Mary Langan

From Diapers to Deadlines: Motherhood challenges as a New and Working Mum In this insightful episode of The Mindset Lounge, Raluca Pricop and Sally Mady unpack problems and challenges mums face and share their own experiences too. We delve into the real-life challenges faced by new mums and working mums as they strive to find time for themselves while managing the demands of motherhood and their careers. Join us as we explore practical strategies for achieving work-life balance, self-care tips for busy mums and advice on juggling parenting responsibilities with professional ambitions. #womensupportingwomen #motherhood #newmom #worklifebalance #mindset

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The PR industry runs on the fuel of your anxiety. Here’s my take on that thought. It is a theme that comes up time and again in client conversations. ⛽️ Certain behaviours fuel the successful careers of Comms people e.g. people-pleasing or perfectionism 🏆Work delivered on the back of these behaviours brings us reward in terms of salary, promotion, opportunity so we keep repeating those patterns 📣Truth: no one asked us to behave like this, it’s just what we’ve learned to do, often from very early in life. We carry on believing “it’s just who we are”. 👻 The scary bit is that we cannot sustain these behaviours for long because they are rooted in the belief that we always need to do more, be more, or that others have this nailed and we don’t. 😬And thats when we burnout, or leave the industry, or feel entitled to more recognition because we know what the effort is costing us in terms of how we feel. 🔋I believe you can have a healthier industry that is fuelled by a much ‘healthier’ workforce. 💵The industry needs to invest more in increasing the self-awareness for staff in these areas 👋🏻👋🏻 🤗Individuals need to look inwards and learn to grow a career without relying on assumptions and behaviours that shred their nerves.👋🏻👋🏻 Obviously there is nuance and complexity under the surface for each individual. Everyone is doing the best they can, and most workplaces aren’t toxic, but still we hear every day of burnout and industry departures. I can help you, or your team, with all of this. Please drop me a DM if you want to open up a conversation about it. #publicrelations #corporatecomms #internalcommunications

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I have been speaking to d&i Leaders (Diversity and Inclusion Leaders) about how we can recognise and reward #employeenetworks. In this piece, I discuss the importance of employee networks with Jo Faragher (she/her), but we also examine why they are often undervalued. I think that’s mainly because employers can see employee networks as passion projects. This hugely undervalues the work of the network and the people within it, don’t you think⁉   I want to encourage employers to provide network leaders with protected time to fulfil the additional work and ensure that the work takes place during working hours.    I also think that many network leads are looking for visibility. Employers can fulfil this by inviting network leads to present their work, achievements and successes to the senior team and feature their work in internal and external communications.   What do you think? What else can we do to reward employee networks? #commentbelow   #employeeculture #productivity #employeeengagement

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Last week I was invited to attend a webinar hosted by Maureen Ideozu, aka Belbin Nigeria. What a fantastic 60 minutes discussing how Belbin can be used to help teams work better. We also heard from a Belbin Accredited practitioner who had been using Belbin with his clients. He used the quote: "Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships." -Michael Jordan And, as a true Resource Investigator, I will be using it in the future! If anyone has any other quotes they use when talking about the importance of collaboration, teamwork and performance, please share!

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I’ve been coaching some incredible people lately. Not just people who share my background in PR and comms, but people from right across the professional services. People in law, IT, HR, property, financial services, science, media and advertising. Vice presidents, Associates, team leaders, heads of department, project managers and customer support. Every single one is different, in their experience and in their view of the world. Every single one is special and unique. And yet… the issues that they are wrestling with are the same, no matter what the industry, no matter what the seniority. They all want the same things. They want to do well. They want to be the best that they can be. They want to reach their goals and they want to be happy. But more often than not, they’re held back by one of three things:  -       their internal thoughts and beliefs   -       relationships with their manager or others,  -       or the unpredictability of their environment. These things can make them feel powerless. Chain them to the spot, and make them feel like their goals are unattainable.  Common issues that I see people suffering from are people pleasing, self-doubt, self-criticism, stress and overwhelm or procrastination. Fuelled by heavy workloads, lack of resource, lack of support, personality clashes, gender bias, glass ceilings or cultural pressure.  Human and societal issues which we can all be susceptible to no matter where we work, or how good or experienced we are at our jobs.    They may well be in different boats, of all shapes and sizes, but they’re all sailing on the same seas. Many are new to coaching. They don’t know what to expect, or even what’s possible - they just know that they need an ally. My aim is to jump from ship to ship and spend a bit of time with each of them. To understand what it’s like to be them – just for a short time – and to give them whatever support they might need to help them to get where they need to go.  Some need a captain, others a look-out.  Some need strength to help raise the sails,  others need strategy to help map the route. It doesn’t matter what function I fill – the point is the same. They know they’re not alone in their journey. And THAT can be the difference. If you need a ship’s mate to help you to get where you want to go, you know where to find me :-)

