A ‘Maternity Leave’ Revolution is taking place on the continent
The topic of parental leave in Africa is a commonly contested issue that is brought to question time and time again. In many parts of the continent, actual maternity and paternity leave are non-existent. Distiller giant, Diageo have made a huge step in a positive direction regarding parental leave by being the first large scale employer in Africa to provide their staff with six months paid maternity leave and four weeks paternity leave on full rate pay in all their markets across the continent. Diageo made this announcement in conjunction with their move to increase parental leave in their Western and Asian markets as well. This is a big step in the corporate world given that very few (if any) employers in Africa are permitting six months of paid leave – which makes it easier for women in the workplace to be both mothers and have a career with little stringent time complications. The International Labour Organization (ILO) states that 80% of women in Africa and Asia are deprived of maternity leave. In terms of paternity leave, the numbers are even lower with only eight countries out of 54 giving fathers more than a week’s paternity leave. This debacle has made it difficult for African women who are/want to be mothers to progress in the workplace because it forces them to choose one or the other but never both. SLA contributor – Diana had a sit down with HR director of the Diageo Africa division, Caroline Hirst, and Clemmie Raynsford, Head of Market Communications to learn about the steps taken and reasons for making such an empowering initiative come alive. Why did Diageo decide to do this now as opposed to say 2 – 4yrs ago? Caroline: We have been really progressing on the gender diversity perspective, we’ve worked really heavily on representation on a leadership level and in every aspect of our business and in particular generally where women are underrepresented. That has been really successful. However, we have recognized that the gender diversity agenda can’t just be about how many people of which gender you’ve got doing what things. It’s much more a breakdown of stereotypes, how do you create an environment where everybody can succeed, that’s really our aim. I was really keen to bring this policy in Africa because I think you can be forgiven for thinking that the gender diversity agenda is all about enabling women in Africa to do what men do which is not the case. It’s about all of us think differently about how we work together and so having this shift around parental leave and particularly the shift around paternity leave across Africa has not only given men more benefits and women too but it’s also got people talking about the diversity agenda as something that’s relevant and a means to change for everybody. Clemmie: It’s about us being a supportive employer and saying you can take more time with your family. With the beverage industry being such an old fashioned industry, most of our big breweries in parts of Africa took it positively commenting that it’s a really pioneering step that’s actually saying we are an employer first and we care about our people and giving them the right to the environment to do their work in the best way possible. If they need to be at home they can be and have their family and have that balance. As a working mum, what does this new initiative by Diageo mean to you and your family? Caroline: I was fortunate enough that when I had my children, the UK legislation already allowed mothers to take up to 40 weeks off. When I had my daughter and took 6 months off leave, the main consideration for me as the primary bread-winner in my household was how would I afford to take that much time off? When I had my son, I took a year off, most of it being unpaid so I feel that if this policy was in existence then, it would have made a lot more financial sense. This new policy will make a difference for women across Africa. I also hope that more men will feel welcome to take the 4 weeks paternity leave and spend time at home with their families. One of the things that we are seeking to do in our business is to make it okay for anybody to be a parent as opposed to it being something that only women can talk about or experience fully. Clemmie: I think what’s great about this policy is that not only does it take the financial pressure off which probably is sort of 70-80% of the main factor. But also, in saying that your company will give you full pay for 26 weeks off, it’s also saying that slightly the company is expecting you to want to and is absolutely fine with you taking that extended period of time off. It’s the combination of being allowed and your employer saying – we support you and we know that you have a family, this is a crazy new stage in your life so not only will we help you financially but here is some extra time you most likely need. The feedback from a lot of our African markets included people just suddenly feeling that sense of support that never existed before. It has been very positive from our various East and West Africa businesses. Why can’t fathers get the same amount of time off as mothers do? Caroline: In the future, we could look at a possible potential for that. Our intention is to create an environment where men can be fathers. And we think that moving to four weeks paternity leave whereas before in most markets it’s usually just two weeks or less, signals a progressive step forward. We have operationally a few constraints around how we would extend that to six months here where the majority of the workforce is male, but
WANT TO BE A BETTER MANAGER? KEEP THESE 3 THINGS IN MIND
