We are well into the second quarter of the year, and the core Ellivate principle we’re focusing on this quarter is Connection:

Connection

At its core, business is about connecting, collaborating with and supporting other humans. Gain more clarity on your ideal audience, uncover more authentic sales and marketing approaches, and identify how you can better meet the needs of the people you most want to serve.

Who are the humans you’re doing business with?

Are you doing business with the people you want to be doing business with?

If you answered yes, congratulations! Take a few moments to reflect on the following questions:

If you answered YES…

  1. What do you love about these humans so much? Be as specific as possible. List out a few phrases that come to mind when you think of them.
  2. Where and how did you find them?
  3. How did you know they were a great fit for you? How long did it take for you to discern this?

You now have a clear vision of whom you most want to serve. Use this to keep the positive momentum going and find the clients, partners and collaborators who can’t wait to meet you!

If you answered no, don’t fret. This just means there’s more learning and growth ahead (which is a beautiful thing!). Take a few moments to reflect on the following questions:

If you answered NO…

  1. How do you wish these relationships could be different? What’s missing? What do you want more of? What do you want less of?
  2. Which relationships have the potential to transform into what you want them to be? Any strong relationship requires an investment. An authentic conversation about what’s working and what’s not (on both sides) has the capacity to transform a relationship. You could set clearer expectations, make specific requests, and better understand what matters most to the other person. Plus, you’d get to know one another at a deeper level. Imagine what could be different if you had these intentional conversations with all your clients, partners and collaborators on a regular basis!
  3. Which relationships do you need to let go of? Yes, letting go can feel scary. But, when you are able to let go of the relationships that are not working for you and your business, you create the capacity to find and serve the humans you love to work with! If there are relationships you’re ready to release, how could you do this with kindness and grace, in alignment with your core values? What feedback might you need to share with them? How much notice will you provide? Could you refer them to someone else who could be a better fit? How much, if any, are you willing to support them through the transition? Remember to honor yourself in these decisions, as much as you honor the other person.

At its heart, good business is just humans helping other humans. Fortunately, the world is an abundant place – over 7.7 billion humans, and no two alike. Cherish the humans you love to work with, and trust that there are many other humans out there, waiting for you.

With deep love and gratitude,

Sarah signature

As women leaders, we have a responsibility to play a meaningful role in creating a more just world.

Each month, we’ll explore how we can integrate more conscious practices into our businesses and lives.

Be aware of this:

We (usually unconsciously) tend to gravitate towards people who share our interests, beliefs and background. This is called affinity bias, and it can hold us back from being better business leaders and human beings.

Read this:

Check out this episode of Kavita Melwani’s podcast, Affinity Bias and Women of Color in Leadership (25 min), where she discusses what affinity bias is, how it could be impacting you, and how to move beyond it.

Try this:

Think about the humans you currently work with – your employees, clients, collaborators and partners. How many of them share your social identity? Examples of social identify include gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, religious or spiritual affiliation, ability, citizenship, and age.

Consider how your affinity bias could be showing up. Think of at least one or two specific things you can do to consciously expand your circle to include others who are different from you. Consider the communities you are a part of, who you connect with on social media, and where and how you typically meet new people.