Leadership

Equally Yours  ·  Leadership  ·  Organisation Development
Coaching Advisory Panel

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Equally Yours  ·  Leadership  ·  Organisation Development
Making Basketball more inclusive and diverse: AKD Solutions and BWB

AKD and BWB making Basketball more inclusive and diverse.

We are really proud to announce our newest client, British Wheelchair Basketball.  We are working with them to explore how to make the sport even more diverse and inclusive.  

Wheelchair basketball is a fast-paced and fast-growing sport that allows non-disabled and disabled people to compete together in its domestic leagues and competition. British Wheelchair Basketball is the governing body for wheelchair basketball in the United Kingdom. Currently there are 17,000 people playing the sport with the hope of growing it to 70,000.

The first thing on our agenda was to watch a match and see this exciting sport in action, we were not disappointed! Ladi, Nana and Akin watched East London Phoenix win their opening match against the Cardiff Met Archers, one of the first matches in the Women’s Professional League, the first disabled professional league in the UK.  It was brilliant game and we were privileged to be part of this historic event.  

“We are really pleased to be working with British Wheelchair Basketball.It is a great organisation who recognize the challenges in diversifying their sport and we value their honesty and transparency in tackling these issues. We are at AKD are looking forward to working together with BWB.”

We are looking forward to working alongside British Wheelchair Basketball as they set out to make basketball more inclusive. We will be sharing with you the great work we are doing so do follow us on this journey.

Make sure you check out the fixtures and get to a British Wheelchair Basketball match, we promise you will be amazed and inspired!

British Wheelchair Basketball we are super excited to be working with you.  Signup to our FREE Sports ACE Leadership taster workshop, this disruptive workshop is designed for sport Leaders, find our more here.‍

Download our racial diversity report #tellyourstory here.

We are always adding to our free leadership and management courses and demos, to spark brilliance by designing and delivering stimulating, challenging and fun learning experiences and training programs. Our ACE free online Leadership Workshops can be found here. Contact Us for a FREE demo on 0345 034 1105 or email info@akdsolutions.com

Equally Yours  ·  Leadership  ·  Organisation Development
This Year Has Taught Me…

This year taught me… that the work we do is making a difference.  I had to think carefully about this as I wanted to ensure it is taken in the right context.  It is not written from a sense of pride or arrogance but from humility.  

At the beginning of the year, we embarked on a company defining project, #TellYourStory. We were commissioned by UK Sport, Sport England, Sport Wales, Sport Northern and Sport Scotland to research Race and Racism in Sport. It was a deeply personal piece of work for all involved. The team were all passionate about sport and had all experienced racism in different guises.  We were upfront with the councils that it was more than a piece of research and they gave us permission to be ourselves and deliver this project in an authentic way.

We had the belief that we were the right people

This year taught me, just do it. On paper, we had fewer credentials and experience than our competitors. But there was a belief that was energetic and contagious, some in the team would say “hubris”!! But we had a belief that we were the right people to do it. So don’t doubt yourself. Leave that to others!    

325 people, from 38 sports across the UK participated. The participants were comprised of professionals and grassroots participants including; coaches, officials, parents and volunteers. Despite concerns and some hesitancy, they trusted us to share their stories and lived experiences.  

If you as a leader have no impact then you are taking up space

The quality of leadership on the project shown by Heather and Ladi was phenomenal. They were driven by purpose. If leadership has no impact then they are taking up space. But impact must be driven by purpose. I witnessed this in the whole team. They gave a voice to many people who had been silenced for years and some even decades. The process was traumatic for many who took part both participants and the team, but they pushed on.  

The team worked around the clock: interviewing, analysing, debating, editing and proofreading. They worked innumerable hours despite challenging personal circumstances. Why? We all understood how important this work was not just to the Sports Council and those who had taken part  but to potentially thousands of current and future participants of sport.  

#TellYourStory is a powerful report, that captures people’s stories as well as  their lived experience and then helps to shape the way forward. It has been amazing to experience such a positive response to the project. The creation of the ACE model of leadership is a watershed moment and to see different sporting bodies engaging with the model and working with us on how to use it to advance diversity and equality in their organisation is transformational.  