Being a boss babe leader and managing others is not easy. I remember when I was first starting off as a manager, and I had to make my first hires. I overthought everything. I did not want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but at the same time, I wanted to get the most out of the people I hired. Here are three basic statements I kept in mind when reflecting on my ability to engage and mobilize anyone working with me. They are useful to think about whether you manage one intern or twenty individuals. 1. Understand the goals and aspirations of each member of your team. I used to think that I had to approach each member of my team the same. I would provide them the same information and respond to them in similar ways, expecting the same output from each. It did not get me very far. Each person needs to be treated as an individual. Understanding how each member of your team ticks will help you get the most out of them. If you know how to acknowledge and recognize each member, you will know how best to motivate and communicate with them. With just a bit of work and understanding, you can get a lot more out of a team member, because you will be speaking their language. No two people are motivated the same way, so you cannot always expect the same result from different individuals. If you are an employee… Tell your manager what motivates you. Tell them what you want to get out of your experience working with them and how you prefer to be approached. If you are confused about your role or objectives, ask or show them what you think they should be. They might not always listen, but you can at least demonstrate how self-aware you are. Some managers will appreciate it. Those who don’t probably shouldn’t be managers. 2. Each member of your team knows what you expect, and where they are in terms of performance I was notorious and continued to have issues with communicating what I want from others. Even when we think we have done an excellent job, we usually have not. Making sure each member of your team understands their place (even if it changes monthly) is key to making sure you are getting the most out of them. They should be getting feedback from you regularly, and you should periodically inquire about making sure they are on the right track. If they are not, its either you haven’t done an excellent job being explicit or the role does not suit them. If you are an employee and your company has a formal performance review process, nothing your manager says during the performance review process should come as a surprise. Ask for regular feedback and make sure you get clarity if you are confused. Send your manager an email with what you discussed, even if its feedback, to make sure you both are on the same page. 3. You actively act on advice and feedback on how you come across to your team, and how you can be a more motivating leader No one is perfect but spending a few hours a week on seeking and receiving feedback can make you a more effective leader. You can ask for input in various ways: informally at group meetings or formally through surveys. Take some time to read about different approaches to leadership and reflect on who you admire as a manager. Write down the traits and feedback you want to embody and try them out. Want to check how you are doing? Continue to ask for feedback over time. If you are an employee… Ask your manager if you can give them constructive feedback. Think about what you can learn from your manager and make the best of the situation. If there is something that doesn’t sit well with you, keep it in mind for when you have a chance to manage others. How can you use these statements to make a change or move forward? With each element, try to rate yourself. I would suggest on a scale from 1 to 10. 1 meaning disagree strongly and 10, strongly agree. Ask your teammates for feedback to help you decide where you stand. For the statements you rate less than 5, you might want to spend some time thinking through how to bridge the gap. You can start by asking yourself these questions: Where do you want to be? What is the first thing you can do to make progress in that particular element? That one small step you take can help you get closer to the leader you want to be and get even more out of your team. This month of July, we’re telling stories about boss ladies breaking boundaries, and how you also can hit your #BossLadyGoals. Got a boss lady story to share with us? Click here.
Chioma Ogbudimkpa: On creating Redbutton and using Green Fashion to meet the SDGs goals
Chioma Ogbudimkpa is a certified project management professional who has served in different capacities and projects across 5 countries and different industries. She has put in over 9 service years in FMCG, Consulting and Real Estate. Chioma is also a sustainability advocate and a Green Champion. She has been actively involved in the ‘Going Green’ Initiative from the YALI Network since 2015. She started her entrepreneurship journey with the launch of her women’s wear label, Redbutton in 2017 to explore her creative side. Following this, Chioma has received a seat at the table of various local and international platforms; she is a ‘She Leads Africa’ (SLA) Accelerator beneficiary of 2017, a 2018 Tony Elumelu Entrepreneur and the winner, Creative Business Cup Nigeria 2019. She will be representing Nigeria at the Global Creative Business Cup in Denmark this July. She’s also an alumnus and beneficiary of the Nigeria Creative Enterprise (NICE) program 2019 powered by the British Council. She has a Bachelors in Project Management Technology and a PGD in Strategic Management & Leadership. Chioma loves to cycle and play scrabble at her leisure time. What led you to fashion at the beginning and what led to the switch to sustainable fashion My mum owned a fashion house back in the 90s, that’s where and when I started to sew, sketch and play with fabrics. I found that I was always stitching something (till date..lol), my mum’s tailors were tired of me because nothing they make for me stays the same. I loved to experiment and add my own touch here and there. It was fun and engaging so I continued on this path up until I started working in the corporate space. I made my work clothes and sometimes, people wanted me to make clothes for them when they realized I made the dresses myself. It was extracurricular until 2016 when I decided to start the business properly. I enrolled in Martwayne fashion school while I was still working, just to get a professional grasp of fashion designing and the business of fashion. Following that, I launched Redbutton in 2017. Because I am a Green Champion, it was only natural for me to incorporate sustainability into my fashion brand. I