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Fiorenza Rossini is a career and leadership coach for working parents, a facilitator and cross-cultural trainer. She’s a champion of the ‘season’ narrative - the idea that we’re moving through different chunks of time in our lives that each have a variety of things needing our attention.  We also share an outlook that career growth doesn’t have to stop if you become a parent - it may look a bit different, but the idea we suddenly stop wanting to develop is a redundant one.  In this conversation we covered: Why it’s not policies alone Noticing the identity transition as a leader  How multicultural parents' sense of confidence, voice and fit can shift after children.  It was a great conversation with practical ideas and I think should take some mystery / worry out for line managers and leaders when it comes to supporting your teams! And here are all the links mentioned in the episode:WebsiteConnect on LinkedInSubscribe to Fiorenza’s newsletterConnect on Instagram

It’s a returning guest today - the magnificent Michelle Gyimah, who is an oracle when it comes to all things pay gaps.  The three things we covered were: The big changes to pay gap reporting Bracing yourselves for pay conversations Consistency in pay conversations to minimise the loss of talent Michelle takes us through a stroll of the realities of ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting and what it’s already starting to reveal, along with what the next 12-18 months are likely to look like when it comes to sharing data.  Something that sticks with me from Michelle’s expert insights is that we have to realise pay is no longer a private conversation, and an important reminder that we can enjoy our jobs and still want to be paid…who’d have thought?! You can listen to the first episode Michelle recorded with me here: https://power-of-the-parent.com/power-of-the-parent-5-5-michelle-gyimah-equality-pays/ And, Michelle also has her own brilliant podcast, which you can find here: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/beyond-the-pay-gap-figure-with-michelle-gyimah/id1601188183

Today I’m joined by Sophie Fletcher, best selling author, award winning therapist and trainer. Sophie’s style and approach combines mindfulness and hypnosis with goal focused therapy.  We covered the realities to consider when you’re an employer and have a wealth of talent experiencing the life transition of becoming a parent. I was keen to explore what that actually looks like through different routes to parenthood, and some of the research Sophie shared was really interesting here.  The three things we covered were: The identity shift begins in pregnancy  Partners need emotional tools too The return to work phase is a transition for the nervous system You can find out more about Sophie’s work and get in touch with her through her website: https://www.sophiefletcher.co.uk/

Today’s episode is with Karishma Motiram, the founder of The Thought Box. She’s a mental fitness specialist, a psychology graduate and certified positive intelligence coach with a diploma in life coaching.  Karishma knows the mental and emotional aspects of parenthood need a centre stage all of their own. She believes slowing down doesn’t need to be a bad thing, she talks candidly about mental fitness and the reality that it’s not just a case of adding in ‘morning hacks’ and in this episode we tackled something close to my heart - guilt.  The three things we covered were: Guilt is a compass, not a punishment You can control your guilt by defining enough / your best You may be stuck in recycled guilt It was an incredible conversation that I felt very grateful to be having, and Karishma left no crumbs. Everything from asking ‘are we punishing ourselves for what the world wants us to be?’ through the the realities of guilt recovery, it was all there in vivid detail! All the contact details you need for Karishma are here:Website: https://thethoughtbox.co.uk15-Min Hack to Reconnect with yourself: https://thethoughtbox.co.uk/products/200702-FREE-A-15-Min-Hack-to-Reconnect-withOne word, once a week for busy parents: https://thethoughtbox.co.uk/newslettersignupInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/karishmasthoughtbox/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karishma-motiram/

Jodie Hill is a lawyer if you go by her qualifications, but her mission and rally cries to create inclusive work cultures goes way beyond what you might be expecting from someone who is the founder of an award winning law firm. My path crossed with Jodie in my first year of setting up my business, and we’ve kept in touch from a distance ever since. Over the last 18 months or so, I’ve gotten to know more about the mission at Thrive and for Jodie personally, and it felt like a conversation to bring to the podcast. How can we really blend legal with cultural conversations? Not that they automatically need to be opposing sides by any stretch, but I’ve worked with enough organisations over the years to know that at times policy and reality can be in conflict. This was a much anticipated conversation for me, and it didn’t disappoint. No silver bullets, but plenty of golden nuggets!The three things we covered were:1. The non-negotiables of engaging line managers2. Staying legal isn't just a compliance tick box - culture matters too3. When policy and day to day reality feel conflictedIf you’d like to get in touch with the team at Thrive you can head to their website for all the important contact details and head on over to LinkedIn to see Jodie in action.

