Oka Life

📊 New Research Highlights: Adult Friendships Boost Our Wellbeing! Why does this matter? 🤔 In our busy lives, it's easy to let friendships slide. But this research reminds us that nurturing relationships is crucial to living well. Here's what the study found: - Quality and Quantity: Both the quality of friendships and the number of friends contribute positively to wellbeing. - Active Maintenance: Efforts to maintain friendships are linked to increased happiness. - Social Interaction: Regular socialization with friends predicts higher wellbeing over time. - Support Systems: Emotional and practical support from friends significantly boosts overall life satisfaction. - Positive Emotions: Strong friendships are associated with experiencing more positive emotions in daily life. - Broader Relationships: Good friendships correlate with improved relationships across all areas of life. Interestingly, these benefits appear consistent across genders, though some cultural variations were noted. It's easy to overlook the importance of friendship. However, this research underscores that nurturing personal relationships is not just a personal indulgence – it's a crucial component of our overall wellbeing and, by extension, our professional success. So, next time you're swamped with work, remember: that coffee date with a friend might be just what you need for your wellbeing! How do you go about maintaining your friendships amidst a busy professional life? Any tips welcomed. #Wellbeing #Friendship #WorkLifeBalance #MentalHealth

Beyond Gender: Developing True Leadership Potential My experience of assessing and developing hundreds of leaders across many industries strongly point toward the same thing - leadership should not be strictly divided into male and female orientations. And yet this is something that we continue to do. Research shows that effective leadership needs a mix of both traditionally masculine (agentic e.g. decisiveness, task orientation) and feminine (communal e.g. interpersonal skills, collaboration). The very best leaders blend both agentic and communal behaviours, rather than sticking to gender stereotypes. Why is it a problem that we still gender leadership behaviours? Well for several reasons including: 1. Reinforcing Stereotypes Assigning behaviours as "masculine" or "feminine" reinforces gender stereotypes about how men and women "should" lead. This bias negatively impacts perceptions of leaders, especially women exhibiting agentic leadership behaviours. 2. Limiting Leadership Potential Constraining leaders to stereotypical gender roles limits their ability to display the full range of effective leadership behaviours regardless of whether they are male or female. Dividing them by gender restricts their potential. 3. Disadvantaging Women Leaders Women leaders face a "double bind" - they are penalized for displaying agentic behaviours seen as violating feminine stereotypes, but also penalized for displaying only communal behaviours seen as inadequate for leadership. The takeaway is clear: sticking rigidly to gender-stereotypical leadership behaviours is counterproductive. Effective leadership requires a flexible blend of agentic and communal behaviours, regardless of the leader's gender. Therefore, when we develop leaders, we should help them to ascertain their own personal strengths and areas for development against a non-gendered leadership behaviour framework. What needs to change is a) the behaviours we are looking to develop and reward and b) bias against leaders who defy traditional gender roles and stereotypes. #genderequality #leadershipdevelopment #developingpotential #leadershippotential Citations: Eagly, A. H., Makhijani, M. G., & Klonsky, B. G. (1992). Gender and the evaluation of leaders: A meta-analysis. Psychological bulletin. Herrera, R., Duncan, P. A., Green, M. T., & Skaggs, S. L. (2012). The effect of gender on leadership and culture. Global Business and Organizational Excellence. Hopkins MM, O'Neil DA, Bilimoria D, Broadfoot A (2021). Buried Treasure: Contradictions in the Perception and Reality of Women's Leadership. Front Psychol. Larsson, G., Molnar, M. M., Ljungberg, H. T., & Björklund, C. (2022). Leadership through the subordinates' eye: perceptions of leader behaviors in relation to age and gender. Leadership & Organization Development Journal Saint-Michel, S. (2018). Leader gender stereotypes and transformational leadership: Does leader sex make the difference? Management.  

