employee and remembered him mentioning his favorite pizza place within the neighborhood. In order to show his appreciation, this manager called up the restaurant and paid for a full dinner to be delivered to the employee and his family. Through acts like these, we can show our gratitude to hard-working employees and motivate our teams to work diligently.

You can further motivate your teams by reminding them that you are invested in their professional growth. For virtual teams, frequently share links to training opportunities or possible promotions that may interest your employees. Showcase the recent affinity groups or opportunities for advancement that your corporation may be involved with. Have one-on-one meetings with team members to discuss their future career goals and put together plans for how to achieve this with the resources of your company. By continuing to support your employees’ professional growth, you highlight your investment in them and their importance to the organization as a whole. This motivational strategy results in higher engagement and output from employees even when working from home. 

In addition to this, motivate your employees with virtual team building activities. Many organizations are now hosting coffee meetings or happy hours on certain days of the week. By switching just one meeting to a themed gathering or fun event, you can motivate your employees to tune into professional discussions and engage them with your future messages. These alterations may be just what your team needs in order to make it through a difficult work week.  

By being intentional in motivating your employees and finding creative ways to do so, you can encourage your virtual team members to feel connected and motivated.

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

Three Tips For Connecting With Your Remote Team

One of the major challenges of leading a remote team is creating a sense of connection between team members, managers, and the corporate strategy. While a physical office space allows for casual conversations and group breaks, virtual organizations require a little extra work to establish a sense of communication and integration. By being intentional, you can unite your team even if they work thousands of miles apart by enhancing these three essential connections. Here are three connections pointes that are essential for any team:

Connecting the Manager to Individual Team Members

When working virtually, it can be easy to let connections to your team members slip over time. I recommend setting up weekly one-on-one meetings with each of your employees in order to catch up with your employees and understand their personal and professional situations. Use this time to discuss their progress with current projects and track their current workload. if you are having a difficult time keeping up with all of your employees as well as their various projects and needs, then try implementing a project tracking sheet. I recommend having each team member complete it on a weekly bases and share it with you. This can help you and your team members stay informed about the status of various projects and hold team members accountable. Additionally, this sheet will help you to to move towards a more results-oriented management style. By remaining intentional with your connection to individual team members, you can stay informed about current projects, hold employees accountable, and effectively manage your remote team.

Connecting Team Members to Corporate Strategy

As we transition to working from home, our days can be consumed by task after task, creating a mundane routine of simply getting the work done. Many employees feel disconnected from the bigger picture of understanding the overall corporate strategy. This will make them lose meaning in their work and feel lonely and distant. To change this, keep the team updated on the organization’s key messages and spread this with your team at the start of department meetings or through motivational emails. Inform your employees about key changes in policy, so they feel integrated and included. Be intentional about communicating the upper-level strategy and decisions which may affect their careers. By making the effort to gather and share this information, you create a sense of belonging and purpose within your organization and empower employees by sharing how their specific task will contribute to the company’s success. 

Connecting Team Members With Each Other 

Without a shared break room or watercooler area, it may be difficult to stimulate casual communication between team members. However, this connection is integral to strengthening your team and creating a more cohesive workforce. The simplest recommendation is to set up “virtual watercooler time” at the start of departmental meetings. Once you have your team gathered in your video chat or conference call, set aside five to ten minutes to allow your employees to catch up with each other’s lives and current projects. Small activities like these can bring your team together even if they do not share a physical office space. Furthermore, encourage communication between team members by creating “accountability partners.” With this exercise, employees will select a peer to meet with throughout the week in order to discuss projects, provide support, and track the progress of work together. Utilizing these techniques will help you bring your team together and grow group bonds. 

Through these activities, you and your employees will remain connected and productive when working from home. By remaining intentional and taking the time to reach out to your employees, you will strengthen team bonds and increase trust and productivity within your remote organization. With these three essential connections, you can lead your virtual team to success.