Genelle Aldred is one of those people who epitomises ‘clarity is kindness, nuance is everything’ for me. She’s the founder of Frame Shift Advisory and a returning podcast guest, because any opportunity to chat with her is a breath of fresh air and a reality check we all need at times. I’m someone who makes no bones about sharing the pivotal role line managers and leaders play in the employee experience - but what about when things get a bit too human? We’re all allowed our reactions to situations, and that can be a steep learning experience for anybody - but under the gaze of a team who are looking to you for leadership and answers, what kind of pressure does that put on your communication? Well, a heap. Queen of communication and see-er from all the angles, Genelle helps me unpack these three particular areas of: Tough conversations when you feel like you’re walking a tightrope  Navigating conversations with your team as a leader When you’re the one initiating the conversation with your employer You’ll hear my own brush with a highwire moment when I had to navigate some of the most frustrating and flat moments of my career - Genelle makes it very easy to open up! It was packed full of ideas to take away and if Genelle’s reminder at the 30 minute mark about being ‘leaky’ resonates with you, listen in for an idea she shares if you’re struggling to find the words.If you want to catch up on Genelle’s previous episode you can find it here and you can find out more about how Genelle works with clients here.

I first met Holly Straker-Humphreys before Humphreys was officially in the title, and what a ride it’s been - so when she said she’d come and chat on the podcast I was, as we say on LinkedIn, thrilled. Also buzzing, chuffed and excited. Holly is one of those people who has the ability to challenge your thinking while making you feel at your most comfortable to share what’s on your mind. She’s a Flex pioneer award winner, effortlessly navigating conversations in the workplace about diversity, inclusion and belonging, and shares her observations in a practical, solutions focussed way. There’s no hot air here. In the podcast we explored Three things you need to know about: diversity and inclusion whilst the world is kicking off about it, which included: People from underrepresented communities don’t want to steal your jobs Our differences mean we need different things - that doesn’t mean you get nothing A ‘snowflake eye roll’ situation to you, will always have a story behind it. If you listen it might make sense.  Zero notes, it was a cracking conversation that I think will resonate with so many of you. You can connect to Holly over on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/holly-straker-humphreys-ba32288b/

It’s time to shake up how we treat metrics and measures in my honest opinion! It’s so easy to get wrapped up in lemming like reporting, for the sake of it, to tick a box. I’ve been there - but sometimes we have to question our standard approaches. In a previous career I once stopped producing a weekly report to see if anybody noticed and…not one person came for it. I didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed! But data and insights can play such a vital role, I’m not for giving up on it. I do however think we need to address a couple of things. So in this episode I’m covering: Why you’re measuring Metrics to consider What comes after the metrics and measures I hope it brings a different perspective or reminders on a couple of things - and if you’re starting from scratch then some new ideas! If you have any questions about what I’ve covered you can contact me via email [email protected].

In this episode I’m joined by Hansa Raja, founder of the charity Holding Space, to talk about the lived experience of being a parent in the workplace whilst navigating an incredibly difficult mental health crisis with one of her children. Hansa sits in two different perspectives here. We talk about her first hand experience as a single parent and the realities she faced with everything from accessing support services to loneliness and the loss of friendship. But Hansa also generously shares her expertise for the practical infrastructure employers can have in place to help retain valued talent who go through similar situations. The three things we covered were: Parent peer support and the mission behind the charity What to consider beyond mental health first aid training Creating an environment where parents can be listened to in the workplace You can find out more about Hansa and the work she’s passionately driving forward by connecting on LinkedIn and you can get support through the charity here: https://www.holdingspace.org.uk/

Have you come across the phrase ‘sandwich generation carer’ yet? You’re about to go headlong into what it means…It’s a phrase coined to describe the midlife collision facing many people who find themselves caring for children alongside older relatives at the same time. Two layers of conflicting generational needs, both needing attention. Sherry King is the founder of Sandwich Generation Support, which she set up after her own experiences of trying to blend all of these strands of life. When you’re caring for an aging family member alongside parenting responsibilities and attempting to craft a life for yourself too, having an employer who knows you can still do a brilliant job but there might need to be some white knuckle moments navigated, is a game changer. Knowing you won’t be defined by your caring responsibilities is a level of confidence and safety many of us are searching for. Sherry generously shared with me:  What the sandwich generation is and how it feels to be in it How people in the sandwich generation can support themselves The costs of ignoring them in the workplace It’s a huge topic full of nuance (I know, I say that about a lot of things but it’s true!) so we tried to squish in as much as possible in this conversation. The UCL research Sherry mentioned can be found here.And if you’d like to find out more about how Sandwich Generation Support could help your workplace you can contact Sherry through her website: https://www.sandwichgenerationsupport.co.uk/

