Crisis Management Strategies

Early in my career, when I shared the story of a workshop that completely bombed (an email announcing layoffs arrived in everyone's inbox during day 1 lunch of a two-day program -- and I had no idea how to handle this), three women immediately reached out to share their own "disaster" stories. We realized we'd all been carrying shame about normal learning experiences while watching men turn similar setbacks into compelling leadership narratives about risk-taking and resilience. The conversation that we had was more valuable than any success story I could have shared. As women, we are stuck in a double-bind: we are less likely to share our successes AND we are less likely to share our failures. Today, I'm talking about the latter. Sharing failure stories normalizes setbacks as part of growth rather than evidence of inadequacy. When we women are vulnerable about their struggles and what they learned, it creates permission for others to reframe their own experiences. This collective storytelling helps distinguish between individual challenges and systemic issues that affect many women similarly. Men more readily share and learn from failures, often turning them into evidence of their willingness to take risks and push boundaries. Women, knowing our failures are judged more harshly, tend to hide them or frame them as personal shortcomings. This creates isolation around experiences that are actually quite common and entirely normal parts of professional development. Open discussion about setbacks establishes the expectation that failing is not only normal but necessary for success. It builds connection and community among women who might otherwise feel alone in their struggles. When we reframe failures as data and learning experiences rather than shameful secrets, we reduce their power to limit our future risk-taking and ambition. Here are a few tips for sharing and learning from failure stories: • Practice talking about setbacks as learning experiences rather than personal inadequacies • Share what you learned and how you've applied those lessons, not just what went wrong • Seek out other women's failure stories to normalize your own experiences • Look for patterns in women's challenges that suggest systemic rather than individual issues (and then stop seeing systemic challenges as personal failures!) • Create safe spaces for honest conversation about struggles and setbacks • Celebrate recovery and growth as much as initial success • Use failure stories to build connection and mentorship relationships with other women We are not the sum of our failures, but some of our failures make us more relatable, realistic, and ready for our successes. So let's not keep them to ourselves. #WomensERG #DEIB #failure

The Real Reasons Women are Exiting the Workforce As a senior leader at the intersection of policy, product, and advocacy, I've witnessed a critical trend that demands our attention. I've witnessed, firsthand, a disheartening trend: accomplished women, poised for leadership, choosing to exit the workforce. This exodus isn't due to a lack of ambition or capability but stems from systemic challenges that remain unaddressed. Top 3 Reasons Women are Quitting: 1/ Burnout Epidemic: Balancing high-stakes professional roles with personal responsibilities often leads to chronic stress and exhaustion. Many women find themselves at a breaking point, questioning whether enduring this relentless pressure is sustainable.The absence of adequate support systems exacerbates this fatigue, making the option to step away seem like the only viable solution. 2/ Comfort Zone Trap: Many talented women are paralyzed between known mediocrity and unknown potential. The fear of breaking away from 'comfort' keeps them stagnant. 3/ Stagnation in Career Advancement Despite their dedication and expertise, numerous women encounter barriers that hinder their progression into senior leadership roles. This glass ceiling not only stifles their professional growth but also diminishes their motivation to remain within organizations that fail to recognize and reward their contributions. I recall a conversation with a mentee—a brilliant product manager and mother of two. Despite her exemplary performance, she felt perpetually on the brink of burnout, unseen in her aspirations, and constrained by an inflexible schedule.Her story is not unique but echoes the experiences of many. The solution I proposed to her focused on three critical strategies: 1/ Speak to your manager about a flexibility and office timings that allow her to balance professional responsibilities with family needs. Manage your time more effectively and wisely 2/ Create a career progression plan in the current job that identifies opportunities available for exceptional impact and a future promotion, to break the stagnation she found herself in 3/ Contribute to organisation wide initiatives that establish open communication channels and implement policies that support work-life balance, in turn helping others through the same dilemma. This demonstrates commitment to her and her organisations collective success. Women aren't just leaving jobs—they're making powerful statements about workplace culture. It's imperative that we, as leaders and organizations, confront these challenges head-on. Creating structured mentorship opportunities can provide women with guidance, support, and advocacy, helping them navigate career challenges and advance into leadership roles. Mentorship isn't just support—it's survival. Your Turn: >> What trends have you noticed contributing to this issue, and >> How can we collaboratively create a more inclusive and supportive workplace for all?

