How HR Professionals Can Foster More Inclusive and Innovative Cultures
It’s an honor to be published in IPMA-HR’s November 2020 HR News Publication! Check out the article here: The workforce has become more global, diverse, multicultural, multigenerational, virtual and hyperconnected. As a result, work gets done differently. Also, there is no question that numerous demographic shifts that have occurred over the past decade have disrupted many of our long-standing human resources policies and strategies. The ability of HR leaders to lead their organizations amid these disruptive forces and across differences while fostering more inclusive and innovative work environments in a wide variety of contexts, cultures and complexities will be a key lever for attracting, engaging and retaining top talent. Census data and global workforce studies continue to affirm the following realities: Women make up 51 percent of the global workforce and 60 percent of all degree earners (from associate’s degrees up to doctorates). There are currently five generations in the U.S. workforce. Among the two largest generational cohorts, baby boomers still account for roughly one-third (31 percent) of workers; however, nearly 70 million of the 79 million baby boomers are expected to retire over the next 5-10 years. Aging employees are expected to continue working into and through retirement. Between now and 2050, the portion of people in the workforce who are over the age of 65 is expected to grow by 75 percent. The other largest generational cohort, the millennials, now makes up 50 percent of the workforce. By 2025, millennials’ share of the workforce jumps to 75 percent. By 2017, the oldest members of Generation Z (those born 1996-2010) had entered the workforce. With 7.5 billion people on Earth, 1 in 7 has a disability. In the United States, the minority of today (people of color) will become the majority of tomorrow, making up 54 percent of the workforce by 2030. Of course, there are many other considerations, such as how to be more accommodating and appealing to the LGBTQ+ community, people with various religious beliefs and faiths, our veterans and active duty workers, and many more. We have to consider the diverse needs, expectations, thinking styles, work preferences, communication styles and development needs of a new generation of talent. That includes making changes such as revamping our policies to allow for greater flexibility in work arrangements; upgrading our benefit programs from offering only traditional 401(k) and retirement plans to instituting additional perks such as unlimited vacation time, paying off student loans, offering public transportation passes, gamification, health and wellness programs, onsite daycare, dependent care and long-term care benefits; and much more. It also means expanding our recruiting and selection processes to ensure less-biased decisions are made and our nets are cast wider to attract a more diverse slate of candidates. Additionally, it means offering individual career ladders and unique development opportunities. As HR leaders, we need to know how to navigate this complex and rapidly changing landscape. That means having the right skills and competencies to build more equitable, inclusive and high-performing workplace cultures. Why is this important? Because these kinds of work environments produce higher performance, increase employee engagement, fuel innovation and creativity, increase retention and positively impact the customer service experience. Ultimately, they positively contribute to an organization’s bottom line and result in sustained success. In fact, research cited by Bain & Company revealed that companies that create a winning culture are 3.7 times more likely to be top performers. I’ve had the opportunity to speak to more than 5,000 HR professionals and business leaders around the world over the past year, and these are the kinds of issues that are keeping them up at night. I am often asked, “What is HR’s role in fostering more inclusive and innovative cultures? And what strategies can we implement?” Here are the top 10 tips that I’ve implemented as a former chief diversity officer and HR executive, as well as what I’ve seen bring sustained success in fostering inclusive and innovative workplace cultures. Inclusive cultures afford all talent the opportunity to obtain a seat at the table and to feel a sense of connection and belonging. Make sure that your overperformers are not undervalued—or they will leave. Find the “hidden figures” in your organization who aren’t always the most visible or vocal but who are adding value. Embed diversity and inclusion into your company’s strategic and operating plans, not just the HR strategy. D&I should not be a stand-alone effort or done in a vacuum. Rather, it should be integrated into your organizational DNA. HR must upgrade and digitize. If not, HR will lose the ability to compete and add value because, according to Cisco Systems, nearly 37 billion things are connected right now. Digital transformation—cloud-based HRIS, recruitment solutions, internal communication platforms, workforce engagement—is key for HR’s transformation. Without