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Rose, Bud & Thorn - a Tool for Encouraging Collaboration In the Workplace One of the things I love most about the work I do is just how much I learn from others. Last week, in my inclusive leadership work with Ogilvy UK, I learned about a format, introduced by their Influence Director, Poppy Richards, to get more people sharing at their monthly team meetings. With all great formats, it’s pretty simple. Everyone shares the following: - Rose: One thing that has fully blossomed into something you are really proud of. This could be a highlight, a small win, or something positive that has happened. - Bud: One thing that is still growing but you are really excited about. - Thorn: A challenge you are experiencing right now or something you could use more support on. What I loved when it was shared in our training session was hearing about how so many thorns turned into roses at the second session thanks to colleagues in the room leaning in to provide support and solve that thorny problem. Here are mine this week: - Rose: Our Token Man Braintrust is starting to blossom into something truly magical. - Bud: We are halfway through our male allyship coaching programme, and I am so excited to see where we will land in July. Next week, I will be starting recruitment for September’s cohort. - Thorn: On November 19th, we have our annual Masculinity in the Workplace event (now in our 7th year), which is the only Inclusion and Diversity event designed specifically to engage with the in-group (i.e., white straight neurotypical cis men without disabilities). I am aiming for at least three more partners to join the likes of AudioNetwork, CCEP Citi, Clearwater, Colt, HSBC, Merlin Entertainment, Ogilvy, and Wavemaker. Do you want to engage more men with inclusion and diversity? If so, you might just be able to help with my thorn. Would also love to hear what your rose, bug and thorn are currently? You never know - you might just find someone here who can help turn your thorn into a rose. #RoseBudThorn #Collaboration #MIW2024 #InclusiveLeadership

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Despite it being a bank holiday my Monday Briefing is out. We advanced negotiation tips on ANCHORING. Quote of the week - KISS and links to some of the very best podcasts #negotiationtips #anchoring #podcasts #kiss

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What do I do? I love supporting the growth and development of business and professional women as they add 'independent author' to their many achievements, by providing them with a mix of personal and customised book coaching, book production, and/or book marketing support. My author clients use their books to help build new or existing businesses, attract ideal clients, increase their profile, land lucrative roles or contracts, expand their speaking careers, and more importantly, amaze themselves. Please go to the 'comments' below to find the link to download my Summary of Services pdf if you have a book on your mind. 

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🤖Here are my thoughts about AI! I often say we need to embrace it But don't let it write all of your content, comments We still need that human touch Use it for research, ideas Then tweak it with your own words People engage more if the content is in your own words Being authentic is key and makes your content stand out AI won't make your content original But mixing it up will as long as you have your input in what you write. I don't use automation in comments as adding your value is more important or if you have to use AI add some of your own words. The same with messaging people I use it for ideas but always add a human element to it! So my question to you is do you use AI for content? At some point, there will be software used to tell if it is AI or not! -------- If you'd like to learn how to mix AI with your own authenticity DM me.

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Tom discusses the significance of authenticity in content creation, the misconception of chasing large, non-engaging lists, and the transformative potential of using podcasts for marketing to build trust with your ideal customer.  🎧 https://bit.ly/3Ru4u2P #visionary #newpodcast #newpodcastalert #newpodcastepisode #newpodcasts #newpodcastshow #ingenious #innovative #inspiring #inspiringothers #inspiringpeople #inspiringstories #inspiringthoughts #insightful #insightfulthoughts #insightfulminds #insightfulintuitive

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Being asked to do a short video for marketing an event you'll be speaking at will become more common. In fact I ask speakers to do it for the events I am organising. You'd be surprised how many don't, and many of these people are professional speakers. What would it feel like if you could take your phone, record a response and send it? And if you struggle to do that now, what help do you need? ——— I’m Dave 👋🏼 Me —> I help business owners to speak with confidence and authenticity. Three things I do: Life coach Speaker Stand up comedian Interested in any of those? Let’s have a chat. I probably write too much personal stuff in my posts. See the 🔔 on my profile? Give it a ding if you would like to see more of my stuff. Or if you fancy it, then let’s connect 🙏🏼 🤔 Useful post? Give it a share. ♻️ #davethecoach

