Zambezi’s Post

Introducing the Creative Excellence Award 🏆 This award celebrates an exceptional campaign (within the last 18 months) with outstanding creative work that champions diversity and communicates powerful messages of inclusion and authenticity. The campaign demonstrates a commitment to authentic portrayal and representation of underrepresented groups.    We are looking for entries that showcase the ability to seamlessly integrate diversity and inclusion into their creative campaigns. This includes the ability to authentically represent diverse groups and incorporate different points of view, encouraging authentic representation through advertising.   Applicants should consider the following questions when submitting their entry: ✨ What was the brief that inspired the creative work? ✨ What research was conducted as a foundation for the brief? ✨ What was the campaign plan, including timings and targeted audience? ✨ How was the response to the campaign measured? ✨ Was there any research conducted post-campaign to assess the impact?   We are seeking entries that go above and beyond to push the boundaries of creativity while highlighting and celebrating the diversity within our society. Show us how your creative work has successfully captured the essence of diverse audiences and paved the way for greater representation in advertising. National and Regional submissions will be considered separately for this category.   Join us in recognising and honouring the outstanding creative work that encourages inclusion, challenges stereotypes, and connects with diverse communities. Submit your entry today and showcase your commitment to creative excellence in diversity and inclusion here: https://lnkd.in/eqius-hR #MEFA #MediaForAll #DiversityAndInclusion #Media #Advertising #Awards

As an HR consultant focusing on the attraction, hiring, and retention of employees, I'm known for a few key strengths 🌟. One of them is bringing the right people and practices to the table, for any HR-centric, organizational-development, or change management program or process. It's what a consultant does. 🤝 How we do it, is where the rubber meets the road. 🛣️ Flash to bang, I can do an 'audit' of a division, a process, or a program in less than 2 weeks, depending on the organization size, the project scope, and the number of people involved. In short, I start each and every working relationship with an audit. And that terrifies everyone, from CEOs to CHROs to general staff. 😱 So, it's not really in the execution; it's in the name. I've come up with a dozen or so ways to never say the word audit. For my fellow consultants and HR folks in the trenches, here's my New Year's present to you: 🎁 💡 Strategic Organizational Analysis: Instead of 'auditing', focus on conducting a comprehensive organizational analysis 🔍, delving deep into the company's HR practices and processes. My approach is tailored to each client, ensuring a unique understanding of their specific needs and challenges. 🔥 Integrated Engagement Programs: I specialize in creating both internal and external engagement programs 🤝 that go beyond mere assessments. By intertwining key HR practices, I extract the essential data needed to foster meaningful change or construct vital initiatives. ⚔ Collaborative Consultancy Approach: Recognizing the importance of diverse perspectives, I advocate for bringing in additional consultants and third-party accountability groups 🌐. This isn't just a rebranding of an 'audit'; it's a deeper, more collaborative investigation into what an organization truly needs to thrive and show tangible results. 🔢 Result-Oriented Solutions: In my line of work, results are paramount 🎯. My strategy revolves around not just identifying areas for improvement but also implementing effective solutions and demonstrating real progress to stakeholders. 💥 Partnership with companies like, Top Employers North America: Depending on the scope, I may partner with full-service companies like Top Employers North America 💼. This is a company that is gaining momentum in the US. They provide valuable data analysis, comparing and contrasting HR practices from each company across various industries globally. More than just a 'badge', this ensures that you not only meet but exceed industry standards. Data-Driven Insights for Industry Excellence: Utilizing the insights gained from comprehensive organizational analysis, my team and I guide companies to not just meet but excel in their industry standards 📈. Using a data-driven approach, comparing your organization’s practices with the best in the field. Try using a holistic approach 🌐 identifying not just problems but also the opportunities that lie within your existing structure and practices. Need help? Let me know.

What a pleasant surprise as I end my workweek. Thank you, Medium, for featuring me in the "Power Women" series. I proudly shared my story and some nuggets you can apply to your journey on "how to successfully navigate work, love, and life as a powerful woman." Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Powerful Woman 1. Growth Mindset: Embrace challenges as opportunities. Continuously learn, adapt, and innovate to stay ahead in your career. 2. Resilient Self-Advocacy: Be your own strongest advocate. Ask for raises, promotions, and recognition. When I noticed a pay gap, I confidently negotiated and secured the raise I deserved. 3. Aligned Sponsorship: Find sponsors who genuinely align their success with yours. Their advocacy can be the key to reaching higher leadership positions. 4. Self-Promotion with Executive Presence: Develop a strong executive presence and don’t shy away from promoting your achievements. Your visibility and influence are crucial for career advancement. 5. Power in Being Unapologetic: Stand firm in your beliefs and decisions. By being unapologetic, you assert your value and pave the way for your success. Interested in a deeper dive into my story and reflections? Here is the link to the article: https://lnkd.in/eW9YE8H7

Rethinking Diversity? An interesting article by Forbes on the importance of reconsidering the organisational approach Diversity. Thanks for sharing Naren Patel #diversity #difference #mindset #adaptive #leadership

I'm overjoyed to be in this year's 40 Under 40 class and share this honor with so many talented professionals! So thankful for family, friends, colleagues, and mentors who have supported me over the course of my career-- I am forever indebted. Cheers! #40Under40 #CharlotteBusinessJournal

