Read Time: 3.5 minutes

Happy Holidays! I hope you are taking time to be with family and friends to recharge.

As 2022 winds down, my attention is turning to all the things I’m excited for in 2023. I like to simplify my annual growth plan with 5 key focus items for my Personal, Family and Business growth. If you are interested in my structure let me know and I’ll write about it in a future newsletter issue.

Two other things;

1. Season 3 of Founder to Mentor podcast is out now with new episodes dropping weekly.

2. My new book Grow: 12 Unconventional Lessons for Becoming an Unstoppable Entrepreneur launches in 75 days. Pre-order promotion coming soon.

Now, let’s jump into it.

Ask a Simple Question

According to top consulting firm McKinsey, companies that are more diverse are 35% more likely to make higher profits. More diverse perspectives promote higher levels of employee engagement and innovation. And, according to Harvard Business Review, diverse teams are 70% more likely to capture new audiences than their less diverse competitors.

Those are great numbers, numbers that any company would be foolish not to pursue.

But diversity isn’t just about making the right hiring decisions. You can’t just hire for diversity to check off a box and expect to reap rewards. The secret is making sure diverse people, ideas, and values are both seen and heard.

And to make sure people have a chance to make that impact, you first have to allow them to feel safe.

Psychological safety is where diversity actually shines: this is an approach to workplace management that ensures employees can express concerns, ask questions or seek answers without fear, shame, or negative repercussions. People have to feel like they fit in to a company culture so that they can confidently challenge the status quo and push a company to next-level thinking.

I know this feeling personally.

I always wanted to fit in and felt like I never did, especially when I was young and overweight. I wanted to have a safe environment so that I could discover and learn and grow and not be bullied.

My life experience has given me the gift of knowing how difference feels, emotionally.

Honestly, it feels shitty.

And so, where there's a glass ceiling or there's a bully waiting right around the corner, I've found myself holding space to let people show up and be themselves. And the feedback I’ve received from others is that, when I do this, people say that it's made them a better person or it's made them a stronger part of the team.

Holding space for people starts with listening to them authentically.

As an entrepreneur, one of your greatest assets is to listen to other people, because that’s how you learn. Whether they're your employees or your customers or your supply chain partners, listen and ask questions about what matters to them, personally and professionally. Don’t make assumptions, don’t try to control the conversation. Ask what you can do to support each person.

It took me a long time to grasp how to listen authentically. Entrepreneurs can get caught in that trap of thinking they have to know things. Of thinking they’re not allowed to ask for help. But being open to knowing that, sometimes, you're going to sound a bit naïve, is actually a good thing. In fact, a reminder of that is how I start a lot of meetings: there are no bad questions. If you have a question, ask.

The same goes for building a team. People are different, and they have a range of skills and life experiences to bring to the table. Asking questions is a great way to kickstart any relationship, and any project.

So, start simple. Use your Five Whys.

The first Why is easy, and can be anything you want: Why did you get a degree in political science? Why are our revenues down? Why do we have an open-concept office?

Then, move past the superficial and get to the root cause of an issue, or a person’s core beliefs or drivers. What was exciting about volunteering for that grassroots organization? Why do we have to do things the way that we did last year? Why did HR believe this kind of office would help us communicate better? And keep going, asking super-simple why questions.

As an entrepreneur, it’s really not going to serve you to pursue thinking like, “Hey, I'm the boss. I'm the leader. I know what we should do next.”

Allow everyone to feel like they fit in. Give everyone permission to explore their diverse points of view with confidence. Ask them more questions than you ask yourself. Listen authentically.

And reap the rewards.

I hope you enjoyed the read and are ready to ask more questions.

Until next time.

Let’s Grow!

Here are 3 other ways I can help you grow:

1. Work with me 1:1 to grow your business.

2. Listen to my Founder to Mentor podcast.

3. Get my free mentorship growth tools at www.fatafleishman.org.

Connect with me