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You have the agency to choose which cycles you honour and celebrate. It's about paying attention to the rhythms within and without you, and actively participating in the cycles that resonate with you. Find the cycles and the practices that feel empowering and supportive for you. But when it feels forced and laden with 'shoulds,' perhaps it's time to give yourself permission to let it go. Feel the rhythms, don't force them. ... If you enjoy what I post, consider joining my email list. You'll get embodied and authentic strategies to rebel against the status quo, define success on your own terms and reconnect with your natural flow, intelligence and creativity. This letter offers a more gentle way to live and work. Once a week (ish) I share the best of what I know about living life sustainably and authentically. And you'll also be the first to hear about new courses, programmes and coaching opportunities, including my limited Pay-What-You-Can sessions (when I'm hitting my 'thriving' income goals). “I love and appreciate emails from Vix. I always take time to read them and pause and reflect. They are inspiring, thought-provoking and a joy to read.” https://lnkd.in/d_iAX6-h ... #Leadership #TimeManagement #Productivity #Success #Feminism

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Some thoughts/questions on belonging and disruption below. I’d appreciate your help in navigating this… I’m predisposed to resisting the status quo or BAU in organisations. It feels like the opposite of evolution, entrepreneurship, progress & growth. Therefore, I’m drawn to disruption and appropriate provocation in organisations. I encourage the people we coach/train through TOWARD Ltd to disrupt. However…by disrupting, some employees risk the opportunity to belong. They may get misunderstood, isolated or pushed to the periphery. Myself and my wonderful colleagues Sarah Jones, Denise McGahan, Gordon Laird and Gillian Dornan have been working with a client and this has been a live debate. There’s a tension…or a thin path to navigate. - Can people disrupt and also belong? - Is the need to belong an appropriate need to expect an organisation to address? - Can employees address the need to belong at home…in order to free up the need to disrupt at work? - Should employees prioritise disruption over belonging? Thoughts appreciated folks… 🤔

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‘Turning ideas into actions feels amazing’ 🤩 I love collaborations. I love working with people. I love doing what I do. Working with Daniel de la Cruz and his inspiring community of agency leaders Polymensa has got me in a buzz of excitement about collaborations. Six months ago Daniel and I sat down to create a Leadership Programme offering for busy agency leaders - this week we have passed the half way mark in the delivery of the four month programme with 7 agencies involved. It’s a joy to be witnessing real-time transformation in the senior leaders and the impact it's having on their personal and team growth. In any transformative process, the work doesn’t stop - it’s crucial to sustain and evolve, yet strong foundations have been laid. What really stands out for me is this… The group's willingness to dedicate time, effort, and experimentation to enhancing team work. Not an easy task when you have: ⏳Time restraints, 💰Agency budgets, 🧩Wicked problems to solve. In today’s climate it takes an intentional effort to prioritise the time needed for strategic team development. Yet, the return on investment and the exponential benefits across the four levels of self, team, company and client is substantial! What collaborations are solving problems and elevating performance in your business? Thank you Polymensa - it's an absolute pleasure working with you all. 😁 #collborations #leadershipdevelopment #agencies

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In our remote world it seems harder than ever to motivate others, gain buy-in and overall have influence. I hear some version of this from so many clients. So, if you too are curious for some tips to elevate your influence game... Join me and Gemma Saint THIS Thursday! PS - You know when you randomly meet someone at a conference and just know how fun it would be to collaborate with them? Well, this is one of them. I'm super excited to join Gemma and the fabulous team from SWOOP Analytics. DM me if you have any burning questions ahead of time! And some questions to think about: What's one thing I'm trying to achieve right now? Who do I most need to influence to make that happen? How can I be better seen/heard by this person/people to achieve those goals? https://lnkd.in/gd7hNrvn #influence #leaders #leadershipdevelopment #communication #training

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I talk about the impact you can have as you communicate, connect and engage. I do this through coaching and consulting and recently I have worked with clients around making an impact at work by finding their voice and being more visible when it counts within their leadership. It can come down to how you show up, but how you get there isn’t always obvious or easy to access. I find coaching helps by giving us the space the think and explore different ways to not only create improvement, but it allows us to identify strategies to keep moving forward. This isn’t always easy, and I always say it definitely takes time to make changes in our lives. A big driver is how important it is to us. For the people I work with the aim is for them to be clear about the issues, identify solutions and make progress. Sticking with it by developing small, manageable steps, reminders and reflections that will lead to permanent change and an achieved goal. Here’s what a client shared from his experience… “As a result of coaching with Trudy, I have gained a lot of clarity. My self-esteem has grown. I have been much better equipped to exert my influence and make my mark on the work of the new department.” SC I currently have capacity to take on a few new coaching clients. If you’d like to take up one of these spaces or just need a chat to find out more, please send me a DM and I’ll get back to you. #leadership #coaching #change

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Thank you, JJ (Projjal) Ghatak for your contributions to the Balancing Act Podcast. Listen in as JJ helps us understand the difference between "improve feedback," and "celebrate feedback" and which type of feedback leads to better results. #BalancingActPodcast #Feedback #EmployeeEngagement

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