Q&A With Gayle Johnson
This autumn POD welcomes Gayle Johnson to our instructor roster. Gayle is facilitating the new class Creating an Inclusive Workplace Through Emotional Intelligence and responded to five questions about this offering and her approach
What inspired you to develop this new course for POD?
I am passionate about helping organizations create effective and healthy work environments for all their employees and evolve to where diversity and inclusion isn’t a one-off activity but becomes part of the fabric of their organization. With this class, I believe I can help leaders raise their self-awareness and also become more successful with integrating diversity and inclusion into their organizational structure and systems.
Why should leaders and staff members take this class?
My training approach is to first help people to understand themselves — values, beliefs — then look at how those values and beliefs impact their conscious and unconscious bias and how that plays into their role in making their workplace healthy and inclusive. Participants in this class will gain more self-awareness about diversity and inclusion, how it impacts them, and how they impact others on this issue. Further, this class will help leaders and staff to be honest with themselves about their priorities, their level of motivation, and if they are ready to truly do the work to make their workplace more diverse and inclusive.
There are many different styles out there — Myers–Brigg types, communication styles based on color, followership or “servant” leadership versus autocratic or authoritarian, and so on. Do particular styles or approaches lend themselves to higher emotional intelligence or a greater capacity for inclusiveness?
It’s not about the different styles, it’s about people being flexible and open to differences. Good leaders flex in and out of all of these styles. Depending on the situation, the leader might need to be a “servant” leader, autocratic, or authoritarian, or they might need to be a sounding board or coach. Emotionally intelligent leaders understand which style is necessary per the situation, and know how to use that style in a respectful way. They also have a high appreciation for inclusiveness because they are more empathetic toward others and understand how differences allow for richer decision-making and problem-solving, as well as better products and services.
You’ve stated “if organizations don't have leaders who know how to connect with their employees, create safe environments for them to ask questions, share ideas and feel safe doing it, and who know how to read their employees emotions, you will have high turnover at a time when there is a skilled labor shortage.” For leaders who have struggled in these areas, what do you recommend?
Leaders who are struggling and want to be more effective in these areas should seek training and development opportunities. The shift needed is emotional and behavioral and, for that, leaders need someone they can confide in—someone who can help guide them, ask questions, and hold them accountable. Some of this work can be done in a safe classroom environment, which is something that will absolutely be part of my class. I would also recommend one-on-one coaching for these leaders.
What most surprises people about you?
I think people are most surprised to learn I can be very serious and direct when necessary. My personality is very positive, upbeat, and optimistic; I’m a connector and smile and engage with people a lot. However, if people are not performing or are disrespecting each other, they will see a different side of me. That can really throw people off, but sometimes it's necessary to shift from your usual mode.
It is the leader's job to set the tone, and it's important to know yourself well enough to know what tone you are setting. As a leader, I recognize my own emotions can have a strong impact on others, so I practice being hyper–emotionally intelligent in the workplace. As a facilitator, I model what I teach while I am teaching so that participants can see when it's appropriate to use a particular approach versus another, and how to use it.