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

Tips for Managers New to Managing Virtual Teams

With virtual teams on the rise, it is more and more important that we familiarize ourselves with the effective techniques of managing a remote organization. This may be a daunting task to those new to the skills and technology needed to motivate, engage, and lead virtual teams, but with the proper training anyone can create a sense of unity, productivity, and support through remote platforms. In this blog, I will share my top three pieces of advice for managers who are new to leading virtual teams. 

Adapt to New Technology

I started working virtually in 2004, then, I led global teams using only a laptop and my telephone. Nowadays, we have a multitude of technological softwares and virtual platforms where managers can connect with their teams, see them virtually, and communicate with them real-time. Ensure that your department has the tools and resources needed to successfully collaborate with both employees and managers to create a cohesive remote environment for all team members. For the employees that are struggling to adapt, spend time with them and provide video tutorials.

Schedule Frequent and Purposeful Meetings

As we move into the virtual workspace, don’t forget that you have to lead your entire team through this transition as well! I would recommend scheduling a department meeting where you and your team can discuss the process of shifting to a virtual team and actively listen to their questions and challenges regarding this change. Be open to concerns and have helpful information handy for frequent technology issues. Additionally, use this initial transition meeting to set clear expectations for your remote team. Be clear about the organization’s standards and your needs as a manager. Follow this meeting up with weekly or bi-monthly department meetings in order to ensure that your team is continuing to succeed and thrive even when working remotely. 

Communication

Communication is essential for any team, whether in the office or working from hundreds of miles apart. Ensure that you and your team are on the same page by establishing strong lines of contact with each of your employees, corporate, as well as your mentors or other individuals in your professional life. When sharing information, try not to overload your team with emails or long, meticulous messages; these can be hard to read and process. Instead, stay engaged through a variety of platforms like video chats, phone calls, and even instant messages, and learn which of these techniques works best with each of your employees. Some of my team members even prefer texts! By improving your virtual communication skills you will strengthen your ties to your remote team and increase connection throughout your organization. 

Managing teams can be a challenging task on its own without the added complexity of virtual interfaces. These tips will help those of you transitioning into a remote workforce and improve the connection of your organization through added communication, useful meetings, and integral technology. They will help you unify and lead your remote team and ensure productivity, accountability, and engagement from your employees. 

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

Virtual Team Building Activities

 As many organizations make the transition to managing remotely, it is integral to maintain employee engagement even when working virtually! Think about ways to draw your employees together for communication, problem-solving, or creative-thinking tasks, which will strengthen teamwork and improve the bonds within your company. In this blog, I will share with you three virtual team building activities for remaining connected when working remotely. 

Virtual Lunch Meeting

 Set up a video call lunch meeting with your team, covering their meal expenses if your organization is able. Encourage your employees to order from local restaurants and host a casual gathering where team members can catch up on their personal and professional lives. With the added fun of food, team members will be drawn to this event! Think about making it a monthly recurrence to maintain these levels of communication. Through this activity, you encourage communication within your organization while also highlighting the ways your company supports local establishments. 

Opening Meetings with Check Ins

 Working from home can be incredibly stressful and isolating. Team leaders can help employees lessen this burden by showing interest in their mental and emotional states through this team building activity. At the start of weekly meetings, go around the virtual conference room, and encourage each team member to share one word about how they are currently feeling. Whether this be sad or happy or hopeful, this moment of vulnerability and trust allows leaders to gain insight into what their team needs and helps employees gain a sense of how their co-workers are feeling. If you want to make it fun, you can ask them to share one word of how they are feeling and then followed by them sharing the last thing they ate. 

Family and Pet Video Chat

 Small children and pets can often be a distraction for our team members working from home, but this activity puts them in the spotlight! Schedule a short, around 30 minute, meeting for your organization, and encourage employees with children or pets to bring their little ones to the video call. Start the meeting by asking your employee’s children to share what they think their parents do at work! This is sure to bring a bundle of joy and laughs to your team and show team members that you care about their family and home life. This is the perfect light-hearted team building activity for the end of a busy week or stressful quarter!

 I hope these three ideas help you and your virtual teams increase interconnection and employee engagement. With a little bit of creativity, we can put together exciting activities that draw our teams closer to one another and ease the isolation and social stresses of working remotely. If you are doing something interesting with your organization, please share it with us in the comments below!

