Lead at Any Level®

Essential Skills for Inclusive Leaders

communication

Accessibility for Blog Posts

· ·

Imagine you’re a marketing intern trying to expand your outreach and engagement with your client base. You spend hours sifting through different blog themes and deciding what subject matter you want to explore. Hours of work later, you are finally ready to make your first post. However, there’s a slight problem: you have not created your post with disability accessibility in mind.

This is exactly what I went through creating my first blog post last week for Lead At Any Level. While I have plenty of experience in legal research and writing, this was my first crack at a more casual form of writing. Amy approached me about some aspects of my article that would present difficulties to those with a visual impairment. Let’s use my mistakes as a learning opportunity. Here are some tips for writing blog posts for accessibility!

Media Accessibility

Pictures and videos can be a great way to supplement the content of your posts. However, you should make sure that the use of media does not create barriers for those with visual or audial impairments.

Color Choice and Contrast

Whether you’re deciding on a blog post theme or adding pictures, it is best to avoid distracting or high-saturation images. Opt for muted tones and high-contrast images. This goes for text as well. The University of Edinburgh recommends a minimum contrast of 4.5:1 or 3.1:1 for large text. It is also crucial to avoid intense graphics and flashing images. These can be triggering for those with epilepsy and other disabilities.

Audio Accessibility

Your blog should not be overly reliant on music and audio effects. In fact, it is best to make them optional. If you include a video in your post, include a transcript! This will ensure that viewers with hearing impairments have a substantially equal experience to those listening to the audio.

Visual accessibility

Pictures are great additions to any blog! They are an opportunity to make your content visually appealing and personable. With that being said, I give you the same warning as the previous tip; do not become overly reliant! Alt tags are an effective way to improve accessibility. 

If you are like me and had no clue what an alt-tag is, it is an alternative text that describes the image being displayed. These are helpful for those who use tools such as screen readers. It is worth noting that these are more than just simple captions. I loved the University of Edinburgh’s description of making alt tags, “a written image of what we see for people who cannot.”

Text and Format Accessibility

There are a few easy changes you can make to your blog to make it easier to view.

Font

You should use size 14 font at the minimum in an easy-to-read font (no wacky fonts!). Avoid italics and blocks of uppercase letters

Text Links

This was one of the pitfalls I had with my first blog post. I included hyperlinks to outside resources. The issue was that I used the same word for two different links. This creates difficulties for those with visual impairments who use a screen reader. Make sure your links are specific and different from each other.

Scannable Content

This tip will make your content more digestible regardless of your reader’s disability status. Having enough white space for readers to differentiate between sections will help with comprehension. You can also look into adjusting your margins and line heights.

Readability

Again, this is an area that will benefit any reader of your blog. The biggest step you can take in this category is to include a read-aloud feature if possible.

Additionally, you should consider having translations available in different languages. This can help your message reach a broader audience!

Intuitive Language

Sometimes less is more! Go with language that feels organic. When using abbreviations or industry jargon, provide clear explanations.

Additional Accessibility Resources

I know I just threw a lot of information at you, but do not fear! There are plenty of resources to help.

Are We Missing Anything?

Are there any tips we forgot to include that you utilize in your writing? How can WE improve? Reach out to us and let us know!

Transparency, Authenticity, and Vulnerability: Storytelling for Leaders

· · 1 Comment

Transparency, authenticity, and vulnerability are tools anyone can use to create stronger relationships. For leaders who seek to be more inclusive, authentic storytelling can accelerate trust and shape culture within your organization. Transparency derives from an attitude of servant leadership. Authenticity demands a great deal of self-awareness. And vulnerability requires incredible courage and self-confidence. If we want to connect with and inspire others, we must be brave and humble. These are the hallmarks of true leadership.

(Author’s note: This article is adapted from my book, Network Beyond Bias.)

Regardless of your tenure or title, you can lead others by example. If you’re searching for the kinds of stories that build leaders, here are some prompts to help you get started. And please, tell me how you’re using storytelling to empower yourself and others!

Your Values

  • Share a story from your childhood, teenage years, or early adulthood that was a defining moment for you. What brought you to the crossroads? What core values drove your decision? And what did you learn about yourself? When was the last time you told yourself or someone else this story and why?

Your Journey

  • If you are in a position of power, such as a corporate leader, think back to when you just starting your climb up the organizational ladder. Was there a time when you struggled to be heard or taken seriously? How did that feel? What steps did you take to cope with your environment or to change your approach? If you were in that situation today, how might you handle it differently?

