Listen Carefully and Continuously for Better Results and Competitive Advantage.

That may seem obvious and simple, yet in today's tumultuous business environment, leaders can occasionally lose their focus along with low self-awareness. That's where asking questions and gaining answers from others with unique perspectives drives improvement to achieve better outcomes.

One extraordinary leader who demonstrates these positive attributes of listening intently, authentically, and responsively is Sanja Licina, PhD, President of QuestionPro Workforce.

She takes listening to a higher level by building bridges, connecting people, uncovering concerns, with empathy to co-create, sustainable solutions for mutual benefit. How? By cultivating an inclusion and belonging mindset. She is a citizen of the world, a person 'who never met a stranger.' Is easy to get to know, and eager to know the points of view of others, to learn from and grow people, organizations, and communities.

It was an absolute honor to sit down with my special guest, Sanja Licina, to discuss her life, work, passion and the power of listening when embedded in organizations' processes, as a priority to support an inclusive and belonging culture.

Sanja Licina, Ph.D. is an Organizational Psychologist and President at QuestionPro Workforce, a global leader in online survey and research services. In this role she has overall responsibility for driving growth, product development and client satisfaction for Workforce Experience division. Sanja has 20 years of experience as an executive and senior leader in high-growth organizations. For nine years she held multiple strategic roles at CareerBuilder, including product management, talent intelligence and workforce analytics. Prior to joining QuestionPro she led the Future of Organizations unit at Globant, a company that leverages digital-cognitive technologies to help companies transform. Early in her career she was a researcher for Ipsos and a consultant for Harvard Business School. She is also a member of the distinguished Forbes Human Resource Council.

In this episode of the Inclusive Enterprise Conversations Podcast, Listening Continuously, talks about maximizing benefits.

Don't miss this revealing conversation and key takeaways:

• How continuous listening can establish or invigorate effective DEI Strategy and business growth
• Recognize personal values and beliefs evolve over time for leaders and employees
• Leaders engaging more employees in decision-making can lead to faster and more meaningful change
• Building exceptional experiences and workplace cultures begins with Leaders' human connection, reflection, observation, innovation, and retention

Actively and consistently listening to employees demonstrates a commitment to inclusivity, making them feel valued and heard. When employees believe their voices matter, they are more likely to stay with the organization, leading to higher talent retention rates, which is an important concern for DEI, HR, and senior leaders!

As Sanja says 'Most of us spend so much of our lives working, and there is still a tremendous opportunity to help people feel better connected to their companies, to their colleagues, and to feel passionate to make a difference with their work. So, I dedicated my career to helping companies create a culture that employees love to be a part of.'

Who better than Sanja and her team to lead the way, modeling the behaviors, actions and shared knowledge with resources to empower organizations and individuals to reach their full potential.

Creating Workplace Cultures of Belonging....

While a lot has changed this year.. . at the same time, a lot remains 'in a holding pattern' or worse, in the reverse.

Q: How do you stay focused and push for positive change with persistent obstacles in your path to progress?

In this episode of the Inclusive Enterprise Conversation Podcast, I sat down with two dynamic Black women, warriors of DEIB, to hear their perspectives and shared purpose, empowering all people, needing access to care to reach the highest quality of life, in these challenging times.

My special guests include, a leader with an accomplished career in Government and Healthcare, most recently as Executive Vice President, Chief Social Justice & Accountability Officer of the largest, most comprehensive health system and provider in NJ, DeAnna Minus-Vincent. The other distinguished leader, was the first officer, Senior Director of Health Equity and Community Equity for a national healthcare payor, insurance company in NJ, Tracy Parris-Benjamin. We discussed their life changing experiences, how their careers intersect and inspired their path forward.

DeAnna is Founder and Managing Director with Tracy serving as Managing Partner of The Outcomes Architect-- a strategic advisory firm that executes across sectors to optimize leadership; leverage relationships; and gather insights to improve organizational results. Their aim is to develop efficient and cost-effective solutions that are integrated, equitable, and sustainable to empower companies and communities they serve. They proactively equip organizations with the tools necessary to architect their own successful outcomes!

Understanding systemic racism and how to eliminate it, requires a wholistic approach and key steps to advance health equity for real visible impact. It requires policy and practice review, before addressing drivers of health. It's essential that this work moves beyond programs and training, and is grounded in data analysis of current mindsets and human behavior, with clearly articulated outcomes for sustained change.

Together they create solutions that demand honest feedback, dealing with current reality, recognizing the daily lives of employees and communities they serve and barriers to living a quality life. Both are driven to dismantling policies and practices that get in the way of healthy living and rebuilding equitable organizations' to achieve their vision and mission.

Join the conversation. Listen to this enlightening episode. It's a must for leaders to recognize and empower employees, improve productivity and understand what your greatest assets need for greater impact in their professional and personal lives, and provide a stronger sense of purpose and prosperity.

Creating Workplace Cultures of Belonging....

Q:"Where are we regarding DEI, where do we want to be, and how to get there? There is a need for employers to take a holistic, broader view of diversity, and develop inclusive leaders in 2024.”

• On the latest episode of Inclusive Enterprise Conversations Podcast, Charlotte Hughes of Inclusive Leaders Group sat down with Fields Jackson Jr., CEO, Chief Cheerleader & Talent Scout of Racing Toward Diversity Magazine and President, College Diversity Network…
• Racing Toward Diversity magazine showcases the best DEI initiatives being made today. Written with business and educational audiences in mind. Stories highlight messages from influential leaders and their organizations…
• The College Diversity Network helps organizations become more diverse from top to bottom by bringing more diverse candidates into their entry level talent pipelines…
• This thought-provoking conversation is a must-listen for anyone passionate about reimagining belonging and driving change in these turbulent times…
• Focused on the company culture, talent management, leadership behavior, and business growth benefits of DEI
• Gaining different perspectives and ideas to increase creativity & innovation, profitable growth, and how to become an Employer of Choice
• Listen to “Why Companies Should Rethink & Reframe their Approach to DEI a conversation with Fields Jackson, Jr.”

And never miss an episode by subscribing to The Inclusive Enterprise Conversations Podcast.

Creating Workplace Cultures of Belonging....