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

Unlocking the Power of Public Speaking to Increase Book Sales

As writers, we know how to put pen to paper and create engaging, powerful content. However, promoting our work is equally integral to strong writing, and public speaking provides a valuable way to increase book sales.

When I first published my memoir, Breaking Vases, I gleefully set up a book signing with a local bookstore. However, to my dismay, I spent two long hours trying to catch the attention of anyone willing to listen. I only sold six copies that day—I was completely disheartened.

In the same week, I was booked to present at a conference, and had set up a small booth in the lobby of the event. After my speech, there was a line of people eagerly waiting to purchase their signed copy. The two boxes I brought stuffed with books were empty by the end of the event – I sold over 60 books.

These experiences were an eye opener as a self-published author. To this day my public speaking events have produced much larger book sales, and I learned that connecting with an audience is the most powerful marketing tactic to increase sales.

If You’re Uncomfortable With Public Speaking:

It’s completely normal to be terrified of public speaking, but what matters is not allowing this fear to stand in our way. Start small and contact your local libraries, chambers of commerce, and places of worship—this will give you smaller, low-stakes engagements to get use to speaking.

It’s also important to remember that you don’t have to be the loudest, most energetic person in the room to be a good speaker. Your speaking style should be a reflection of who you are—whether that’s energetic or soft spoken and inviting

Before Booking an Event:

Speaking to the right audience and knowing what they need is essential to the success of our presentations. We need to start by defining our audience. Who would benefit from hearing our talk? Why should they care about our messages? What value are they gaining from reading our book?

When writing Breaking Vases, I knew my book would revolve around my journey of leadership transformation as a woman, so I focused on speaking at conferences for women; and I crafted my presentation to hit on the key points my audience would care about.

Once a speaking engagement is booked, I recommend three things to make sure presentations boosts book sales:

Give Away a Copy of Your Book

Giving away 1-2 copies of our books as a door prize will excite any audience. It makes us look generous and also makes attendees excited for the possibility of winning the book. Additionally, before the door prize, I always like to pass around a copy or two of my book to my audience to peak their interest. Usually, attendees will be more likely to purchase it after holding a physical copy.

Ask for a Vendor Table

Always request a vendor table for book sales. This gives the opportunity to meet interested audience members, sign copies of the book, and make sales right after the speech. If you’re unsure how many copies to bring, I usually estimate that about 25% of my audience will buy a copy of my book and plan accordingly.

Negotiate Bulk Sales with the Event Organizers

Contact the event organizers and see if they are interested in purchasing copies as a gift to attendees at a bulk rate. I usually give them 25% off. This way, every audience member will leave with a copy and will spread the word within their networks. While it may seem like a large discount up front, but this allows us to sell a large quantity and share our message with the entire conference.

When we get on stage to share our work, we’re not only sharing our books’ mission, but we’re sharing our energy with attendees—igniting a passion for our books that will spark the greatest word of mouth. Public speaking is one of the most authentic and powerful marketing tools at our disposal, and once we harness its power our book sales and readers will skyrocket.

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

Managing Virtual Teams

In the current climate, many organizations are switching to virtual interfaces and find themselves seeking guidance for their remote teams. Dima’s interactive online presentation teaches attendees how to stay connected while working remotely. She equips managers with actionable strategies to effectively lead their teams virtually, improving morale, performance, and engagement. 

Watch the recording of a recent webinar that Dima gave to HR professionals.

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

Elevate Your Online Brand

Brands have the power to influence people’s perception, and by understanding your personal and company’s brands, you have the power to strengthen the perception of your uniqueness and value. Watch this webinar and learn how to create and communiate your online presence & brand.

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

Staying Productive during Fears of the Coronavirus

These past few weeks have grown increasingly tumultuous as fears of the coronavirus have spread across the world. With this global pandemic, we can find ourselves growing anxious over our health and the people we love. Additionally, the state of the economy may lead to increasing pressures on our businesses, causing strain for both managers and employees. Many of my clients have been reaching out to me for advice, and these are a few of the actionable steps we can take to continue progressing our personal and professional lives during these times.