We often think willpower and grit are essential for achieving our goals, but the real key lies in our emotions. Professor David DeSteno’s argues that fostering emotions like gratitude, compassion, and perhaps counter-intuitively pride, are actually more effective when it comes to building the resilience and perspective needed for long-term success. Relying solely on willpower can be challenging (and often ineffective when faced with immediate temptations – think of being starving hungry and offered your favourite food that you’ve sworn off as just one example). But while willpower can quickly deplete, these emotions grow stronger with use. 1. Gratitude: Enhances self-control and perseverance. Reflecting on what we're thankful for can make us more patient and future-oriented. Try thinking about what you’re grateful for every night before going to sleep. 2. Compassion: Caring for others and considering our future selves when making decisions helps us make wise choices. Practices like meditation and finding commonalities with others can enhance compassion, leading to better decision-making and stronger relationships. 3. Pride: Authentic pride in our accomplishments can drive us to continue striving towards our goals. Recognize your efforts, not just outcomes, to maintain a healthy sense of pride. These emotions not only help us stay focused but also strengthen our social connections, leading to a positive cycle of wellbeing and success all in one. For more read "Emotional Success: The Power of Gratitude, Compassion, and Pride" by David DeSteno. #emotionalintellegence #gratitudeasagift #compassion #emotion #pride #wellbeing #success #psychologytips

We've taken personality one step further - combining complex science with fun and ease of use we're helping people to understand themselves better, connect more meaningfully and find the help they need from someone they 'click' with. What's your type? Find out more on our webinar's next week. One is nearly full, the other has a couple of places left. Either 8am PT / 4pm BST on Monday 13th May https://lnkd.in/gVYXEBYX Or 8am PT / 4pm BST Wednesday 15th May https://lnkd.in/gJ_85ed4

Building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work culture doesn't happen overnight. Real change requires organizations to commit significant time and resources, says Courtney Bryant Shelby, PhD. #equity #diversity #inclusion #change #workplace

Did you know that you can retain information up to 70% better when you learn with others? Social learning will become more and more critical as we move toward the ‘Future of Work’ for example: 1.     Rapid Change of Skill Requirements: Half of employees will need reskilling by 2025 (World Economic Forum). Social learning offers a more engaging, efficient and effective approach while building a culture of continuous learning and growth. 2.     Changing Workforce Demographics: Generation Z, who will make up 27% of the global workforce by 2025, have a strong preference for social learning tools and approaches. 3.     Aligning with Employee Preferences: Research shows that employees, especially younger generations, are increasingly seeking out social learning opportunities outside of their organizations and are willing to leave employers that do not provide these types of learning experiences. Embracing social learning can help organizations better meet the evolving expectations of their workforce. By building a culture where microlearning, peer interactions, mentoring and allyship are encouraged, businesses can create more engaging, efficient, and tailored learning experiences that are not only aligned with individual learning styles but also conducive to the demands of a fast-paced, digital workplace. If you're interested in learning more about social learning and the exciting approach we’ve been building over the past 2 years, then sign up to our Oka Webinar next week. We have a few spaces left in the session at 8am PCT / 4pm BST on Wednesday 15th May (see link in comments).

Please join us as we explore the often-overlooked talent of women and the profound impact unlocking this has on driving business performance, enhancing employee wellbeing, and boosting engagement across the board. This webinar will provide unusual insights and often overlooked practical tools to bridge the gap between potential and opportunity. Plus, get an exclusive sneak peek at the innovative approach we've spent the last two years crafting with a demo of Oka. Don't miss out as we explore ways to unlock the full potential of your female employees and transform your organization from within.

If you're passionate about driving workplace gender equality like we are, then you’ll enjoy this article written by Prof. Michelle Ryan for the British Psychological Society (link in comments). We all know the figures and most of us want them to change but we seem to repeatedly get stuck on ‘how’. This articles offers invaluable insights that shed light on common missteps in gender equality initiatives. Ryan highlights four missteps to watch out for: 1.     Beyond Descriptive Numbers: Merely crunching numbers on gender representation is not enough. Research, including Ryan’s work with Prof Alex Haslam, reveals the subtleties behind these figures. For instance, the "glass cliff" phenomenon shows that women are often appointed to leadership roles during times of crisis, setting them up for added scrutiny and potential failure. 2.     Fixing Systems, Not Women: Too often, initiatives focus on fixing women rather than addressing systemic issues. From battling impostor syndrome to encouraging risk-taking, interventions should target organizational structures and biases rather than individual women's perceived deficiencies. 3.     Realism Over Optimism: While celebrating progress is vital, we must also acknowledge persistent inequalities. Research by my team shows that overestimating progress can hinder further advancements, leading to complacency and undermining support for gender equality initiatives. 4.     Intersectionality Matters: Women are not a monolithic group, and initiatives must consider intersecting identities. Research highlights how experiences vary across racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic lines, emphasizing the need for tailored interventions that address diverse needs. Organizational psychology offers a diverse toolkit aimed at understanding human behavior within organizational settings. Yet, despite its immense potential, it often remains overlooked in the realm of DEI. By steering clear of these missteps and adopting evidence-based strategies, we can make significant strides towards achieving workplace gender equality. We're really passionate that we leverage organisational psychology to drive meaningful change and accelerate progress towards gender equality. We offer part of the solution to this with Oka Life and will be presenting a couple of workshops later this month that people can sign up to a) to learn more about using mentoring and allyship supported by organisational psychology to drive change b) to have a sneek peek of how the Oka platform works. #GenderEquality #OrganizationalPsychology #InclusiveWorkplaces #DiversityandInclusion #oka #okalife