Be unapologetic about being who you are

This year has taught me to be unapologetic about being who we are and recognising that we have so much to offer the world. I didn’t learn but I was reminded that I have a brilliant team whose energy and commitment is hard to rival. This year has taught me that despite ups and downs, keep dreams alive because they do come true!

Read #TellYourStory research here

We are always adding to our free leadership and management courses and demos, to spark brilliance by designing and delivering stimulating, challenging and fun learning experiences and training programs. Our ACE free online Leadership Workshops can be found here. Contact Us for a FREE demo on 0345 034 1105 or email info@akdsolutions.com

Diversity and Inclusion  ·  Leadership
Can you do culture via Zoom?

Many people have returned to an office this week for the first time in 18 months, but for others their roles are now a hybrid mix, or they’re working permanently from the kitchen table.  

Across the pandemic it’s been amazing to see how people have demonstrated agility and developed new work patterns. We’ve seen managers and leaders step up and engage in innovative ways. One of our clients – a rail company was operating effectively from people’s homes. When you think about that, it’s mind boggling.

So, we’re all talking about the ‘new norm’. But can you do culture via zoom?

A lot of organisations struggle to create the desired values and behaviours when they are in communal spaces. So how much more difficult is it when teams are scattered and physically disconnected, operating from front rooms, kitchens and bedrooms?

People have started new jobs and have never physically met their manager or colleagues. We have witnessed some innovative ways of inducting people. But inductions give insights, they are not the full introduction to culture. They do not represent the lived experience of who we are and how we are, that gives that sense of belonging. We’ve got to exercise caution in thinking that the new norm is inevitably working from home, making innumerable Zoom calls.  

We don’t deny a new norm, we love the challenge of new. But if you want to maintain your uniqueness, you are going to have to be far more intentional about really understanding what your organisational culture is. How does it translate in a virtual world, how do we adapt without losing our essence?

The workplace has been redefined. The idea of commuting to a central location is no longer an expectation. But even working from home can test your tolerance. It can be a lonely, isolated space. We envisage an increase in local hubs for people to connect, occupied by people from different working genres.  

There is something enriching and exciting knowing that you can share a space with a creative, a developer, a social worker and a Head of HR for a global brand, that you’re together under one roof.  

We believe these experiences can bring a richness of sharing, connectivity and creativity. But such associations only enrich if everyone can bring their cultural nuances to the party.

Culture requires connectivity; the question is can you do it via Zoom?  

The construct of organisations is going to bear heavily on their culture. In his book The Second Curve: Thoughts on Reinventing Society, Charles Handy talks of the contractual organisation, where fewer people are directly employed, but instead contract their services. The benefits for the organisation are reduced overheads and greater agility. But the downside is there will be no sense of community in a contractual organisation, core values are very hard to embed and what incentive is there for loyalty.

Another important factor is understanding the characteristics of your organisation’s culture. The Harvard Business Review published The Leader’s Guide to Corporate Culture, by Boris Groysberg, Jeremiah Lee, Jesse Price and J. Yo-Jud Cheng. They found that eight characteristics emerge when they mapped cultures along two dimensions: how people interact (independence to interdependence) and their response to change (flexibility to stability).  

• Caring focuses on relationships and mutual trust

• Purpose is exemplified by idealism and altruism  

• Learning is characterised by exploration, expansiveness, and creativity

• Enjoyment is expressed through fun and excitement  

• Results are characterised by achievement and winning

• Authority is defined by strength, decisiveness, and boldness  

• Safety is defined by planning, caution, and preparedness

• Order is focused on respect, structure, and shared norms

We shouldn’t see any one of these as better than another. Note some individuals will be find it easier to adjust (learning, caring, purpose) than others (authority, order).  

It means some organisations need to be more intentional than others. For those where more thought is required, external help will be needed, because the skills, competency and mindsets will not sit naturally within the leadership pool.  