Having attended a thought provoking keynote this week from the Hon. Joel Fitzgibbon GAICD who shared his predictions for the upcoming Australian election, coupled with the current trade wars, things are looking a little uncertain at the moment. When resources are tight, maintaining client trust requires a mix of transparency, prioritisation, and creative problem-solving. Here are some key strategies to keep relationships strong: 1️⃣ Set Clear Boundaries & Expectations Clients appreciate honesty. Be upfront about what your team can realistically deliver and by when. Under-promise and over-deliver wherever possible to build confidence. 2️⃣ Prioritise High-Impact Activities Not all tasks are created equal. Focus on the work that drives the most value for the client rather than spreading your team too thin across less impactful tasks. 3️⃣ Leverage Technology & Automation Use AI tools, automation, and streamlined processes to reduce manual effort without compromising quality. Even simple automation (like email sequences, chatbots, or templates) can free up resources. 4️⃣ Maximise Strengths & Delegate Strategically Identify what your team does best and lean into that. For areas where you’re stretched, consider outsourcing, leveraging freelancers, or forming strategic partnerships. 5️⃣ Over-Communicate, Especially in Crunch Times Silence breeds doubt. Keep clients in the loop with proactive updates. If there’s a delay, let them know early, explain why, and provide alternative solutions. 6️⃣ Build Client Involvement & Ownership Instead of always taking on everything, guide clients to be part of the solution. Can they provide input, handle minor tasks, or collaborate in a way that eases the workload? 7️⃣ Offer Tiered Support If you can’t provide full-service solutions, consider structured options—e.g., self-service resources, group coaching, or staggered deliverables. 💡 Question for You: Have you ever turned a resource constraint into a competitive advantage? Let’s swap stories! 🚀

Let's be real: How many of us have felt that pit in our stomachs before walking into a meeting where we know we'll be the only POC? Or experienced the frustration of being mistaken for another WOC in the office? Or walked into work feeling confident and looking fly, all while bracing for the attempt to touch our hair or inevitable inappropriate comment? These aren't just "minor inconveniences." They're symptoms of larger issues that jeopardize our mental health, career trajectories, and sense of self. The stats paint a stark picture: - Black women make up a mere 1% of executives in S&P 500 companies. - Only a handful of WOC have raised significant venture capital funding. - We constantly battle what researchers call "double jeopardy"––facing harsher judgment for the same mistakes as our peers. But here's what I want you to remember: Your mental health is not negotiable. Your wellbeing is not a luxury. It's the foundation of your power, creativity, and ability to break through barriers every single week. So how do we protect ourselves without giving up on our ambitions? Here are seven strategies: 1. Know you can leave: Your talent deserves respect. 2. Find adaptive coping strategies: Manage stress and protect your mental health. 3. Keep building your support network: Seek out other WOC, join professional organizations, connect with mentors. 4. Plan your exit strategy: Know your options. 5. Document: Keep records of accomplishments and any inappropriate incidents. 6. Cultivate sponsors: Look for influential advocates for your career advancement. 7. Practice self-compassion: Give yourself grace and space. Remember, we're not merely surviving in these spaces––we're redefining them. Your presence matters. Your visibility is power. That's why I'm more convinced than ever that we need spaces to gather, heal, and strategize together. Spaces free from the White, male, mainstream gaze. Imagine a virtual sanctuary where you can: ✨ Process workplace challenges with other WOC who truly get it ✨ Learn strategies for maintaining mental health in challenging environments ✨ Access resources on recognizing and combating workplace bias ✨ Connect with coaches dedicated to uplifting women of color If this resonates, let's connect. Your experiences will shape this community into the supportive space we all deserve. Your mental health is your power source. Guard it fiercely, nurture it compassionately, and never be afraid to put it first. You are seen. You are valued. And you are so much more than the battles you face at work. Together, we can keep rewriting the narratives and building the inclusive work communities we deserve.