Is mentoring just about career advancement? Since becoming more involved in the power of social support across every walk of life I’ve witnessed the impact of mentoring more and more. From businesses and healthcare to academia and non-profits I'm continually astonished at the far reaching impact. I once saw it merely as a lever for career growth, yet experience has shown me it's a much more powerful agent of change, profoundly transforming lives, organizations, and entire communities. In essence mentoring embodies the best of what it means to be human: to guide, to support, to inspire, and most importantly to meaningfully connect. For the mentor, the invaluable reward comes from helping someone to discover and reach their full potential. For the mentee it provides learning that illuminates the path for life's journey and the hand to hold when things get tough. Mentoring: 1.     Unlocks Our Potential – acting like a key to uncover our hidden talents. A great mentor helps us to see beyond our doubts and encourages us to aim for dreams we may otherwise think are out of reach. 2. Catalyzes Growth – mentoring helps us to step out of our comfort zone. Good mentors nudge us to try new things, question old beliefs and inspire us to see ourselves and the world in new ways. 3. Expands Our Perspectives – by sharing their stories and ideas, mentors help us to see things from a different angle, encourage us to be more flexible in how we think and to be more creative in solving problems. 4. Provides Emotional Support: by giving us the hope, optimism and resilience to continue even when things are tough. Sometimes, just knowing someone believes in us can be the fuel that keeps us going through tough times. 5. Connects Us with Others: Mentors can introduce us to people who help us in our careers and in our lives, opening doors to new opportunities that can have a lasting impact. Mentoring does a lot more than just help with our careers. It's about helping us grow as people. It's all about guiding, supporting, inspiring, and bringing people together - and that's something truly special. At Oka we’re committed to providing mentoring that delivers on all of these aspects, helping to deliver gender equality, improved performance and enhanced wellbeing within the workplace. For more go to our web page at Oka.Life 

To celebrate International Women's Day, we need to shout about incredible women like Lola Olaore, this week's podcast guest, for her remarkable commitment to driving positive change. But we also, need to take Lola’s lead and look to how we can allow women and girls to find their voice, explore their potential and pursue their dreams. Ultimately, this is what will make the world a better place. Lola's story is inspirational - from her early years in southeast London to her achievements at prestigious institutions like Harvard and MIT. Her ‘can do’ attitude, warmth, energy and determination are contagious. Despite facing challenges and moments of self-doubt, Lola has embraced every opportunity to expand her horizons and push the boundaries of her potential. Her academic pursuits have taken her across the globe, from studying in China to Harvard and MIT to conducting impactful research projects in Colombia and Brazil. Alongside her academic endeavors, Lola has made significant strides in the corporate world, leveraging her expertise in consulting and product management to drive digital innovation and transformation. But perhaps what truly sets Lola apart is her unwavering dedication to empowering others. Recognizing the importance of paying it forward, Lola founded Think Ambition, now known as Bloss.m, to support girls and women through educational initiatives and mentorship programs. With a focus on empowering African Caribbean girls, Lola's organization is breaking down barriers and nurturing future leaders in technology, social action, and beyond. Her initiatives and advocacy have touched the lives of thousands, leaving an indelible mark on future generations of female potential. To listen to the podcast go to links in comments. #Inspiration #Trailblazer #InternationalWomensDay #InternationalWomensDay2024 #RoleModel #Trailblazer #mentor #mentoring #potential #empowering