inclusion, you will not attract top talent. Physical and psychological safety issues will arise, and mental, emotional and physical wellness will suffer, which will lead to complaints, lawsuits, low engagement, high turnover and absenteeism. All of these result in $7 trillion in lost productivity every year, according to Gallup. Think of diversity like an iceberg. Most often, we make 90 percent of our decisions based on the 10 percent of an issue we see. Look at the iceberg accompanying this article. And, yes, we all act according to our biases and make snap decisions within the first 5 seconds. There is so much that makes people unique and diverse that we miss out on because of our blind spots. Learn to take greater risks and get out of your comfort zone. Being risk-averse, rigid and complacent are antithetical to innovating. It’s HR’s strategic role and responsibility to build bench strength and leadership capability inside the organization. HR must also ensure that leaders develop the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) that will be needed in the future. This can be done via workforce planning, succession planning and generating predictive analytics. Stop using stock photos to show visible diversity in your company. Do not try to represent something
DEI Experts List First Steps Toward a More Inclusive Workplace
For direct access to this article, visit: https://www.architectmagazine.com/practice/dei-experts-list-first-steps-toward-a-more-inclusive-workplace_o DEI Experts List First Steps Toward a More Inclusive Workplace Achieving a diverse, equitable, and inclusive firm will take time. The process, say three DEI consultants, begins with examining your culture. By SHARON STEED, LILY ZHENG, SHIRLEY DAVIS Read what workforce management consultants Sharon Steed, Lily Zheng, and Shirley Davis advise as initial steps for firms striving to become more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. Learn Through Listening Sharon Steed, founder, Communilogue, Pittsburgh Many organizations, leaders, and managers are understandably feeling overwhelmed at the moment. We all finally see how painful life can be for certain segments of the population. Several of my clients have expressed their hesitation, even fear, in confronting these topics: What if they say the wrong thing? What if they hurt someone? What if it isn’t enough? The issues we are facing, however, don’t have to be intimidating nonstarters: They are opportunities to foster connection and drive inclusion, and architects are exceptionally equipped to tackle this challenging time in our history within the ranks of their firms. Architects not only understand their clients’ physical needs and wants, but also what is possible for a site, and what needs to happen in order to get it there. Use this same approach to create an inclusive and equitable culture at your firm. The first step is learning through listening: Leaders need to initiate one-on-one conversations with employees about their experiences in their firm. Make sure each individual understands that their opinions matter and will in no way affect their employment. Ask them: Do they feel included? Heard? Like they belong? Listen to their stories without judgment, and try to internalize their struggle. Make the most of what you learn by implementing changes to your hiring processes to increase diversity; using inclusive language to ensure everyone in the office can join every conversation; and elevating existing voices in your ranks who may feel like they have, or have actually, been silenced. These conversations can be challenging and daunting. Bringing in outside help at the beginning of this process is OK. Consultants can facilitate these tough discussions as well as create a safe space for these conversations to flourish and guide your firm in long-term diversity, equity, and inclusion planning. The rawness of the world right now requires those open lines of communication. When you begin to listen as an action, you will confront the brutal truth that your worldview has been very narrow to date. That’s OK: You are learning through listening. Question Everything Lily Zheng, diversity, equity, and inclusion consultant, Lily Zheng Consulting, San Francisco Corporate culture is the implied and unspoken values, beliefs, and behaviors that represent a company’s identity and inform how employees should interact with each other and clients. Culture is embedded within office policies, processes, and expectations. Where does DEI come into this? Most firm cultures are designed, intentionally or unintentionally, to be most comfortable for their leaders, who are overwhelmingly cisgender, heterosexual, college-educated white men. Fostering a culture of inclusion that welcomes women, people of color, LGBTQ+ people, working-class people, and other underrepresented minorities requires reimagination from the ground up. Here are the steps your firm must take, and the introspective questions you must ask all employees: 1. (Re)determine your company values, identity, and ethos. “Who” is your company? Who belongs inside it? One powerful way to begin this exercise is to ask: “Who are we not?” Aim high. Should your company be a place for underrepresented minorities to work? Buy from? Why and how should it earn that reputation? 