Photo by Compare Fibre on Unsplash

We are always adding to our free leadership and management courses and demos, to spark brilliance by designing and delivering stimulating, challenging and fun learning experiences and training programs. Our ACE free online Leadership Workshops can be found here. Contact Us for a FREE demo on 0345 034 1105 or email info@akdsolutions.com

Equally Yours  ·  Leadership
Building a Better Society

It’s the third-largest building society in the UK and in August celebrates its 157th birthday. Despite its age and reputation, Yorkshire Building Society has never rested on its laurels. It knows that to stay relevant and retain and grow its market share it has to be a proactive and forward thinking organisation. And since 2020 AKD Solutions has had the pleasure of working with this northern powerhouse.

After George Floyd’s murder, the company held up a mirror and realised there was an urgent need for it to improve, specifically around diversity and inclusion. Its headquarters are in Bradford, one of the UK’s most ethnically diverse cities, but this was not fully reflected in its employee base or corporate culture.

We were brought in to share our expertise. We are really enjoying working with Yorkshire Building Society’s Executive and Senior Leadership teams, who’ve embraced the bespoke learning experiences that we’ve developed.

We want to acknowledge Jane Croutha, Amy Ficil and Tracy Newton whose passion and drive to make positive long term changes at Yorkshire Building Society has been phenomenal.

Combined, they emphasised preparedness and detail, but they also welcomed the AKD stretch into new ways of thinking. They fully leaned in, and consequently, we’ve been able to do some brilliant work with the teams around diversity and inclusion.

Yorkshire Building Society colleagues have taken on board new ideas and experiences, had honest and open conversations and have spoken about the profound impact these have had on them. Colleagues understand how they can use these learning experiences to change themselves professionally, as individuals and organisationally.

It’s been an open and transparent relationship which, like the county’s other major domestic export, Yorkshire tea, is just refreshing.

We are always adding to our free leadership and management courses and demos, to spark brilliance by designing and delivering stimulating, challenging and fun learning experiences and training programs. Our ACE free online Leadership Workshops can be found here. Contact Us for a FREE demo on 0345 034 1105 or email info@akdsolutions.com

Leadership  ·  Organisation Development  ·  Team building
What does ‘Freedom Day’ say about leadership?

The government has dropped most of the measures which have reduced the spread of COVID-19 in England. This is happening despite a steep rise in the infection rate due to the Delta variant, particularly amongst the unvaccinated.

The UK has rightly received global praise for its vaccination rollout, but is “freedom day” a masterstroke or a mistake?. Risk taking is part of leadership, but learning from previous errors is also integral to future success.

From 19th July, businesses in England can open ‘as normal’, with no social-distancing requirements, and mask-wearing is no longer necessary in public spaces. Indeed, on the stroke of midnight, some nightclubs threw open their doors, and for the first time in 16 months welcomed exhilarated ravers. The lifting of restrictions is undoubtedly a much needed boost for business generally but particularly for the entertainment industry,

In Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has taken a more cautious approach. She is maintaining “sensible precautions” while the vaccine programme continues. Scotland has moved to level zero, but mandatory use of face coverings will remain in place for “some time”; limits on outdoor meetings are maintained, and workers’ return to offices is delayed.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has said that face coverings remain mandatory on the capital’s public transport systems. Other regional mayors are backing the move, whilst Uber, Ryanair and easyJet will also continue to enforce mask wearing.

Infections in the United Kingdom are now at similar levels to those of last winter’s devastating second wave of the pandemic, and rising. Deaths are far lower due to the success of the vaccination rollout, but they too are on the increase.

The loosening of restrictions is “a recipe for disaster”, says Dr Stephen Griffin, a virologist and associate professor at the University of Leeds school of medicine. He said: “For a government to abdicate itself from responsibility in terms of guiding people, I think that’s just wrong. Because even if the vast majority of people are sensible as they suggest, it only takes a minority to undo that altruism because masks prevent us from spreading the virus primarily.”

Has England’s population become Guinea pigs in an unprecedented public-health experiment that could result in large numbers of hospitalisations and deaths? Or is this a brave calculated move that will be an example for others to follow?

Only time will tell. The world has its eyes on the UK.

 We are always adding to our free leadership and management courses and demos, to spark brilliance by designing and delivering stimulating, challenging and fun learning experiences and training programs. Our ACE free online Leadership Workshops can be found here. Contact Us for a FREE demo on 0345 034 1105 or email info@akdsolutions.com