started to research ways I can be green, while still maintaining fundamental design principles. There are several ways I have built in ethical fashion principles in my processes, including using recyclable paper packaging, ensuring minimal waste, ethical production processes and fusing sustainable materials. What are the possible career options here? It’s quite evident that the Africa fashion space is experiencing the highest rave she has ever had, and doesn’t seem like it will decline anytime soon. The demand and interest in the over $50bn industry have been incredibly progressive which also implies that there are tons of career opportunities, even in a sustainable fashion. Some common ones are textile producers (in knitting, weaving, dyeing, etc). Even here in Nigeria, we are yet to scratch the surface in exploring our indigenous woven fabrics from different tribes. We also have fashion designers, illustrators, machinists, thought leaders in ethical fashion (not very popular in Africa but there are) who are consultants, show curators, editors, etc. Where do you see this line of business taking you? Building a strong ethical fashion brand that promotes African craftsmanship and design innovation, and of course, a profitable fashion business that will birth several other ethical fashion advocates and workers is my overarching goal. Our zest for color, patterns and the intricacy in our embroideries are phenomenal and it appears we are not exploring what we have enough. This is what I want to project to Africa and the world by exploring eco-friendly materials and African art. What are the challenges in the fashion business, and how do you manage them? Production is slow and expensive. But I have realized through this journey that the process and result are far more important than the speed. It’s also more expensive to run, because eco-friendly materials are not exactly cheap (more expensive than regular fabrics), meaning that your pieces will not be cheap. But once you can properly project your value and find your target market, you will be just fine You use water hyacinths for some of your products, why water hyacinths? What was the reception like at the UN? It was just an experiment, to be honest, I didn’t expect that it will be this serious o..lol! I was researching on sustainable fabrics, something different from our woven fabrics, I bumped into this social innovation enterprise who also up-cycles waste for furniture and home decor pieces. I found that water hyacinths can be dried and woven into panels like our Aso-oke. I said, ‘I never saw anyone try this out in fashion, is it even possible?” The fact that it wasn’t popular in Africa drew me further into the research. I tested it and realized it could work but the dress will be dry clean only, no machine wash. We are constantly exploring more eco-friendly materials we can fuse into our designs to create statement pieces. Some of the water hyacinth pieces we fused with Adire were showcased at the 4th UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi and received resounding acclaim from assembly members and delegates. We were published in the Kenyan dailies and featured on the UN Environment news updates. Between April and today, we have shipped over 50 pieces to the US and UK, following the contacts made from the UN event. This is a testament to the fact that, even though our designs have the African aesthetic, they are also globally appealing. Got any advice for younger fashion entrepreneurs? Some say the industry is saturated, well maybe in some context. But also remember it is growing incredibly and the demand is looming. There are several ways to stand out. Look around you, look inside of you, talk to people that have the capacity to help you discover new territories. You can tweak your strategy, innovate,
Kenim Obaigbena: on becoming a Media Mogul – woman in film
“I wanted to tell stories that matter”. Kenim Obaigbena is a Nigerian-British-American filmmaker and entrepreneur. With a background in fine art painting, creative writing, photography and photoshop editing, Kenim began her film career in 2007, now she’s focused on her production vehicle OVG Media where she produces and directs films, documentaries, drama series and other scripted content for broadcast TV and digital media. She was raised in the United Kingdom, Nigeria, Togo, and the USA. She has lived in many cities around the world, making her both a true global citizen and a versatile filmmaker. At the age of 15, Kenim founded Scoop Magazine with her two sisters, the teen publication was distributed across Lagos, Nigeria. While she formed a lucrative business in three years, she decided to focus on her studies and attended Tufts University. At Tufts she discovered her love for filmmaking and spent her summers interning for music video directing legends Chris Robinson and Benny Boom as well as the production company Anonymous Content. By her junior year at Tufts, she was producing and directing music videos for her fellow schoolmates and billboard artists like Timeflies and All Out. In school, she also covered high fashion events like Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week and global music festivals, including ThisDay Music Festival, which brought in pop stars like Beyonce and Rihanna. Graduating from Tufts in 2011, soon after the versatile filmmaker worked on big budget film sets, some including ‘Selfless’, and ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’. For several years, she produced live news coverage and documentaries for the 24-hour news network, Arise News, and worked on various projects with high profile global leaders, from former US Presidents Obama and Clinton to Nigerian President Buhari. Kenim has dabbled in other business ventures from real estate investing, to tech and her pop-up bus service, Rainbow Shuttle. Now she is focused on her production vehicle OVG Media where she produces and directs films, documentaries, drama series and other scripted content for broadcast TV and digital media. [bctt tweet=”Making a film is like starting a new business – Kenim Obaigbena: @ovgmedia” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”]” Tell us a