What’s something new that you’ve learned recently? And I don’t mean a new factoid or term your kids are using. I’m talking about a completely new skill, however small. Something you knew nothing about before. It’s back-to-school season, so this is the perfect time of year for a reminder—from all of us at Begin Development—that lifelong learning is for everyone. Here’s why.

A leading light in the landscape of people and organizational development, Malika shines as the visionary driving force propelling Begin Development to new heights. With a trailblazing journey that has influenced startups and steered corporate giants like Magnite, Bond, and Delta Airlines, her impact reverberates across industries. Immerse yourself in this episode—a symphony of insights, resilience, and charting the course to triumph awaits.

The rise of women's earning power has been exemplified by none other than Margot Robbie's portrayal of Barbie in the live-action film. As one of Hollywood's highest-paid actresses, Robbie's success illustrates the changing landscape of women's influence and economic empowerment in Hollywood and beyond.

I have much to reflect on after a full summer in Madrid with 26 Pepperdine University students, working with a new client in Barcelona, and taking our kids to 19 cities, 13 museums, and what they declared the highlight - a Gatoteca (cat cafe). This fullness did not stop with me, the team was fully booked with our wonderful clients' running their executive, manager, and all team development programs. Coaching was full speed ahead and growing each month. And all the new fall kickoffs are prepped and ready to go.

Did you know that the average U.S. employee spends 2.8 hours per week dealing with conflict in the workplace? As a mediator, I often see people spending these 2.8 hours complaining about their colleagues or supervisors, having the “meeting after the meeting” to share what they really think, or agonizing over how to word an email so they don’t set someone off. I want to challenge you today to use those 2.8 hours more constructively and invest some time (like you’re doing now) into learning some skills to navigate conflict. If you do, you’ll be ahead of most others in the U.S., only 44% of whom have had training in conflict skills. 

Here is your quick conflict skills training tip for today: figure out your default conflict style(s), then check out the other styles so you can flex your default style(s) when needed. 

…You already have all the tools you need right now to do this. You will learn everything else you need as you go. I had a mentor tell me, before I signed my first client, that I had to recognize my value first. I had to believe the client was just as lucky to work with me as I was to work with them for the relationship to be strong. That mindset is still at the core of my best client relationships.

Here at Begin Development, the DiSC assessment is one of our most utilized team tools. We bring it to individuals and organizations to better understand traits, preferences, and working styles. Here's why we keep championing it…

"Action can come from love or anger. Older women know that leading with love is the most effective approach....old women are not threatening, but we are powerful. Female leaders multitask and make connections to other groups and causes. Indigenous people's rights, social justice, local control of food and energy, and democracy are all part of one great cause-the respect for and preservation of life. We are the mother trees in the forest, nurturing all our surroundings."

According to the Harvard Business Review, Impostor Syndrome is a collection of feelings of inadequacy that persist despite evident success. Also called “Impostor Phenomenon” or impostorism, folks who experience Impostor Syndrome describe consistent feelings of self-doubt in certain areas of their life even though they have achieved success in that area (and might even be excelling). Impostor Syndrome is not a mental illness, but it is a known phenomenon in the psychology world, first used in the 1970s by Suzanna Imes and Pauline Rose Clance.

Organization development (OD) consultants help organizations improve their performance and effectiveness. We use various tools and techniques, such as training, coaching, and group facilitation, to help teams and organizations achieve their goals.

Can hiring an OD consultant make a difference for your org? Here are our top four reasons you may consider…

Life is a team sport. 

Patrick Lencioni, author of the landmark 2002 book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team says the same thing. In our modern culture, it is highly likely that everyone winds up on a team at some point or another, but the skills of being a good teammate and working well on a team are never taught in school. Most people never learn them. 

In Validation is for Parking, Nicole provides a comprehensive guide for building internal trust and reclaiming confidence, a skill built from the inside out. You’ll learn how to create boundaries, give yourself grace, and overcome the five most common derailers that impede progress and contribute to unhealthy patterns.

Written by our friend Nicole Kalil!

In this paper, we explore the potential benefits of intellectually humble leadership, acknowledge the risks of being an intellectually humble leader, and share practical ways leaders might cultivate intellectual humility within themselves and their spheres of influence. Leaders influence organizational climate and followers’ behavior through role modeling7–9 and by influencing followers’ values and identities.10 As leaders give themselves and others permission to admit their intellectual limits and mistakes, they will create an atmosphere in which followers can feel safe and empowered to do the same.

I think we can all relate from time to time to the feeling of bewilderment when a colleague (or friend or family member) reacts unexpectedly to something we said or did. A colleague rolls her eyes and crosses her arms when you suggest an icebreaker activity. Your usually-jovial boss responds with sullen silence to what you thought was a good-natured tease. Your teammate shoots your ideas down like it’s a circus sharpshooter game. Those moments can be headscratchers that leave us feeling like we need a decoder ring to understand why people act the way they do. Well there is such a decoder ring; it’s called DiSC.

Who is the most “difficult person” you work with? Someone who is disrespectful, makes rude comments during meetings, is constantly late on deadlines, the list goes on. For many of the leaders we train and coach, that person is a colleague. For some, it’s a direct report. For others, it’s their supervisor. No matter who it is, the common thread that we notice is the tendency to avoid a conversation with them. As humans, we hate conflict and facing discomfort, vulnerability, or uncertain outcomes. Here are some of the most common reasons tough conversations get avoided, as well as reasons why we think you should have them anyway.

Engaging your direct report with these following questions may help mitigate burnout or departure; remember the great resignation? Asking communicates care for their growth and development.

What an exciting moment and well-deserved nomination! Malika Begin, our founder and CEO, will be honored as a nominee at the Los Angeles Times B2B Publishing Inspirational Women Forum and Awards event. This event recognizes female business leaders who have demonstrated noteworthy success and accomplishments during the last 24 months. The event is scheduled for October 18, 2022, at the Beverly Hilton from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Since graduating from business school with a degree in Organization Development this fall, I’ve received many kind congratulations and support. I’m thankful for the many in my network who champion me and are excited about good development work in organizations. I’ve been asked many interesting questions about Organization Development, or OD, and how it’s best utilized in our companies. One repeat question I often receive is, “What is the difference between training and development?” I want to highlight the differences and what I’ve learned about Organization Development.

Healthy organizational culture is for every organization, not just big global enterprises or small high touch local teams. Here at Begin Development, we believe that healthy organizations are made by healthy individuals. We offer DiSC assessments and workshops as part of our many growth and development services. Last week we led a DiSC intensive session with all 300 employees in our client’s all-hands training day. It was a smashing success!

We’re answering some FAQs about coaching in today’s post! Good chance you’ve asked one of these questions too.