Blend

It's time to break out from your traditional silos and be part of something bigger… #BreakSilos #ExecutiveCommunity #JoinBlend

Should creatives be scared of AI? Hear Maxinne Abuyuan's insights on using failure as a learning curve in relation to AI. Learn from stories of failure, drawing inspiration from experimentation. Watch the full episode of Fall Forward here!  https://lnkd.in/eQeh-hNw #CreativeAI #LearningFromFailure #FallForward #JoinBlend 

Do you fall victim to people-pleasing? This is one of the key issues Laura Gassner Otting addresses in her book, Wonderhell. Wonderhell perfectly illustrates the ‘rides’ we all face on the path to great success—the ones that leave us feeling stressed, anxious, and unsatisfied. In our latest Blend book club session, Julia Belle unpacks the existence of these 'Wonderhells' and how they impact our lives. #PeoplePleasing #Wonderhell #BlendBookClub #JoinBlend 

*NEW EPISODE* Wonder why diversity and innovation are crucial for creative industries? We spoke to Maxinne Abuyuan, the Chief Experience Design Officer at VML. Maxinne shares her insights on storytelling in marketing, fostering individuality and success, and the importance of diversity in the creative industry. Watch the full episode of Fall Forward here! https://lnkd.in/eQeh-hNw #DigitalAdvertising #FallForward #JoinBlend 

Want to change your habits and get 1% better every day? James Clear's "Atomic Habits" explores the power of small habits to create lasting changes in your life. In the Blend book club, we unpack the ‘habit loop’ concept, what it means for us, and how to harness it to transform our relationship with routine. #HabitChange #SelfDevelopment #BlendBookClub #JoinBlend 

Be open to sharing ideas, offering advice, and collaborating with people you wouldn't normally meet. Join Blend to embrace opportunities that step beyond your functional boundaries. #Collaboration #LeadershipCommunity #JoinBlend

Last week, I hosted a Taco & Tequila tasting experience for our Blend members in the Bay Area. I always leave these meetups on a high, and this one was no different. 15 SVP+ leaders from enterprise organizations had an open and vulnerable conversation about cognitive diversity and how they can help each other be better leaders. Here are my key takeaways: - Happy employees perform better and stay longer, but to keep them happy, we need to make them feel valued. Value, as defined in this context by our group, is about employees feeling that their voices and opinions are heard and, more importantly, actioned by the top. - Change management is a top-down, action-based activity; it's about consistently leading by example. - How do you keep a pulse on your organization? Interestingly, every organization uses employee pulse reports and surveys; however, the frequency varies quite significantly. Yearly employee surveys were conducted in every company, but some leaders shared the positive impact of implementing quarterly surveys, while others, like Amazon, shared that each employee is given a quick, one-question survey before they sign into their computer each day. All in all, while it's great for understanding company sentiment, the real movement in culture and productivity is when leaders can action change based on the feedback they receive. - We talked about differences in workers' expectations in today's work environment compared to how most of our members remember it when they entered the workforce. Younger employees expect their organizations to meet certain standards, and they aren’t afraid to voice this expectation to their managers. This seems to be a stark contrast in experience from most people around the table who have a “come to work and do your job” mindset. While different, the sentiment on the above was actually praised and encouraged by most of the leaders. - Psychological safety was considered a critical component to ensuring all employees feel like their voices can be heard. But falls flat when trust isn’t built and displayed for others to see it work. - Action was key to the success of creating positive change on all the points above. Lip service, which some said worked in the past, does more harm than good. - On the topic of diversity, people shared personal stories about situations where they were singled out because of the way they looked. We also talked about Homophily, where we were all aware that sometimes we make hiring decisions based on who we like the best rather than on their merits and how unconscious blindness contributes to this. We also talked about how we need to hold ourselves accountable every day to hire people who think differently and will challenge our viewpoints. If you're interested in learning more about Blend in your city, drop me a DM! #JoinBlend #CognitiveDiversity #BlendSF

Simon Mainwaring highlights the transformative power of industry-wide collaboration. By leveraging diverse perspectives, we can effectively tackle complex challenges and navigate significant changes. #Collaboration #CommunityStrength #JoinBlend"

Mentorship and succession planning are key to long-term organisational success. Discover how to implement these strategies to develop your organisation’s future leaders in our previous blog post. We dive into effective leadership transitions, exemplified by Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer, and Satya Nadella. Read more here! https://lnkd.in/eAdfQxen #OrganisationalDevelopment #FutureLeaders #JoinBlend 

At Fall Forward, we ask our members for recommendations—something they love, find valuable, or that has truly helped them. From the perspective of industry leaders, hear what Carol Watson, Sol Rashidi, and David Prager recommend to you. #LeadershipAdvice #LeaderReccomendations #FallForward #JoinBlend