Be careful about media consumption.

It is necessary to keep up to date with ongoing situations, but an overload of social media and stressful information may breed anxiety and foster a negative emotional state. My personal stress levels constantly increased with the amount of news I consumed, causing me to grow anxious about things I could not control. Viewing news, social media, and other information is something we need to be wise about during this time. Evaluate your mental health and determine how you can receive necessary information while also managing your emotional wellbeing.

What can you do to assist your employer?

With the recent economic trends, businesses around the globe have been severely impacted by COVID-19. These times can be increasingly stressful for upper-level managers in your companies. In an effort to maintain productivity and ease their strain, think about ways to show your value. Reevaluate features of your job and unique ideas you have had in the past to show your employer that you are truly invested in the success of the company. Highlight changes that might increase productivity through virtual interfaces or improve team communication. By assisting your managers, you showcase your commitment to the company while also helping your organization move through these trying times.

Completing old tasks.

Many companies are allowing individuals to work from home in an effort to decrease the spread of the coronavirus. With decreased commute times and slower business, you may have more free time to catch up on old tasks and improve upon your professional skills. Take the initiative to go through past to-do lists and complete jobs that had been left by the wayside. In addition to working through forgotten tasks, use this time to learn new skills which will assist your future professional growth. By utilizing this extra time efficiently, we can further ourselves and our businesses through dedicated work and productivity.

Help those around you.

It is important to think about the individuals who were unable to rush to grocery stores to buy food and cleaning supplies. Safely reach out to those in your community who may need help to stay afloat during this global crisis. Additionally, by being a listening ear and communicating with loved ones, you may comfort those around you. As a helping hand and a good friend, you may lessen the burden others are feeling and help your community remain united through this pandemic.

Learn from this experience.

As with most experiences we have had in our lifetimes, we can learn from the trials and tribulations of the coronavirus. From improving our virtual communication skills to taking actionable steps to increase our professional toolbox, there is a multitude of opportunities available for us to continue growing and progressing. What can you do in these times to make yourself a better employee, manager, or business owner?

I hope you and your loved ones remain safe and healthy during this time. Through these tips, we will be able to control our fears about COVID-19 and continue to move forward with our personal and professional lives.

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

Tips For Working Virtually

In the modern era, more and more teams are making the transition to work virtually. This movement to online platforms may challenge management staff and office productivity; however, with the right knowledge it is possible to establish a strong, interconnected, and effective remote team. For years, I have managed global teams through online interfaces, even working long-term with employees I never had the chance to physically meet. Through this blog post, I will share with you my advice for organizations moving to virtual platforms.

Develop and cultivate trust with your manager

This is a primary concern for many managers as they transition to a remote team. Leaders may find it difficult to trust that work will be completed or that their employees will be at their top productivity levels. There is a basis for these fears; some team members will take advantage of this lack of oversight and mismanage their time. However, this is not the case for all employees and by increasing trust through open communication and visibility, teams can continue to function effectively even virtually. Ensure that you and your work are visible with frequent updates to your manager. Send weekly emails regarding your work status and the goals you have met. Stay connected with your team and keep informed about the ongoings of your organization.

Increase communication

Communication is incredibly important to all workplaces, but it can be easy to fall off the grid when working virtually. Make an effort to increase communication with your team through visibility updates and check ins. Additionally, remain present during virtual communication. In the age of Skype and Zoom, conducting online face-to-face interactions are relatively easy, but it can be equally easy to mentally disengage from these calls. Refrain from muting yourself and actively engage in the discussions instead. Remember that your word choice and voice tone matters a great deal when communicating through phone or video calls. I often make an effort to answer phone calls while standing to ensure that my voice sounds strong, confident, and professional. By increasing communication and remaining engaged with virtual meetings, your remote team will stay connected and high-functioning.