2. Unpack the assumptions at the core of your company and industry. In design, for example, what stylistic approaches are accepted to be best? What is considered “normal” or “standard” within mainstream architecture education? What are the unspoken expectations for architects interacting with each other and their clients? 3. Identify how these assumptions embed themselves in common practices. Do white men primarily interface with clients, even if they’re less experienced than other team members? Does your firm interact with certain clients more than others or pursue certain types of work? What holidays does your firm recognize? What amount of unpaid labor is expected from employees? 4. Explicitly rework assumptions and common practices to align with your ideal company identity. What do design processes, expectations, and policies that support people of all races, genders, incomes, and social identities look like? How can you normalize these new aspects of culture? Sustain Your Culture Transformation Shirley Davis, president and CEO, SDS Global Enterprises, Tampa Bay, Fla. Culture transformation has become a focus for firms that recognize it can make or break their brand reputation among customers and top talent. Culture can be elusive and invisible, yet it affects the productivity, engagement, creativity, and retention of employees, many of whom are demanding that our workplaces create a sense of belonging, be free from harassment, and—at the very least—be more inclusive and equitable. It can also affect bottom-line profits. But changing culture is not easy, nor is it a quick fix, which explains why most efforts either fail or stall. What is the secret to transforming culture in your firm in a way that results in sustained success? From my experience, I can attest that the clients who have succeeded at culture transformation all understood two things: First, you must implement a comprehensive and robust strategy rather than taking a short-term approach; second, you must make it every leader’s responsibility. Here are five steps to get started: Start with a culture audit to identify the current state of issues, challenges, and strengths, as well as opportunities and deficiencies both inside and outside of your firm. Integrate and align inclusive behaviors into your values, policies, and strategic plan to reflect the changing demographics in your talent pool, customer segments, and communities. Replace archaic belief systems that breed power structures through homogeneity, conformity, and hierarchy. Provide education and development for leaders and staff on how to work more inclusively and effectively across differences. Institute accountability systems that
Resources Available to Address Racial Inequalities
Given these unprecedented times of racial injustices that have precipitated the protests, outrage, and civil unrest in our country, we are aware of the emotional and psychological toll that these incidents can take on workers, businesses and communities. As CEO of SDS Global Enterprises, Inc. and throughout my 20+ years as an expert in the DEI space, I understand how important it is to take immediate action in times like these. In lieu of the recent events that have highlighted the inequities in our society, SDS Global continues to provide resources to respond and strategies needed to build more inclusive workplaces. These are some of the resources that we are providing to our clients to help navigate through these difficult and sensitive topics: Provide COACHING ON MESSAGING to your organization regarding the civil unrest and injustices that are happening in our nation. Facilitation of LISTENING TOURS with staff to create a safe space to allow for open dialogue and to identify opportunities and solutions for moving forward. KEYNOTES/WEBINARS via virtual platform on “Creating more Inclusive and Equitable Workplace Cultures” and “Tips for Tackling Taboo Topics” (such as Race/Racism, gender inequality, religion, etc). CONSULTING with SR. EXECUTIVES on strategies for addressing institutional and systemic racial inequities and other discriminatory practices. INDIVIDUAL COACHING to help leaders effectively lead and work across differences. Provide AUDITS and ASSESSMENTS on organizational culture to identify inequities. As leaders, it is our responsibility to instill and ensure an inclusive and high performing culture. Reassuring staff that they are valued, reaffirming that diversity and inclusion are core to your values and culture, creating safe spaces for sharing feelings, and offering solutions and resources on how to navigate emotionally-charged situations are all ways to help achieve this. We are a full-service provider with virtual delivery options that are available on multiple platforms. We stand ready to partner with you to provide expert consulting, facilitation, training, education, coaching, and strategy development. We look forward to hearing from you on how we can partner with your organization. Sincerely, Dr. Shirley Davis CEO of SDS Global Enterprises, Inc.
Want More Board Diversity??
