Friday Thoughts with Lucy

Work, people, change and whatever else has caught my attention this week.

What you see isn't always the whole story

This week has reminded me that what we see on the outside doesn't always tell us what's really going on underneath, whether that's a business, a person or the way someone behaves.

I think I may have had a bit of a business personality crisis in the run up to speaking at Riviera Connect in Torbay on Tuesday, which was a brilliant opportunity to get out and talk about what I do here in Devon. I've spent years working with organisations across the country, so it felt particularly good to be doing something on my doorstep.

The only problem was that I arrived with three banners representing three different parts of my business world. Inclusive Change. DECID:R. Future Voices.

Three banners. Three different conversations. One Lucy.

And it got me thinking about how difficult it can be to explain what you do when you don't fit neatly into one box.

Inclusive Change is about helping people and organisations navigate challenges, particularly around neurodiversity, leadership and change.

DECID:R is about giving people opportunities to practise making decisions when things get complicated.

And Future Voices is about creating space for conversations and stories that deserve to be heard.

They might look like different things, but to me they're all connected.

They're about people. Understanding people, listening to people and helping people navigate a world that isn't always straightforward.

Perhaps I don't need three different personalities after all. Just a slightly better way of explaining what I do!

How well to you understand anxiety?

Meanwhile, back at Inclusive Change we have been talking about anxiety

On Wednesday we brought our mentoring team together for some CPD, focusing on understanding anxiety and how it can affect the people we support.

It was a really valuable opportunity to reflect on our practice, share experiences and challenge some of the assumptions we can make about behaviour.

Anxiety doesn't always look like worry. Sometimes it looks like avoidance, frustration, silence, repeatedly asking questions or struggling to make what appears to be a relatively simple decision. And sometimes we can be so focused on what someone is doing that we forget to ask what might be happening underneath.

One of the things I wanted our team to consider was the difference between seeing someone as difficult and recognising that they might be finding something difficult.

Of course, not every behaviour is caused by anxiety, and we shouldn't make assumptions in either direction. But being curious, rather than immediately jumping to conclusions, is a pretty good place to start. It's something I think applies just as much to leadership and management as it does to mentoring.

And finally, something to listen to...

Talking of Future Voices, I thought I'd share something a little different this week.

I've put together a Spotify podcast playlist featuring conversations from Future Voices and It's Probably Fine.

If you've got a journey coming up, a walk planned or simply fancy listening to some different perspectives, you might find something that interests you.

LISTEN TO THE SPOTIFY PODCAST PLAYLIST

I'd love to know which conversations resonate with you.

Have a good weekend,

Lucy

P.S. If you haven't signed up for our FREE Manager's Toolkit for Inclusive Teams webinar on 15th October, there's still time! Click here for more information and registration