little about your background. Did you study filmmaking? I studied communications and media studies. But I did start making videos in college. I’ve been in film for 12 years and 14ish years in media. I’ve done every type of filmmaking under the sun, from News to music videos, commercials, Promos, docs, dramas, and even artsy film, you name it. Right now my focus is on docs, tv dramas, and features. A few years ago, I came to the realization that I wanted to tell stories that matter. Stories that inspire a progression of nature in people. That could be a documentary, a sci-fi, a drama, whatever it is, it hopes to inspire people to be better in their lives. Has filmmaking and storytelling always been your passion? How long have you been in the industry for? I’ve always loved telling stories. I started young. My sisters and I started a magazine when I was 15. I’ve also always done creative writing as a child. It runs in the family. When I was in high school I started taking painting seriously, it then evolved into photography and photoshop editing. But I wanted more so I moved into film. I’ve been in film for 12 years. As a filmmaker, do you always have a full picture of what the story is going to be at the start, or does it reveal itself to you along the way? It always starts out as a clear vision, but as I develop the story the vision can change, or become a more tangible version of its original state. With documentaries, it’s a bit different. Yes, the story reveals itself along the way. But with a doc its important to be focused. Have a hypothesis and stick to it as much as possible. Otherwise, you can easily fall into the trap of making a film for 10 plus years/. Your recent documentary – This is Nigeria, highlighted Nigeria’s culture of corruption and election rigging. Why did you decide to investigate such a sensitive socioeconomic topic? In Nigeria the poor are invisible. They are neglected, underpaid and mistreated. I wanted to give them a voice. I also feel we live in a demokery, and more people in the media need to speak out. People should be encouraged to vote for who they believe in and not who they think everyone is going to vote for. It’s the only way to make real change in this country. What motivates you? How do you come up with ideas and stories to tell? Purpose. My best ideas come in intense and vivid dreams. I give God all the credit for that. [bctt tweet=”In Nigeria the poor are invisible. They are neglected, underpaid and mistreated. I wanted to give them a voice – Kenim Obaigbena: @ovgmedia” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Besides -This is Nigeria, what other documentaries have you created? At this stage, I’ve created so many for broadcast tv and youtube. I’m always creating digital content as well which you can find on my YouTube channel. How do you go about funding your films/ documentaries? And what advice do you have for others wanting to fund their projects? Keep making DIY content until you either create enough wealth to self-fund or get someone to believe in your talent and business structure (because every film is a business) to invest in you. If you are creative and lack business acumen, partner with a solid producer that can bring in financiers. I’m designing an online course that goes into the practicalities of independent filmmaking. How to get funding, how to make films on a budget etc. I will announce it soon, but for now, I have a series on my youtube channel called ‘The DIY Filmmaker’, which also gives practical filmmaking advice. With a lot of Nigerian women in film coming out to create and show their talent, do you think the filmmaking
Cynthia Jones: From Banker to Baker
Cynthia Jones born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. She worked as a banker at some of the most reputable banks in Zimbabwe. She started her own business and transitioned from banker to baker.
Erika Atienza: From solo backpacking through Africa to becoming a Digital Entrepreneur
This is not a success story of a freelance solo backpacker who became a digital entrepreneur. Not a story of someone who went from nobody to become somebody. This is a story of someone who used to live life passively, without a purpose other than to make it through the day okay, until finally realizing a dream, then realizing she can fulfill that dream, and eventually going after it. This is a story of how I finally came to understand a lesson I’ve heard many times over – That there is nothing in this world we cannot accomplish if we really put our heart’s desire into it. And it all started in Africa. [bctt tweet=”Erika shares how she became a digital entrepreneur and founded @whileinafrica by moving from the Philippines to backpack and volunteer through Africa. Read more…” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] First, the Travel Bug… I had a typical life with an 8-5 job and everything about my life was “okay”. It’s not bad at all. I was fortunate but I was definitely not living life on the edge. But after being able to travel to a foreign country alone for the first time, I had an epiphany that I wanted to see the world. Since that trip, it was just never the same for me. That night, I finally understood what passion meant. And mine was to see the world. And so after 2 yrs of over-planning and some modest savings that were definitely not enough, off I went. I left despite the doubts because if I waited for the “right time”, I was afraid it wouldn’t come. Why Africa?