Your Struggles

  • Talk about times you struggled – financially, academically, professionally, or personally. Who helped you? What mistakes did you make? What did you learn? Do you now view this struggle as a source of pride?
  • Was there ever a time you didn’t fit in? How did that feel?
  • In what aspects of your job or life do you struggle? When do you ask for help? Are there times when you refuse to seek help because you don’t want to appear weak, incompetent, or vulnerable?

Your Mistakes

  • Think about a time when you missed a chance to live up to your values. What was the situation? Why do you feel you it was the wrong decision? What options did you have, and what drove your choice? What lesson did you learn?
  • Talk about a time when your beliefs about something or someone were inaccurate or incomplete. How did you become aware of your error? What work did you have to do – internally or externally – to bridge the gap? How might the situation have unfolded if you hadn’t changed your mind? Did you ultimately learn more about yourself?

Why Storytelling Matters

We all need role models. And when those role models have flaws or limitations we can relate to, we become even more invested in their success. The people who look up to you want to be able to see themselves in you. They want to feel connected to you and your story. When you engage in authentic storytelling, you provide that vital connection.

Professional Women: Are You Unwittingly Sabotaging Your Own Success?

· · 5 Comments

Author’s note: This article is adapted from my book, Network Beyond Bias.

This post focuses on professional women. Most articles I’ve read on this topic show that these behaviors are disproportionately displayed by women. They also have a disproportionate impact on women’s careers, both individually and collectively. I recognize that men may also be affected. This post does not seek to minimize the experiences or importance of men in the workplace. Rather, it seeks to raise us all up to our full potential.

Professional Women: Don’t Undercut Your Own Value

This Business Insider article outlines 12 career-limiting habits that women disproportionately exhibit in the workplace. There were several of these that stood out to me as common problems, or things I’ve caught myself and others doing in my own career.

One point surprised me as being the hallmark of professional women: waiting until we’re experts before taking on a new role.

This reminded me of a conversation I had with a former [male] colleague who had taken a huge career risk within my company. He took a significant demotion so he could get exposure in areas completely outside his experience and comfort zone. I literally gasped! How did he know he could be successful if he changed businesses, business functions, roles, and geographic scope – ALL AT THE SAME TIME?!? The question I actually asked was “How did you become so fearless?”

Confessions of a Professional Woman

I used to take an 80/20 approach to job changes. If the new job was 80% stuff I knew how to do and 20% stuff I need to learn, then it was probably a good (read: safe) opportunity for me. I’ve even coached other professional women to take this approach, when they’ve come to me wondering if they should take a chance in their own careers. I remember several of them nodding and saying, “that seems like a safe approach.” And if it gave them the courage to try something new, then I’m glad I was able to give them a boost.

I only wish I’d taken a broader, transferable-skills view for myself and for those who sought my counsel. My new goal is to take a 50/50 approach using the same criteria above. Eventually, I may get to 20/80, taking my cue from the most daring men I know. I will encourage other professional women to do the same.

More Suggestions for Improving Your Standing

I’d like to add two more behaviors to the list of DON’Ts for professional women:

  1. Telling people what you don’t know before telling them what you do know. 

I’ve noticed that in meetings, women tend to contribute to the discussion by saying, “I don’t know much about …., but….” or by starting with “This is probably a stupid question, but…” Please, please, please, don’t tell people you’re stupid.

Instead, consider why you were invited to the meeting in the first place. What perspective do you offer that no one else brings to the table? If you MUST couch your comment or question in context, use it as an opportunity to remind yourself — and others — of your value to the group.

For example, “In my experience with X, I learned … I see some similarities to this situation that I think are worth discussing,” or “I have the benefit of looking at this with a fresh perspective, so can you explain why X is so important?”

  1. Using “uptalk” to make yourself sound less threatening

Uptalk is my least favorite cultural phenomenon of late. Uptalk is the vocal intonation used by English-speakers to indicate that a sentence is a question. However, it has become more and more common for women to use uptalk for declarative statements as well, which results in us sounding less confident and less knowledgeable.

In fact, the more knowledgeable women are, the more likely they are to use uptalk to appear less threatening or less assertive. There is science to back this up. A William & Mary sociologist studied contestant responses on Jeopardy! The study showed that as women were more successful on the show, they were more likely to use uptalk. The opposite was true of male contestants. Here’s a 90-second video and an article on this research.

I recently read the autobiography of a transgender woman. Boyle writes that once she started living as a woman, she started using uptalk more often. Even when she introduced herself, she heard herself say, “My name is Jennifer?”

Professional women must stop ourselves and others from questioning everything we say as it’s coming out of our mouths!

Moving Forward Together

I encourage both professional women and the men who support them to read the article. Hold each other accountable for risk-taking and career success. Use specific constructive feedback to redirect limiting behaviors. Use specific positive feedback to reinforce effective ones.