Minimize outside distractions

Whether in the workplace or at home, we are all faced with different distractions. Create a list of things that are frequent distractions and work actively to limit them. Whether this means moving to a different space in your house to reduce noise or limiting social media use during work hours. Decreasing these distractions will increase your overall productivity. Designating a room, desk, or even table area as your work space may increase your overall focus and attention during your remote work. Make sure to keep this area clean and organized and ensure that it is removed from possible distractions.

Set important limits

Working from home can blur the boundaries between personal and professional life, causing high-focused individuals to lead long and intensive workdays. To keep a healthy work-life balance, make sure to know when you’re going to log in and out. Keep track of your hours and ensure that you are not exceeding a healthy amount of work. In addition to this, take regular breaks during the work day to hydrate, snack, or even complete small household chores. Similar to meeting with your co-workers in the break room, these brief moments away from work will increase your productivity when you return to your computer. Through these steps, you can create a healthy routine for your virtual work life.

I hope these tips will help you become more comfortable with virtual teams and increase the productivity of your organization. By taking simple steps to increase employee visibility, enhance communication, decrease possible distractions, and create a healthy work-life balance, your remote team will be set up for success.

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

Envision The Team's Potential

When talking about his method for creating beautiful stone sculptures, Michelangelo once stated, “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”

Starting with a large, untouched block of marble, Michelangelo would take time to envision the final result of what it could be. He would spend time envisioning his masterpiece from all angles and considering all possibilities. After diligent planning and visioning, Michelangelo would take specialized tools to chip away at the marble methodically and refine it until the marble’s inner angel was set free.

While this is a great method for artists, Michelangelo also offers a process that can be applied to the modern workplace. Paralleling Michelangelo’s guidelines, managers can envision future aspirations to help define current goals and create a detailed plan to achieve them

As Michelangelo chips away at the marble, we should chip away at the challenges in the office to remove our employees’ fears, insecurities, and general inefficiency in the organization. This process requires the use of well refined skills, such as effective communication, team building, and employee engagement. This process is not easy and often takes time, but it has the most tangible results. As we carve away menial stress in the work, a rough outline of our offices’ full potential will materialize.

Michelangelo’s process reminds me of an experience I had during my first management job. At the start of my term, my predecessor took the time to review individual members of the team with me, highlighting their personal strengths and weaknesses as well as their professional goals. However, when we came to one team member named Mike, she quickly dismissed him, telling me that he was on a short list of people to be laid off. She described him as an aloof and a low performer, reinforcing the fact that there was little hope for his future with the company.

However, while conducting meetings with my new team, it felt increasingly odd to simply ignore Mike. I eventually scheduled a time to meet with him, and I was blown away by our interaction. Contrary to what had been said, Mike was filled with energy and seemed eager to learn. He passionately discussed his interest in writing business reports and running analytics for current projects. However, when I reviewed his work load, it was filled with highly strategic and relationship building work--the exact opposite of his personal strengths. It was at that moment when I saw the angel in the marble and began to create a plan for Mike with his professional potential in mind. I worked closely with him to create a workload of engaging and challenging projects, chipping away at his dissatisfaction with the company.

After frequent meetings to check up on his personal goals and accomplishments, I slowly began to see Mike’s true capabilities and revealing the angel within the marble. Through this process of introspection, planning, and action, Mike transformed from a distant, hopeless employee to a shining star on my team. This process helped me envision my employee’s unseen capabilities and lead to the overall enhancement of my professional team. The power of foresight can guide leaders through a myriad of affairs, encouraging critical thinking and defining individual and team goals.

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

Be an Effective Leader: Start By Being a Hero

The term hero conjures up a variety of images in one’s mind. From comic book drawings of strong individuals defeating evil counterparts to modern movies depicting teams of super human beings saving their cities, these Hollywood heros are different from the individuals I am referring to. My vision of a workplace hero aligns closely with the Greek definition of the word, “the protector.” As a leader in the workplace, one’s primary role is to protect their team. A workplace that feels safe and well guided will function more efficiently and productively, increasing employee satisfaction and company results. Lead by a manager who is actively concerned about the well being of those in their workforce, these employees will rise above their counterparts, fueled by the energy of their leaders. With this, there will be an overwhelming amount of trust established, allowing for personal and professional growth in the office.