Thank you, BoardSource and Hardy Smith for featuring me in your recent post on board diversity. Read below or check out the original post here: https://blog.boardsource.org/blog/make-board-diversity-work Make Board Diversity Work Posted by Hardy Smith on Aug 27, 2019 2:19:35 PM Adopting a goal to achieve board diversity is one thing. Taking action to achieve that goal is quite another. Despite ongoing encouragement for nonprofit boards to embrace diversity, BoardSource’s Leading with Intent: 2017 National Index of Nonprofit Board Practices survey shows that movement toward more diverse boards is just not happening on a broad scale. According to BoardSource’s findings, a majority of board chairs and nonprofit chief executives are dissatisfied with their current levels of board diversity. However, the survey reveals another alarming fact: a high percentage of those expressing dissatisfaction about a lack of board diversity do not consider action to alter the situation a high priority or even a priority at all. Furthermore, of the more than 360 organizations that report having no people of color on their boards, it is disturbing that only 10 percent indicate that “demographics is a high priority in board recruitment.” This is in spite of the fact that 62 percent of those organizations with no people of color on their boards admit, “expanding the board’s racial and ethnic diversity is important for increasing the organization’s ability to advance its mission.” Certainly the sector is sending a mixed message. But actions speak louder than words. And because of that, the message is actually very clear —diversity is not a priority. These organizations are shooting themselves in the foot. This message projects well beyond the present board to prospective board members, members, volunteers, staff, donors, and to the community of individuals being served. The more people see that these organizations ignore the need for diversity, the more that they will drive away individuals they would like — and need — to attract. Furthermore, diversity is beyond having a different face or two on your board. When board members who represent diverse communities see no active progress toward diversity, they first become frustrated by the lack of full-in organizational commitment. Then they become discouraged, and finally they become disengaged from their board service. To prevent your organization from going down this path, you need to do three things: Accept responsibility BoardSource says it best: “As the decision-making body at the highest level of organizational leadership, boards play a critical role in creating an organization that prioritizes, supports, and invests in diversity, inclusion, and equity.” The board sets the tone for the entire organization and whatever it makes a priority will trickle down to the rest of the organization. However diverse (or not) your board is at this moment is the direct result of how your board has operated up to this point. Own it. Take action To assist organizations in moving beyond stated intentions with deliberate action, I reached out to speaker colleague Shirley Davis, Ph.D., who is a recognized global workforce expert and specializes in diversity and inclusion. She advises, “Optics matter. When an individual doesn’t see anyone else that looks like them, it communicates that their values and needs aren’t important.” She adds, “However, any conversation around achieving organizational diversity should not be narrowly focused on just gender and race. True diversity isn’t about quotas.” Davis shares these actions for successfully implementing a goal for achieving board diversity. Recognize there can be unconscious biases that prevent action from being taken. Identify a champion to lead the initiative. Develop a positioning statement that covers what the organization believes and defines what is to be accomplished. Establish goals with measurable outcomes. Evaluate progress being made. Provide training and facilitated discussion that gives your goal a top of mind presence. It is also important to avoid making mistakes that will block successful implementation. Davis identifies these four as especially significant: Not seeing that achieving diversity goals is everyone’s responsibility Not recognizing that there can be diversity but not inclusion Not fostering assimilation so there is a sense of belonging Assuming achieving diversity is a quick thing. It’s a marathon — not a sprint. To create a true culture of diversity, Davis advocates going beyond focus only on the board by “operationalizing” your efforts. Every decision your organization makes should be looked at through a diversity lens. This includes leadership positions, committee involvement, program scheduling, employee hiring, vendor selection, member and volunteer recruitment, and donor acquisition. Further demonstrate your commitment to diversity by ensuring that the public view of your organization, such as through your website and social media activity, includes leadership statements that reflect on various aspects of diversity. As nonprofits take action on their commitment to board diversity and inclusion, following Davis’s advice will help remove a source of frustration among board members who do represent under represented communities. In addition, they will position themselves as much more attractive to individuals representing different races, cultures, genders, and generational groups. Commit to desired change Achieving board representation that is reflective of the community an organization serves is the right thing. But it is also the smart thing — the organization benefits from the diversification of different backgrounds, experiences, opinions, and skill-sets, which are all vitally important qualities for a board that wants to reach higher levels of success. Making board diversity a priority and taking action to achieve it is a responsibility that is squarely on the shoulders of the board. Remember, actions speak louder than words, and those nonprofits talking diversity and not taking intentional action are missing board leadership. The bottom line is that taking the right action is the way to ensure that your organization advances its mission tomorrow and into the future. Does your organization have a goal for increasing diversity and for creating intentional inclusion? What actions are you taking to achieve your goal?
President & CEO Of SDS Global On WUSA9
Dr. Shirley Davis, a recognized authority on the global workforce and Master of Reinvention talks to Chris Leary and Markette Sheppard about megatrends and business implications that will shape the workforce of the future.