Managers, please coach the women on your teams so they are not artificially limiting their own success. Understand your own biases and take steps to overcome them. Let’s all work to ensure that we’re treating ourselves with the same level of respect that we expect from others!

Communicate with Pictures: Slide:ology by Nancy Duarte

· · Leave a Comment

Communicate Clearly and Stand Out

Communication is an important skill in almost every type of work. Technical reports and business proposals frequently include data to support findings or recommendations. Most people struggle to communicate visually compelling stories from data. You can stand out from the crowd if you learn to convey complex information in a meaningful way.  Nancy Duarte‘s book Slide:ology offers clear, actionable steps to transform your illustrations and improve the way you communicate.

Putting Slide:ology into Practice

Reading Slide:ology, by Nancy Duarte helped me improve my design and communicate more clearly.

Background Information

These graphics are based on the work of a user support team I managed. We started with a number of disparate processes that were impossible to measure. Our solution was to centralize our intake through a call center with issue-tracking software.

Communication Goals

The goal of this presentation was to highlight our significant improvements to customer service. The data was on our side, but we still had some vocal critics of the new process.

Specifically, we needed to:

      1. Show that we were resolving 80% of issues within two days.
      2. Give customers a clear reason to contact us by phone rather than by email

        Need to communicate call-to-action
        Before: This version shows our service level, but fails to reinforce our call-to-action.

        clearly shows that calls get resolved faster
        After: This version calls out the disparity in effective service levels between calls and online tickets.
      3. Show that we were using the data we collected to improve the process over time

        visually cluttered
        Before: Lots of “Chart Junk,” as Edward Tufte would say.

        Concise communication
        After: Does this tell the same story more simply, or did I go too far?
      4. Demonstrate that we understood confusion around our communication processes

        poorly organized data
        Before: Poorly organized data loses its meaning.

        clearly communicate the problem
        After: By combining categories with similar results, the problem we need to address becomes clearer.

Positive Feedback: 4 Simple Steps to Meaningful Reinforcement

· · 8 Comments

Have you ever been told “good job!” after you’ve finished a task or assignment? I hope you have. I’m sure you have. You probably felt good about the comment for the moment, but did you really know what you did well? Giving positive feedback or affirmation to others in the workplace (and in our personal lives) is important, but not many of us do it well.

Author’s Note: For the purposes of this article, I will use the terms positive feedback and affirmation interchangeably to mean “feedback intended to encourage an observed behavior.”

Why is it important to affirm effective behavior?

Most of us have a very vocal internal critic. We see ourselves through the lens of our own insecurities. It’s often said that we “compare our insides to everyone else’s outsides.” Getting feedback about what we’ve done well helps us gain a more balanced view of our skills, behaviors, and performance. Most important, though, is that when we know we’ve had a positive impact, and we know what we’ve done to get that result, we can choose to continue the behavior.

When should I give someone positive feedback?

Always provide feedback in private first. If you want to give public recognition of someone’s effort or impact, ask them first if they are comfortable with your doing so. In a work environment, I also recommend following up with the individual’s manager when feedback is positive.

Alright, fine. I’ll do it. How does this work?

I use a four-step format for feedback. For positive feedback, the steps are Behavior / Impact / Tomorrow / Expand (BITE). This format allows you to give clear, specific, and actionable feedback to reinforce effective behaviors.

  1. Behavior:
    Begin by specifically identifying the person’s words, actions, or behavior that had a positive impact.

    “Your preparation for the meeting today was very thorough, particularly your research on brand awareness.”

  2. Impact:
    Next, describe the impact the person’s choice(s) had.

    “Your quick answers made a strong, positive impression with our client.”

  3. Tomorrow:
    Explicitly state that they should continue this behavior “tomorrow” or in the future.

    “Next time we meet with the client, I’d like for you to duplicate that level of research and analysis.”

  4. Expand:
    If you are the individual’s coach, mentor, or manager, I suggest giving them a stretch goal in this step of the process. Be careful, though, not to create more work for the person every time they do something well. That is called punishment, and most people learn to avoid it.

    “You should share your research process during the intern training program.”

Common Pitfalls

Vague praise is not particularly helpful or actionable; hyperbole tends to embarrass the person we seek to affirm. In fact, research, research, and more research suggests that praise of someone’s identity (“You are so smart!”), rather than of their effort or behavior can actually do more harm than good.

Practice This Skill

Practicing the BITE format with a live human will help you develop this essential leadership skill. Positive feedback is almost always well received — especially if you time it right (see above) — so use this opportunity to develop yourself and delight others!

Set a daily or weekly numeric target for providing positive, BITE-style feedback. Record your successes (and missteps) and observations along the way. Once you’ve mastered this skill, move on to giving constructive feedback. Think of it as “leveling up.”