The 10-Point Action Agenda for Advancing Gender Equality in Crisis Settings 1. Ensure Women's Leadership and Participation: Involve women and girls, especially those affected by crises, in decision-making at all levels of humanitarian response and recovery. 2. Promote Gender-Responsive Humanitarian Planning: Integrate gender analysis in needs assessments, planning, and programming to identify and address the specific needs of women, men, girls, and boys. 3. Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence (GBV): Prioritise prevention of GBV and ensure quality, survivor-centred services are available and accessible in crisis settings. 4. Guarantee Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR): Ensure that women and girls can access essential SRH services, including maternal health care, family planning, and menstrual hygiene support. 5. Support Girls' Education and Women's Livelihoods: Invest in education for girls and safe economic opportunities for women to strengthen resilience and recovery. 6. Address the Needs of Adolescent Girls: Tailor interventions to meet the unique risks and capabilities of adolescent girls, who are often overlooked in crises. 7. Engage Men and Boys in Promoting Gender Equality: Work with men and boys as allies to shift harmful norms and practices, and to promote respectful, equitable relationships. 8. Strengthen Accountability for Gender Equality: Establish clear gender equality indicators, monitor progress, and hold stakeholders accountable for results. 9. Ensure Funding for Gender Equality Programming: Allocate adequate, sustained funding to gender-focused programs and local women's organisations in humanitarian responses. 10. Strengthen Local Women's Organisations: Build the capacity of and provide direct support to women-led groups, recognising them as key actors in crisis response and recovery. Gender Equity Policy Institute (GEPI), Gender at Work India, Institute for Gender and the Economy, Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE) / ODI, ADB Gender, HBS Race, Gender & Equity Initiative, Gender DEI, Gender Justice & Women’s Rights - PJ&RI, CGIAR Gender Equality and Inclusion, GenderWorks Australia, GenderWorks, Gender at Work, Workplace Gender Equality Agency, Women and Gender Community - TIIKM, UoN Anthropology and Gender Students Association, Furman University Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies, Gender in Geopolitics Institute, Beyond Gender Agenda, Gender Agenda, The Gender Agenda Podcast, Institute for Gender and the Economy, INSEAD Gender Initiative, Makerere University Institute of Gender and Development Studies, Re:Gender, Gender and Development Network, Collaborative Centre for Gender and Development

Micro-aggressions eat away at confidence daily. They're subtle. They're persistent. They're exhausting. I've faced them countless times as a female CEO. The interruptions in investor meetings. The explaining of my own expertise back to me. The attribution of my ideas to male colleagues. These moments matter. But our response matters more. Here are 6 strategies I use to address them effectively: 1. The "I noticed" approach.    It creates awareness without blame.     2. Asking clarifying questions "Could you explain what you meant?" It reveals bias through curiosity.     3. Sharing impact respectfully "When that happens, I can't fully contribute."     4. Establishing expertise calmly, "I've actually led this area for five years."     5. Building a support network "Let's hear Sarah finish her point first." Allies can amplify your voice. 6. Choosing battles wisely. Some moments deserve immediate address. Others require strategic timing.     These approaches preserve professional relationships. Whilst also: Creating space for growth. Protecting your peace. Which strategy would help you most right now? ♻️ Repost to help someone in your network. _ 👋🏽 I'm Radha Vyas, CEO & Co-Founder of Flash Pack, connecting solo travelers on life-changing social adventures. Follow for daily posts on the journey!

4 years ago, I lost a client that made up 60% of our agency's revenue. I was: - Overconfident in client retention - Focused on service, neglected business strategy - Put all our eggs in one basket My agency was on the verge of shutting down. But then, everything changed. We: - Diversified our client portfolio - Developed multiple service offerings - Built a robust lead generation system Bounced back stronger within 6 months. By spreading risk and creating multiple revenue streams, I changed the equation. I've taken that exact same approach to scaling eCommerce brands. If you're relying too heavily on one client or channel: Ditch the comfort zone. Diversify your portfolio. Stop waiting for leads. Build your own pipeline. Implement these 5 strategies to bulletproof your agency: 1. Develop niche expertise in multiple verticals 2. Create a mix of project-based and retainer work 3. Invest in your own marketing (practice what you preach) 4. Build strategic partnerships to expand service offerings 5. Create scalable products alongside your services 30 days of focused diversification = rewriting your agency's future. Create your own safety net.