… I was choosing between South America and Africa and somewhere along my research, I found cheaper flights to Tanzania. And that was really the main reason why Africa ended up becoming my first solo backpacking destination. Also, I thought it was exotic and I wanted to prove to myself that I can pull it off. Indeed, I was able to visit other African countries as well for the next few months. Budget Problem. No Problem… A few months before my flight, I looked for volunteering opportunities and ways to travel cheaply. I searched workaway for hosts but there’s really nothing in there that I found interesting. Couch surfing community in the cities I wanted to visit seemed dodgy and everywhere else, there was only voluntourism. A little deeper into my research and I had an “AHA” moment. I learned that safari tourism is big in Tanzania. In fact, all over East and Southern Africa. I did marketing in my previous job so I’m familiar with the whole concept of “Ex-Deal”. Hence, I emailed every one of them in a personalized manner, introduced myself like a pro, and offered to help in their marketing in exchange for food and accommodation. A few days later, I received another milestone in my backpacking career, someone actually replied and took me in. And so, with my heart full, I went to Tanzania and for the next few weeks, I was staying at their office helping them out with marketing while combining it with tours here and there. It was the perfect way to get to know the culture and experience the local life, just my kind of travel! I worked with Gosheni Safaris in Tanzania and experienced the local life From Freelancer to a business owner… After I left, my “boss” kept emailing and texting me about the things I have started while working for him. I carried on to politely help them and after some time of consistent demands, I had another “AHA” moment. I presented the best opportunity they can ever imagine… that I work for them remotely. They were thrilled with the idea and we came up with a fair price that later on increased to a modest amount that funded most of my travels. This idea fired me up and I basically traveled for the next 2 months in Africa, either looking for volunteering opportunities or trading off my skills. I continued to travel for a couple of years more doing the same thing until I finally decided to slow down a bit. As I had a lot of free time now that I wasn’t all over everywhere, I decided to take it up a notch and find a few more clients by emailing them and advertising myself. Eventually, in 2018, I took another major step and built my own website, made everything official, and registered my humble digital marketing service. It’s worth mentioning that until this time, the same company in Africa where I first volunteered is still a client and they have passed on a lot of referrals to me ever since. Looking back, I think the thing that made all the difference is that I always did my best while serving my volunteering time. Even though I was not getting paid, even though I know I wasn’t going to work-volunteer for that company for long, I gave it my best shot and I always try to have fun. And it paid off in better ways I can imagine. So always, always do your best. This is how you make impressions and build connections. A lot of opportunities can open by simply putting your best foot forward at all times. Here are some lessons you can learn from my experience… 1. There’s no one right way to do things You don’t need to have a big capital to start your own business. Especially in this day and age, even a kid can become an entrepreneur, all you need is creativity and courage. In my case, the right dose of luck and creativity allowed me to build a modest lifestyle of being able to work from anywhere in the world and where I was able to combine my skills and passion. But there is no one way right way to do things. The first things to ask yourself are: What am I passionate about? What am I good
Dear employee, what’s your leadership distinction?
Every year for the last few years I’ve called a year a particular name. 2016 was called the year of outstanding distinction. 2017 the year of creative distinction, the year 2018 was the year of cutting edge distinction and 2019 I’ve called the year of global distinction. There’s an unprecedented political, economic, socio-cultural and technological shift which involves easy access to fake news, fear news and forward-thinking news. But, through it all, I truly believe we are in one of the most exciting times which I’ve called the era of creative distinction. As an employee, know that the global market is now local, and the local market has gone global. And with the emergence of artificial intelligence, now is the time to lead with your distinction. The first question is what actually is leadership? In 2015 from my message of Cutting Edge Distinction, I penned the following quote, [bctt tweet=”“Leadership isn’t about age but rather, leadership is about influence, impact, and inspiration – @Onyianyado777″ username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] As you see from my quote, it’s not about how old you are, how young you are, how long you’ve been in your job or industry, the essence of cutting edge leadership is simply the 3 I’s, influence, impact, and inspiration. Question number 2, before you can serve and lead with your influence, impact, and inspiration, who is the first person you have to influence, impact, and inspire? That’s right, you got it, it’s you. In this era of creative distinction, finding, developing and leveraging your distinction as an employee is key to your development and that of your department and organization as a whole. So how should the 21st-century employee channel their leadership skills? Lead with excellence We’ve already established what the essence of cutting edge leadership is and from my message of cutting edge distinction, I’ve combined excellence and branding and created the 3 V’s of branding. Your vision, your values, and your voice. The key to employee distinction is to be fully emerged with the vision, value, and voice of your organization, why? If you’re not seeing, believing and saying what your organization is seeing, believing and saying, no distinction can be created in regards the prosperity, progress, and purpose of your organization. Be a trailblazer and pioneer On the image below I developed the 3 C’s of employee distinction. To lead with distinction in your chosen career, the 3 C’s have to be your way of life. You’ve heard of thinking outside the box but in this era of creative distinction, using the ‘box’ as a stepping stone to save money, improve output and increase productivity is a key to leadership distinction. Creativity is the new currency so regularly reading articles and watching TED Talks will, in my opinion, increase your creative awareness. Once you achieved a task in work, actively look for other tasks to