We’re careering towards the summer holidays in the UK, so there’s no time like the present to take a breath and figure out how we can make them as smooth as possible in the workplace. There’s nothing like school holiday chat to get lots of people riled up - but it doesn’t have to be that way. I wrote this article recently about some of the clickbait surrounding the discussion if you fancy a read.The three things I covered are: Temporary changes you can make Encourage the practical Regular feedback on what is and isn’t working (and what you can do with it) There are also two bonus reminders at the end about family set ups!And as I mention in the episode, if you want to chat about how you could approach school holidays with a fresh pair of eyes you can book a call with me here.

Imagine returning from maternity leave, you're settling into a new chapter of your career, new routines and new realities of life with tiny humans. Aside from the parental tiredness and squiggly navigation of this fresh life set up, something doesn’t feel quite right. You start to mention a few symptoms to a colleague and they give you the gentle nudge that you could be experiencing peri-menopause. That’s a tiny slice of the story of what happened to Anna Allerton. Her experiences escalated and Anna found herself leaving a decorated career in broadcasting because the combination of stepping out of maternity leave and into peri-menopause wasn’t the heady mix she was looking for (not sure anybody would be). Anna isn’t alone in her story. This is happening to so many women who are quietly trying to push through and finding the back to back life transitions are too much when the right support isn’t in place. So, Anna and I sat down to cover three really practical things to consider as an employer and what you can actively do to face these conversations in the workplace.The three things we covered were: The importance of women educating themselves The connection between parental leave and peri-menopause Line managers skills you might not realise you’ve got If you’d like to find out more about Anna’s work you can head to her website.

Ever come across the term ‘kinship carer’? Well, come on into this episode if you want to find out what it’s all about, and why we need to talk about it as an employer but also the wider picture in society. Kinship carers are friends or family who step up to raise a child or children when their own parents aren’t able to. It’s an experience steep in an abundance of emotions, different situations and nuance - often in a time of crisis. I’m joined by Rhiannon Clapperton, Director of Policy and Communication at Kinship who starts by taking us through some examples of what might lead to a kinship set up, as well as these three headlines: What kinship care is and why kinship carers need support What can employers do What needs systematically changing for kinship carers There was so much to take away from this episode, but my headlines were that no matter what your organisation size, there’s something we can do - and Rhiannon shared some examples of companies doing some great things. She also sign posts lots of incredible and free resources you can access via the Kinship website.

You might see folks like me talking about the business case for supporting parents, and those with caring responsibilities in the workplace. And I won’t speak for other people, but I push these conversations because it isn’t a ‘nice to do’. There are very real, commercially driven reasons why you want to be in the corner of parents in the workplace. I’m taking three things to consider when you’re building your business case - numbers feature, but it’s also about hearts and minds. So, the points I’m focusing on are: Connect your commercial and people strategies Pain points and what you’re already great at Be realistic (and transparent) about your time and money investment If you’re looking for help with your parental support strategy or wondering where to begin for your specific business, you can book a call with me here and I’d be happy to chat some basics with you: https://calendly.com/charlotte-speak/b2b-discovery-call

What a way to start Series 7 - with the wonderful Laura Walker, one half of The Job Share Revolution. Laura and her job share partner, Chloe Fletcher, are leading the way on the realities of job sharing.  After accomplished careers in finance, Chloe and Laura have founded The Job Share Revolution, an organisation expertly partnering with businesses to nail the strategy and practical realities of job sharing. They’re busting myths about part-time working, showcasing all the amazing things possible through job sharing and making sure this approach is set up with considered infrastructure.The three things we covered were: It’s not just for parents Why it makes economic sense How it’s an unlocker of progression and fulfilling careers for those working part-time Some of the highlights from the recording for me included recognising this isn’t about taking a role and splitting it in two, flexibility can be inflexibility, folks don’t want a sudden stop in their career and be really picky about what you double up on!And for those that love a stat or wondering what to add into business cases, there’s plenty of that too!If you want to find out more about their work, you can find them on LinkedIn - Laura Walker and Chloe Fletcher, or head to their website https://www.thejobsharerevolution.co.uk/