Be Visionary, Be Visible, Be Vocal & Add Value
10 Strategies for Getting a Seat at the Leadership Table By Dr. Shirley Davis, SPHR As the global workforce becomes more complex and competitive, the demand for HR professionals to be strategic and business-focused is no longer an option. It is a necessity. By doing so, HR professionals are not only providing leadership and strategic guidance, but they are also positioning themselves for a seat at the leadership table that so many covet. However, in order to achieve that coveted seat, I believe that you must be a visionary,be visible,be vocal, and you must add value(what I’ve coined as my 4 V’s to Career Success). With that in mind, I have outlined a set of strategies to help HR professionals and other business leaders get that seat at the table with senior leadership. Earn it. Don’t just expect to get invited. This first strategy is earning that seat. HR professionals, diversity and inclusion practitioners, and other business leaders have to be able to show worth and value. We cannot assume that we should get the seat just because we have a senior title or position. We have to drive results, build trust, demonstrate credibility and high levels of competence, and show that the business really should not make a decision without HR’s participation. At the core, the HR professional is responsible for ensuring that the organization has the right talent in the right areas, doing the right kind of work that’s going in the right direction. Remember that people don’t leave organizations; they leave bad leaders. Know your organization’s business. Human Resources is considered the “people side of the business” but that doesn’t diminish the fact that it is still a business-within-a-business. And that meansthat HR must spend time outside of the HR department as often as possible getting to know the business. It’s important to learn about the key areas of the business such as Communications, Finance, Sales, Operations, Production, Quality, Supply Chain and others. Understand the construct, the infrastructure and what the business objectives of each division are. Understand what the employees do and how they get their work done. In addition to knowing what’s going on in different divisions, learn about the customers, competitors, and marketplace trends that have an impact on your organization. All these things will inform how you build your HR strategy and how you can make valuable contributions to enabling the business’ success. Know your leaders. Meet and build relationships with the organization’s leaders —at all levels. Spend time with them; find out what’s important to them. Find out how they perceive you as an HR leader, how they perceive the role of HR and the work that you do. Discover their sweet spots and their pain points, meaning, what are they most passionate about, what’s keeping them up at night, and where are some of their business gaps and weaknesses. Also explore where are they most successful and why. Learn where you can make offers to assist in closing their gaps and solving their business challenges. Once they see you as invested in their business, and as a strategic partner, coach and advocate, they then will invite you to the table. Be/become a subject-matter expert. As HR or diversity and inclusion professionals, we must be knowledgeable and serve as trusted advisers and thought leaders to the other leaders in the business. Leaders — at all levels and in all business units and divisions — have a responsibility for some HR functions in the organization. As HR professionals, we have to help leaders hire great talent; coach, develop and manage performance; build great teams; create inclusive, respectful work environments; and adhere to state and federal laws. Just as other leaders in the company are experts in their areas of the business and know how to drive operational goals, HR professionals must demonstrate their expertise and drive HR results in the operation. Sometimes that means not always speaking in HR terminology. We must learn to speak the language of business such as understanding customer service terminology, knowing the products and services, understanding the metrics, and so on. Let that knowledge inform how you may need to shift, adjust or enhance your approach, so that your organization is able to be proactive in the marketplace. Lastly, understand what the future looks like for your business and industry and be able to offer solutions in a proactive versus reactive way. Be a partner/collaborator across the organization. Many organizations have transitioned their HR professionals into HR Business Partner (HRBP) roles in which they are located and embedded into the business units both physically and functionally. It allows for better collaboration among the business leaders and HR; it enables HR to experience firsthand how the business operates on a daily basis; and it provides opportunities where human resources can offer more integrated solutions. By doing this, the strategic business partner model is showing great results and successes for the organization. For those HR departments that have not moved to this model, it’s still critical for HR to partner and collaborate across the organization and to be viewed by leaders as accessible and invested in their business units. At the same time, employees appreciate seeing HR as a visible entity understand the unique complexities and challenges that they face each day. Additionally, they expect that HR will be their advocates and champions and to solve these challenges and to make the work environment more inclusive, respectful, and a great place to work. Our profession has gotten a bad rap for being too much in the weeds, too tactical and administrative—focusing on putting out fires, being hall monitors, completing stacks of paperwork, and organizing company picnics and holiday parties and not having time to be strategic. Demonstrate strong leadership skills. People want to follow leaders who have a vision, are transformational, are problem-solvers, are creative, are great coaches and mentors, and have integrity and conviction for what they do. Moreover, executives want to know how you get results and how you work with people at all levels.
