Becky Hewitt OBE’s Post

How often as People Leaders do you hear managers complain about 'whinging' employees, or 'difficult' staff always sharing unhelpful comments in meetings or around the workplace? Ever wondered how you can channel this engagement into a valuable, safe and enriching Speak-up Culture, or how you can develop your managers to listen actively, with curiosity, so that diverse and inclusive ideas can be focused on innovation and positive cultural growth.... Then you should check out our upcoming practical workshop on doing just that! Let's all start Speaking Up & Listening Up Right!

Yesterday, I had the privilege of working with a group of senior leaders, including scientists, researchers, and clinicians. We found ourselves deep in conversation about a topic that sparked a divide in the room: exposure. On one side, some saw exposure as an unfortunate but necessary tool in an unfair world—key to attracting funding, opportunities, and recognition. On the other, there was resistance: discomfort with self-promotion, a belief that the work should speak for itself, or a fear of being perceived as insincere. It’s a conversation I’ve encountered many times in different forms, especially among brilliant professionals who’ve dedicated themselves to meaningful, impactful work. The tension often lies between staying true to their values and navigating the reality of how decisions are made—where visibility often opens doors. Here’s what I believe: exposure doesn’t have to mean selling out or becoming someone you’re not. It can be about authentically showcasing your impact, sharing your story in a way that connects with others, and ensuring that your work gets the attention it deserves to thrive. But I’d love to hear from you. • Have you faced this tension between the need for exposure and the discomfort of self-promotion? • How do you approach it in your own work? Let’s open up this conversation—your perspective might just inspire someone else in this space.

Earlier in the year Olivia Bellas FRSA and I ran an action research project on how Walk & Talks can be adapted to a working context. The core change we want to see is for more organisations to have tools to do their work well in different ways. The world has had a much needed shift; culturally, politically, socially and the ways in which we get our work done shouldn’t be left behind. How we make decisions is changing and there are practices in the day to day of the workplace that can help us meet and think differently. We hope Walk & Talks becomes one of the tools that support this change moving forward. For our action research we brought together a Civic Creativity Insight Group to test what is unique about this type of encounter. Here is a lovely short video which summarises their experience and perspectives. Aida Palma Corredera Alisa Oleva Benedicta A. Lauren Gee Sylvie Belbouab Martin O'Donnell

Effective preparation sets the stage for transformative dialogue, helping teams think differently, reveal new perspectives, and unlock innovative solutions. Whether you're offering insights, asking the right questions, or simply ensuring all voices are heard, creating space for these discussions is essential. https://lnkd.in/eFinxtxm

Welcome to the first post of Readiness Review! This week, we delve into the <Article Digest> spotlighting groundbreaking research on organizational readiness for issue polarization, authored by Xuerong Lu, Wenqing Zhao, Toni van der Meer, and Yan Jin. Tune in as we break down key insights and practical strategies to help organizations navigate challenging issue dynamics and foster constructive dialogues. Lu, X., Zhao, W., van der Meer, T.G.L.A. and Jin, Y. (2025), "Organizational readiness for issue polarization: how corporate political engagement can optimize organization-stakeholder issue discussion in social media environment", Journal of Communication Management, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://lnkd.in/gmZA8H4n

According to one study, 40 percent of people who witnessed questionable behavior at work wasted two weeks or more thinking about it. What is this costing organizations and — more importantly — how do we start speaking up more? With VOICE: The Neuroscience of Speaking Up, organizations can launch culture change programs that advance more productive conversations, and get results faster. Watch the video, and then visit our VOICE landing page to learn more: https://hubs.li/Q02PlW5S0

When conflict and incivility is not risk mitigated it costs time, money and human capital and not just the people involved! Money, time and perfomance outcomes is lost by the bystanders! “40 percent of people who witnessed questionable behavior at work wasted two weeks or more thinking about it.” Video below! There is an ROI to proactive psychosocial risk mitigation! It all starts with the baseline psychosocial culture assessment! Become conflict curious and engage in some SRSR …Treena

It’s international coffee day today: too late to plan a focus group on the symbolism of coffee drinking  - but should you be thinking about other issues where some insight might be helpful? The main purpose of focus group research is to draw upon participants’ attitudes, emotions, beliefs, experiences and reactions through interaction within the group. Exploring symbolism is often a key part of that. The technique is associated particularly with market research, but as well as existing, lapsed or potential customers, it can yield intriguing results from members of other #stakeholdergroups, including the supply chain and your own management and staff.  (More than once, when I’ve been doing management research, participants have referred to ‘management by cliché - and when I’ve pressed them for examples the results have been… illuminating…) The role of moderator or group #facilitator is critical, in terms of providing clear explanations of the purpose of the activity, facilitating interaction between group members, and #analysing and #interpreting afterwards what was said…and how it was said. And here’s the sell:  focus groups and in-depth interviews are a couple of the consultancy services I offer.   I also do #secondaryresearch for business plans, feasibility studies, PESTLE and SWOTSs analysis and so on. I also edit and sense-check narratives and key documents for clients. These includes business plans, grant applications, tenders, bids, slide decks and all sorts of reports. Would you like to talk about it over a coffee?

Many companies know they want a premier speaking opportunity at a leading conference. Fewer companies know “WHY” they want it. When asked by content teams why they would like to speak, oftentimes the answers look like this: - Because we have a new version of an existing product. - Because we’re the biggest company in this vertical. - Because our competitor spoke on this stage. - Because we want new customers. While all of those are certainly important, they are based on what the company WANTS, not what the company has to OFFER. To gain the biggest impact from a thought leadership opportunity, take the time to think about what you are providing to the audience. When looking at it through this lens, your answers may now look like this: - Our company has solutions to a challenge that urgently needs to be solved. - Our company has innovation that will transform industry operations. - Our company is making a public commitment to do the right thing. - Our company is improving people’s lives in new ways. Thought leadership that is based in a strong sense of purpose, mission and service will resonate long after the event is over. So, before you make your next corporate pitch for a high profile stage, I would encourage you to take a step back and think about your “WHY”.

"The more I advance in my career the more I realise that leaders learn by doing. Most people who have big responsibilities, whether is speaking or something else, are still learning, and they don’t have all the answers. Sometimes they even do it wrong! The difference is that they simply have the courage to try." Our guest interviewer Iosetta Santini recently sat down with Nepa's Andrea Goeres to discuss public speaking, keeping an audience entertained, and everything in between for our newest edition of 'Centre Stage' — a blog series dedicated to empowering #WomeninResearch to take the stage. Read the whole post at https://bit.ly/3Yun9Q4. #MRX #MarketResearch