complete. If you find them hard, ask team members for assistance knowing not only does teamwork make the dream work, teamwork also makes you write, work and win with your leadership skills enhanced. Bring constant change to your organization With your understanding of what cutting edge leadership is all about, taking the lead to be known as a solution provider in your organization is a vital key to employee distinction. Spending quality time to serve, showcase and speak your distinction will mean you sometimes being misunderstood but because you’ve integrated the 3 V’s of your organizations brand, any misunderstanding will mean you’ll eventually be understood as a leader who is a critical thinker and a problem solver. For the next seven days spend time observing the challenges you face at work and how quickly you use critical thinking to gain a quicker result. It doesn’t matter if you are a junior staff or you’ve been in your organization for less than say 6 months. Your leadership distinction will come from constantly applying the 3 M’s of time management which can be viewed on the quote below and also asking questions, looking for quicker solutions, working in the team to see and understand the future goal and understanding, applying and really celebrating your leadership distinction. So there you have it, you’ve been given the essence of cutting edge leadership and who the 21st-century employee is. With organizations desperately looking for employees who are thought leaders in nature and results, now is the time for you as an employee to lead with your distinction. Interested in contributing for She Leads Africa? Click here.
Yanoh Jalloh: Fixing severe disparities and health inequities in Sierra Leone
From developing reproductive health programs for young girls in Kabala Sierra Leone, to managing high level projects funded by the center for Disease Control. Yanoh Jalloh is well equipped to provide high quality research, programmatic and training expertise to organisations focused on health and development in African countries and the United States. Born to Sierra Leonean parents in the United States, Yanoh’s passion to contributing to healthy sustainable societies by providing evidence based research driven programs, tools and resources has always been evident. Over the last decade, she has garnered the necessary experience from working with local and international Non-Governmental organisations in Africa, to high level university research institutes in the United States. In this interview, Yanoh Jalloh shares her career journey with young women in Sierra Leone, and her hopes to inspire and encourage them along their own journeys. [bctt tweet=”Women interested in public health – do not get into this industry for the money. It is a field that can be riveting, emotional, draining, but very fulfilling – @YKayJ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Describe yourself in one sentence? I am a motivated, skilled and experienced international development specialist with close to a decade of’ experience of working with hard to reach populations of youth and on projects in Sierra Leone. What motivates you to develop healthier societies in Africa? Though I was born in the states, my family is originally from Sierra Leone and I have always felt a compelling call to respond to the severe disparities and health inequities in Sub- Saharan Africa. Tell us about your public health background and how it relates to your Sierra Leonean heritage? I obtained my Masters’ in Public Health with a concentration in Global Health in 2012, in 2011 during my practicum experience, I started working on the ground in Sierra Leone with the NGO Helen Keller International. It was during this experience that I was able to hone in on my research and evaluation skills as I worked on a project which aimed to redesign the national child health card. I also evaluated a multi-faceted nutrition intervention that was being implemented in several clinics throughout Freetown, Sierra Leone. Since then, I have been working both domestically on abroad on both short-term and long-term projects that mainly aim to improve health outcomes. I have also worked with organisations in providing evaluation support and planning. What are some career challenges you face? I am in my early 30’s but I started working in this field in my mid 20’s. Age has often been a barrier and a challenge. When you are young, you often lose opportunities to candidates who may have more years of experience, but are not necessarily as seasoned as you in a particular skill. I am also told I look a bit younger than I am, so this has also been a barrier. Trying to balance a family and a young daughter has been so fulfilling but has also been a challenge. I have had to turn down opportunities as it conflicted with my family life, though I do not regret it, other opportunities that were more appropriate came along. What are 3 things you have achieved in your field that you are proud of? Designing, leading, and teaching the first online Health Policy Course to MPH students at the College of Medical and Allied Health Sciences in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Developing health and sanitation courses for 300 youth in Kabala, Sierra Leone Leading alongside my amazing colleagues an adult immunisation campaign across New York City, during this campaign we partnered with 100 organisations and educated the providers about the importance of adult vaccines. What advise can you provide to other women who want to go into health consultancy? You will receive a lot of no’s before you receive a yes. I would also advise to be very flexible, early on I had to take on unpaid or very low paying opportunities to build my portfolio, you must use these opportunities to advance your experience and to build contacts as well as to network. Finally, do not get in this field for the money, it is a field that can be riveting, emotional, draining, but very fulfilling, you must get in this field because you want to see change. For the Women|Change|Africa Bosschiques Build Program in Collaboration with WCA Creatives & Nadia Marie &Co Interested in contributing for She Leads Africa? Click here.