Leaving SHRM & a Great Legacy-Launching a Full Time Venture
June 2014 Newsletter Please click on the link below to download/read the June 2014 The Success Doctor’s Digest. Dr. Shirley Davis outlines that she is leaving SHRM and Launching her own Full-Time Venture. { Success Doctor Blog & Newsletter }
Reassess Your Personal Vision & Purpose
The past few years have been wrought with the effects of a lingering recession: double digit unemployment, rising home foreclosures, overwhelming debt, and mental and emotional setbacks. Each year we engage in the age-old tradition of setting New Year’s Eve resolutions such as losing weight, working out, eating healthier, finding a new job, getting more organized, and spending more quality time with close family and friends. Unfortunately, according to research, by Valentine’s Day nearly 50% of those resolutions are broken and by the end of April nearly 90% of them are abandoned. Consider your resolutions now…..how many of them have you kept? Are you on track to accomplish what you set out to do in January? As a Success Coach, I advise clients that instead of creating New Year’s resolutions that are likely to be broken, to develop a Life Plan for Success and use each year as a check in for progress made and new actions to take. In this blog I share a few excerpts from my newly released audio book entitled, “Reinvent Yourself: Strategies for Achieving Success in Your Personal Life, Career, Relationships, and Finances.” Now that nearly half of this year is already behind us, I hope that you will take the time to do a mid year check in and consider how well you’re doing against the goals you’ve set towards accomplishing your Life Plan. The first step is to understand your WHY. REASSESS YOUR PERSONAL VISION AND PURPOSE One of the most basic questions in life to ask: Who am I? Why am I here? What is my purpose? When you start answering these questions, you’ll bring new meaning to every aspect of your life, to your career, to your relationships, and to your responses to life’s challenges. Too many people go through life frustrated because they have no idea what they want to become or why they were created. They spend years trying to find their purpose, yet so few of them are living a fulfilled and meaningful life. I’ve said this for many years, “many people die at age 30 but they don’t get buried until age 75.” Why? Because they don’t have meaning, significance, or a clear vision for their life. They go through life wandering and seeking direction, and by the time they get older, they’ve got more regrets then they have achievements. It’s been said that the poorest man in the world is the man without a dream or vision; the most frustrated man in the world is the man with the dream/vision that never becomes a reality. A vision is the promise of what you shall be one day—whether it’s becoming a senior executive in a corporation, achieving your MBA or Ph.D., running a successful business, getting better organized, or eating healthier. A vision is the blueprint for your life. It lays out what you’re aiming to be/become or to do in the future. It takes into account where you’ve been, where you are now, and what’s possible. It is a road map that guides and informs the choices and decisions you have to make on a daily basis. William Blake, famous painter and poet of the 18th century put it this way: “when people have no vision, development of the mind’s capacity to create is neglected and they fall prey to the human tendency towards victimization.” Similarly, purpose is what you’ve been created and born to do. It’s your WHY. It’s the reason why you’re wired the way you are. It’s the reason that you possess the kinds of skills and talents that you have. Purpose has to do with your destiny [or your destination]. It will drive you and make you want to get up out of bed every morning; it will give you a strong sense of self worth; it will give you a dose of energy and passion for life; it will guide your choices and decisions in life. We all have dreams, whether we know it or not. They are visual manifestations of our purpose and seeds of destiny planted in our hearts. What dreams and purpose do you have that you’ve yet to accomplish? If you don’t know, here’s a way to start to explore what it is. It’s the interest, hobby, or skill that has followed you from a young child; it keeps coming back to your mind year after year; the thing that you’ve always enjoyed doing and would do even if you didn’t get paid for it; the gift and talent that you have that comes easy for you; the thing that you would do if you knew you couldn’t fail and if you had all the necessary resources to implement. That’s your dream. And it’s tied directly to your purpose. Discipline is necessary if you plan to bring that purpose into reality. It is the positive conditioning and controlling of one’s mind, desires, actions, beliefs, words, and habits. In order to obtain your goals, you must have the discipline to go through whatever it takes to succeed. That means that when things get tough, you get tougher; when friends no longer stick by you, you stand your ground anyway; when you start to lose hope and confidence, you keep pressing towards the prize and never give up. To get you started in this journey of reinventing yourself first start with a few self-assessment questions and reflect on what you need to redefine, reassess, and reinvent in your life. I use these types of questions with my own clients as a success coach. They should spark some deep thought and introspection. Be as honest and as open with yourself as possible. This is a time for you to do your own self discovery and to be truthful with yourself. You may be experiencing a crisis at the crossroads, and in order to take your life to the next level, remember success starts with self. How do you define success? What does it look like for you?