Is it time to change perspective on your achievements? When do you have permission to claim your superhero status? This week I was offered to apply for a 2023 women of influence award and I immediately declined as being unworthy. Why did I do that you may ask? My reasons were that due to continued chronic illness from COVID vaccine injury and long COVID I had not delivered to my corporate employer or coworkers as I had in the previous 40 years. I had nothing to be proud of. When challenged about my self exclusion by the award committee member I had a rethink. Actually my 2023 has been a year of conciously choosing to understand and recover from my illness. I may not have completed this ambition however I have supported many people, illustrated immense personal strength and determination and discovered more deeply my purpose and identity away from the opinion of others who have different agendas and deliverables for my talents and skills. Is it time for you to reconsider your contributions, achievements and superhero status? The first step is to notice words like just and only when you talk about yourself. I am still an overachiever today as I have been my whole career. The only difference is I now focus on self, family, friends and community. Whether I win an award or not I am a winner today in my mind. #buildingyourmindsetmuscle #selfleadership #purpose #mindset #suddenlydifferent #longcovid

We all want recognition for being good at our job. For doing good. But - if that recognition comes with a price tag - is it really worth anything? We've all seen the the different "Distinguished this", "Top that", "Most whatever" awards. And some are legitimate - the ones that are actually chosen by peers or known institutions and entities - and don't require a payment to get them. Sadly - this is not one of those. I receive at least 1 of these a month from one oddly named group or another- though at only $1200, this is a bargain. They have no clue who I am, or what I do. They just want my money. They are attempting to exploit money. Pure and simple. They are playing to my ego and hoping I want to play along. Would I love to think I was one of the top 10 influential women leaders of 2024 -Duh! Of course I would. But, is there any remote chance that is a fact... well, I guess nothing is ever 0... but I feel confident that chances of this are pretty darn close to it. I am the head of a medium sized nephrology group in Hawaii. In no world does that make a top 10 influential anything for the whole country. Nor should it. I understand that we all want awards and recognitions to demonstrate to others our value. We all like to hire people who have been recognized for being good at what they do. But it has to actually mean something. Pay to play awards like this don't mean anything. If you think this kind of thing means anything... well, I have some ocean front property to sell you. #awards #recognition #falseadvertising #oceanfrontproperty

This story has a happy ending: Samira Manfon was in such a low place that getting out of bed was a struggle. Talking was a struggle. She’d just lost out on a promotion and it crushed her confidence. She almost didn’t apply to our career accelerator. But we’re so glad she did because she blew us away with her courage and insight! I remember thinking, “she’s exactly who we had in mind when we created the program.” The vote was unanimous. Samira was admitted into the program with flying colors. She showed up every week and put her full heart into supporting her peers. And a few months after graduation, she got a promotion. Samira, we’re so proud of your perseverance, leadership, and excellence. Congratulations on your well-deserved promotion! ********* Fix The Broken Rung’s goal is to help one million women of color achieve promotions. Check out our upcoming Promotion Strategy Master Class to learn the step-by-step playbook Samira used to level up. Link in the comments.

Beyond excited that Meta was recognized by World 50 Group for the ways that we're using technology in #supplierdiversity! We say it all the time, business is all about relationships. 🤝 But what if you have a whole community of entrepreneurs that, for no fault of their own, don’t have the networks to the people and companies that need the very solutions that they've built? Meta's supplier diversity efforts are rooted in the belief that it is not just our job, but our responsibility to break down the barriers that can unlock economic opportunity for transformative, transgenerational impact. And, as a technology company that’s superpower IS connection, we have built procurement products and tools to ensure that there’s absolutely no excuse for anyone at Meta looking to engage a third party that they can’t find a qualified diverse supplier to compete for the business. 🔓 We’ve done this by removing barriers to access, with Single Sign-On tools like DSUL, our diverse supplier locator, which integrates it seamlessly with our procurement platform. 🔍 We’ve done this by building smart searches that embed supplier diversity values in the ranking and recommendation logic as well as nudges that inform a sourcing manager if they haven’t included diverse suppliers in their RFPs. 🤖 And we’re doing it with AI, experimenting with trained agents that can query our procurement history and metadata from diverse sources to surface the right supplier for the job in conversational chat channels. Yes, business is still all about relationships. But we’re disrupting the way those relationships are formed and sustained through innovative technologies rooted in our focus on equity and opportunity.

During my talks to CEO Groups, I typically ask the members if they remember who was named TIME Magazine's Person of the Year in 2006. Most don't know, while others guess. No matter who they name, they are correct because everyone who was alive got the nod that year. I then ask them if they have this distinction listed on their LinkedIn Profile under Honors & Awards, and as you might imagine, most people do not. I let them know; however, that if they check my profile, they will find it listed. Did I do it alone? No, but no one who was ever named TIME Magazine's Person of the Year did it alone either. They all had help. We're here to help and serve each other in this world which is what #peerinfluence, #peeradvantage, and #Peernovation are all about. We work together to create something larger than ourselves. In that spirit, it may be time to make an addition to the Honors & Awards section of your profile.