7 Ways to Inspire your Team this Year
As a Boss Lady, I happen to have a lot of mentees and team members look up to me. And by all means, I want to inspire my team and bring out the best in them. For one, I want to inspire them to keep putting out great work, and secondly, I want to remember that they are not tools for work but human beings. I have to be sensitive to them. In my Boss Lady life, I have taken a few notes that I will like to share with other Boss Ladies to help them serve their team better. Here are seven ways to inspire your team this year. ?? Don’t Talk Down On Your Team So, remember we are raising leaders – people who can stand tall with us. The word superior mustn’t necessarily be taken literally in a way that it makes those who work with us feel the exact opposite of that word. You always want to make your team feel respected as humans with differences. Don’t display any character that puts down people. For example; Don’t make a joke about a team member’s religion. Everything is about inspiring confidence. Language tops it. Always be polite even when you are giving criticism. Ever heard of commend and recommend? (Ask a Toastmaster ?). Christine Porath in her TEDx presentation on incivility in the workplace says, “How you show up and treat people means everything. Either you lift people up by respecting them, making them feel valued, appreciated, and heard or you hold people down by making them feel small, insulted, disregarded or excluded. And who you choose to mean everything”. Show That You Want Them To Succeed I know we say professionally, “don’t refer to yourselves in the workplace as a family” but to get people to grow an organization with you. You have to be all about the people who are all about your work. The CEO of House of Tara – Tara Durotoye said she learned very early as an entrepreneur, that for the people who leave their homes every day to come to a workplace there has to be more. She learned to stop referring to the company as ‘my company’ but ‘our company’. You have to make people see a greater reason for coming to work. Make them buy into the vision, and show them that you care about their personal affairs. Ever heard of Linkedin’s Tour of Duty? Where employees are moved up the ranks periodically depending on their career goals. That’s a way to identify with the needs of the team. Learn more in The Startup of You by Reid Hoffman. Sir Richard Branson says, “Train people well enough so they can leave. Treat them well enough so they don’t want to”. Always find ways to add value to your team. Constantly Give Kudos For A Job Well Done I read the One-minute Manager many years ago, about effective people management. How the one-minute-manager was able to, in one minute dish out praises, and just in the same vein dish out reprimands, – an intentional leadership style. Team Leaders have to praise team members as a habit, not only reprimand them. It creates conditioning – that they are appreciated and valued, and reinforces learning. Many times I have realized I hold the keys to many team members happiness and self-esteem, and the worst thing to do is abuse that privilege. Many people are going through stuff or trying to believe in themselves. Realize they could use some hope from you. The toastmaster’s sandwich method of ‘Commend and Recommend’ is the recommended feedback standard, especially when there’s a reprimand coming. You have to always find the good in a team member’s work first, and commend it before reprimanding. Commend their good intentions, or make reference to their usual good works. There has to be something to commend. Then move unto how they can do better. Notice I said ‘how they can do better’ not necessarily focusing on what they did wrong. Remember they have to feel good about themselves at all times. Set High Standards For People Experience I worked with a friend last year and was so impressed by her high standard of people experience. It inspires loyalty, as even I look forward to working with her again and again. I like it that House of Tara refers to her HR Department as the People Experience Team because this aptly puts their job. In fact, I was so impressed by this that at a Managers’ Training on Empathy and Emotional Intelligence I used HOT as a case study. Now that we have established that incivility is a no-no! And that this whole article is about inspiring team members. We are well on our way to implementing a culture. How do you mark the workers’ special days? What are the benefits put in place? Do you show interest in their work process or just the end result? How do you react at a failed expectation? Do they feel anxiety or inspiration towards work? Do they feel treated better by other work teams/workplaces? Do you deliberately paint them in a bad light before people? It is when we can genuinely answer these questions as boss ladies, and take action to get our people to experience right, then we will be doing right by the people who work with us. Don’t Set Unreasonable Goals Ahan! So, there’s this impossibility fairy who told us doing the impossible means setting unreasonable goals. The truth is being Miranda Priestly is no longer cool. Of course, it turned Emily into a go-getter but wasn’t Miranda only trying to get Emily fired at first by driving her nuts with unbearable tasks? Oh! look at me talking to only those who have seen ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ While we want to keep team members challenged, there is a difference between being motivated and being anxious. You want people to go out of their way but within reason. Don’t push people. Don’t set
Asia Sultan: Trailblazing the Design Thinking and Innovation Industry