Additionally, a hero provides their team with a sense of hope. This is an integral aspect of leadership, as hope has been proven to increase workplace engagement and satisfaction. In a recent Gallup poll which asked employees “whether their leader at work made them feel enthusiastic about the future,” of those who strongly agreed, nearly 70% were engaged in their work (Gallup). These statistics illustrate the importance of hope in the workplace, demonstrating the effect of inspiration on workplace engagement.

As leaders, we can inspire hope by focusing on our employees, evaluating their daily challenges and praising their strengths. Through this, a hero emphasizes the power of the individual, inspiring those on their team to work towards their fullest potential. Optimism also springs from a sense of stability in the company. We can facilitate this by creating a solid foundation and business strategy for our teams and reinforcing a long-term company vision.

As a hero, we take on the task of protecting, guiding, and inspiring our teams. These responsibilities, in turn, produce a safe, engaging, and creative workplace fueled by future aspirations and goals. With these ideas in mind, the culture becomes part of the strategy, interwoven in the company’s success and tied to their community. This stresses the importance of an empathetic, attentive, and proactive leadership, highlighting the positive effects of becoming a hero in the workplace.

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

How to Create a Buzz on Social Media Before Your Book is Launched

This article was published by the Writer's Digest

We are in an exciting age of publishing where authors can take control of their story and act as the writer, publisher, and even marketer for their book. As a new author, my focus was putting my heart and soul into my writing; however, through my journey of launching my memoir Breaking Vases, I learned that finishing the manuscript is only 50% of the work. The other 50% is promoting the book. When it comes to advertising, social media is one of the most powerful avenues available and provides us meaningful ways to engage with readers and generate anticipation for our work.

Here are seven tips to create buzz for your book through social media:

1. Monthly Updates: Share monthly status updates with your followers to make them eager to get their hands on your book. Starting six months prior the launch date, post short videos or written posts sharing your progress and details about why you decided to write your book. Make sure your posts not only convey your hard work, but the meaning, emotions, and value your book offers.
2. Engage Your Network: Request input from your followers through interactive questions and polls regarding thing like book titles, design, or any other creative elements along the way. People love to share their opinions, and in return they feel invested in your project.
3. Assemble a Launch Team: Reach out to your network to find supporters of your work who would like to be part of your launch team: a group that will read your book prior to launch, provide their input, write reviews, and share your posts on social media to drum up support. In return, think of a special gift for them, such as signed copies of your book or complimentary access to a workshop or program that you offer.
4. Start a Countdown: As your launch date approaches, start a countdown to inform your followers and create excitement. Generate buzz the day of the launch by sharing multiple posts and showing selfies of your launch team holding your new book. Maybe even include a live stream to encourage participation from your audience.
5. Share Reviews: Share the reviews that you received from your launch team. Select and creatively arrange phrases that align with your book’s message, value, and uniqueness. Additionally, tag the reviewer. Include their pictures next to the quote and make them feel special. Tagging is essential since their network will also be alerted of your post, expanding your reach.
6. Provide Excerpts: Read through your manuscript and highlight paragraphs that you believe would catch the readers’ eyes. Post these phrases in a thoughtful design to give your audience a sneak peak of what’s coming. Make these mini releases exciting, as if you are unveiling small secrets of your work with your followers.
7. Post pictures, pictures, and more pictures: As you get closer to the launch date, share pictures of you writing, pictures of your family helping, and pictures of your launch team and any other pictures of the behind-the-scene experience. Visuals are key to helping inspire excitement for your book launch.

Two sites that I found helpful for creating professional looking social media images are Canva.com and BookBrush.com. These websites have beautiful templates that you can utilize to create many of the branded posts I described.

Social media is the best tool that we have as authors to promote our books before, during, and even years after the launch date. Use it and have fun with it! Continue to communicate the unique value that your book offers, and encourage your followers to read, review, and recommend your book. Your time spent engaging with your readers online will pay dividends in audience growth, increased sales, and continued buzz.

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.