Dear colleagues,   Today, the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, we celebrate the power of women’s leadership where it’s needed most. Climate and environmental shocks are changing lives across the globe. But disasters don’t impact everyone equally. Women and girls, especially those excluded from decisions and resources, are often the first to suffer and the last to recover. At UNDP, we are working hard with partners to place gender equality at the center of disaster risk reduction. This is essential for building stronger, and more resilient communities. This is not just policy work. It is a fact, deeply human. In every crisis, women are the ones organizing food and care, keeping clinics open, restarting income, and mediating at the community level. Their leadership is not only theoretical. It exists in practical, urgent, and transformative ways. In our latest blog, my colleague Ronald Jackson and I share five examples of how women’s leadership is transforming disaster preparedness and recovery: ·       In Chad, women’s cooperatives are combining climate-smart agriculture, solar irrigation, and early warning systems to reduce flood risks and support recovery.  ·      In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Feminist Coalition for Climate Justice has improved working conditions for 75,000 women and trained 1,500 women officials.  ·      In Honduras, care mapping tools are helping authorities identify “care deserts” and prioritize safe-space upgrades in flood-prone areas.  ·      In Ukraine, the “Mommy in the Shelter” initiative links early warning systems with maternal and childcare support during air raids.  ·      In Guatemala, the national disaster authority earned UNDP’s Gender Equality Seal, an international certification hard to get, embedding gender equality and Indigenous women’s participation into risk management. These examples show what’s possible when women’s leadership, care, and better distribution of power are foundational to planning. I invite you to read the full blog: https://lnkd.in/eVhXRgkk . #DRRday #ResiliencePays #GenderEquality #WomenLead #Resilience #UNDP #LeadershipInCrisis #InclusiveRecovery Ronald Jackson Rehab Al-Sanabani Yuko Yokoi Shoko Noda Cleopatra Hurungo Sudha Gooty Guillermina Martin Rania M Tarazi Corneliu Eftodi Cate Owren

Work can sometimes be unpredictable. And when issues feel beyond my control, I know how easy it is to get frustrated. I've found power in focusing my energy 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴. This is what I do to manage stressful and unpredictable moments at work: 𝐈 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥. List down the factors that are within your sphere of influence and those that are not. For example, you can control your attitude, your actions, your communication, and your priorities. But you can't control other people’s opinions, decisions, or behaviors, the market trends, or the weather. 𝐈 𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥. Once you've identified what you can control, direct your attention and energy to those factors. For example, you can control how you respond to a challenge, how you plan your tasks, how you collaborate with your colleagues, and how you manage your time. Focusing on what you can control will help you feel more empowered, confident, and productive. 𝐈 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐠𝐨 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥. Trying to control what is beyond your reach will only cause you more stress, frustration, and anxiety. Instead of worrying about what you cannot change, accept the reality of the situation and adapt to it. Letting go can also help you reduce your negative emotions and cope better with uncertainty. 𝐈 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭. You don’t have to deal with stressful and unpredictable moments at work alone. You can reach out to your colleagues, friends, family, or professional help for advice, feedback, or emotional support. Talking to someone who understands your situation or has gone through similar experiences can help you gain new perspectives, insights, and solutions. What will you put your energy into today?

Neither of my parents went to college. I did, and following my dream to be a teacher, I studied elementary education. However, life had other plans for me, and my career took an unexpected turn into the world of business. I discovered a passion for it. I worked hard, and knew I was making meaningful contributions. But my unconventional path weighed on me. As a young woman, I couldn't shake the worry that someone would eventually tap me on the shoulder and say, "Hey! We caught you! You don't really belong here." The fear stayed with me until I heard a professor from Kellogg speak at a Women's Foodservice Forum and I learned there's a name for that feeling: Impostor Syndrome. Realizing that I wasn't alone in this experience was transformative. It boosted my confidence and made me recognize how much societal expectations had influenced my self-perception. That awareness was liberating. Years later, I had the honor of sharing my own story at that very same event—a full-circle moment that I deeply cherished. You can watch it here: https://lnkd.in/eqP_SKpM But it's frustrating to know that nearly 80% of women still struggle with low self-esteem in the workplace. So, what can we do? Here are 5 strategies that have worked for me: • Keep a "Fan File" of your wins. Revisit it when self-doubt creeps in. • Avoid comparisons. Let your unique strengths be your guide. • Focus on your strengths and sharpen them. • Build a support network that pushes you to grow. • Embrace "Go-Learn-Iterate." Failure is part of the journey. And, in case no one's told you yet: You belong here. You're doing great. And we need you to take your seat at the table!