We are always looking for women who are constantly changing the game and that’s why Asia Sultan’s story was so inspiring to us at SLA. Asia is a young trailblazer in the industry of Design Thinking and Innovation. She uses her experiences as a woman to apply the human approach that is needed to excel in the Design Thinking industry. During this interview, Asia chats with us about why more women should be in Design Thinking, the power of innovation, and how we can uplift each other in the career space. On starting out In Design Thinking… Curiosity into the field of innovation is what led me to explore this discipline in 2016 when the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design Thinking opened their first school in Africa. I was pursuing a Masters in Property Studies at the University of Cape Town at the time. I immediately fell in love with Design Thinking because the human-centered approach truly resonated with my personal philosophy. After spending 6 months at the institute I felt that the final piece of the puzzle had been put in place. Design thinking has allowed me to experience problem-solving in areas that I hadn’t ventured into before. I’m very grateful to be living my purpose which is to use my experiences, education, and design thinking practice to create innovative solutions that make our world a better place. [bctt tweet=”Being a woman is actually my greatest strength in the innovation industry – Asia Sultan” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] About Switch Innovation and what they do… Switch innovation is an innovation management company that specializes in corporate innovation. We are a balance between technology and advisory as we help large companies with legacy issues to deliver disruptive products to market and build new businesses. We use design thinking and lean startup methodologies to drive innovation strategy and process for our clients who span across various industries. Challenges women in the design thinking industry face… Being a woman is actually my greatest strength in the innovation industry. Design thinking is a human-centered approach to problem-solving. It starts with the people you are designing for and ends with solutions that are tailor-made to suit their needs. It requires building deep empathy with the people you’re designing for and this comes very naturally to women. Because of this, I am able to create solutions that are not just technically powerful, but also have an emotional value proposition for end-users. In a world where consumers are spoiled for choice, an emotional value proposition is a massive competitive advantage. Women that I look up to… My late mother, Hanifa, is the best woman I’ve ever known. I’m an unapologetic feminist because of my mother. Growing up, both the girls and boys in my household participated equally in doing house chores. She instilled in me from a young age the importance of education hard work, perseverance, equality and believing in myself. Most importantly, my mother taught me to love and care for others. This has contributed to strengthening my approach to empathy, an attribute that is crucial in my work. As a designer, I spend a lot of time understanding people, putting myself in their shoes and owning their problems in order to best design solutions that are relevant to their lives. [bctt tweet=”As a designer, I spend a lot of time understanding people and owning their problems in order to best design solutions that are relevant to their lives.” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Professionally I look up to Oprah Winfrey, a longtime advocate of female education. I am inspired by her story, especially how she overcame hardships in order to become one of the most influential women on this earth. I admire that she uses her platform to break gender barriers on a global scale and even uses her resources to invest in education and improving the lives of women. Lastly and similarly to Oprah Winfrey, I truly admire Rebeca Gyumi, Founder of the Msichana Initiative. She pursued and won a landmark case on child marriages through the petition she filed at the High Court of Tanzania to challenge the Tanzania Marriage Act, 1971, which allowed girls as young as 14 to get married. The law was amended and raised the minimum age of marriage to 18 for both boys and girls. My advice to anyone trying to jump-start their career in the Design Thinking space… I would advise anyone starting in the design thinking and innovation space to try to learn as much as possible. Read books Subscribe to newsletters Engage with other designers through platforms like IDEO and LinkedIn. A lot of changes are happening in the world of innovation and every day there is a new technology, tool or method designed. Design thinking entails working with clients across different industries, therefore you need to understand different industry trends so you can use methods, material, and approaches that are relevant to them. Join design thinking groups on professional networks, subscribe to newsletters, attend design thinking meetups in your area, keep learning and you will be unstoppable. Why I think uplifting women is so important in the workspace… Empowerment is created when the strengths that women already bring to the company are recognized and utilized. If you build organizations of high trust, respect, transparency, engagement, open participation and empowerment your employees will respond accordingly. When people find meaning and happiness at work, wonderful things happen to the organization; culture and moral changes, staff turnover reduces, employees are more creative, innovative, confident, open-minded and generally more motivated. As a leader, isn’t that the environment to work and operate in? I champion efforts to uplift women in the workplace because women have so much to offer the world and often times they don’t get equal opportunity to be heard or showcase their gifts. The importance of empowering women in the workplace is documented in “The Business of Empowering Women”, a survey of 2,300 business executives. The survey found that the companies who focused their efforts on empowering women reported