Performative allyship is especially insidious because it can be incredibly difficult to identify and address. The kind of workplace engaged in this performance is almost certainly seeing high rates of attrition from underrepresented employees who feel powerless to do anything about the unfair and unequal treatment they experience. Learn about the difference between good and bad allyship, why your people care and why you should too.

From being ostracized or penalized because of success or achievements, to being told their ambition is annoying or makes superiors look bad, women are actively being punished for expressing interest in and pursuing success.

Whether you’re a diehard fan of new year’s resolutions or you’d prefer to ditch the resolutions in favor of something less rigid, there is something to be said about the power of strategic planning, specifically the act of setting goals, at the beginning of a new year. Much like wayfinding, goals are the signposts helping us navigate through uncharted or difficult territory. They’re how we can step back and take stock of our progress and determine what remains to be done.

It feels so good when you have a great conversation. But what makes it great? Is it the person, topic, location or some other key feature?

In her book You’re Not Listening: What You’re Missing and Why it Matters, Kate Murphy argues conversations are best for all parties when each person feels truly heard. This requires truly listening. Learn more.

Ready for Next contributor, Julie Keyes, CEPA, has published the second edition of Poised for Exit - A Woman Entrepreneur’s Guide to Business Transition. The materials and resources have been updated to help owners even more.

Learn more about Poised for Exit with this article.

Despite the leaps and bounds towards gender equality society has made in the last few decades, working with women entrepreneurs remains an untapped market for transition planners. As a professional advisor, it is critical for you to understand the different approaches women typically take to owning a business so you can offer them the most impactful advice.

Julie Keyes, in a May 2022 EPI webinar, shares her experiences as a business owner and working with other women entrepreneurs so you get a feel for:

• What to expect

• How to use your knowledge strategically

• Common obstacles and how to address them

More than 40% of businesses in America are currently owned by women. This webinar will help position you to provide immediate value to women business owners, so you don’t miss out on quality clientele and they get the advice they deserve.

Diversity and inclusion help in obvious ways and also in subtle ways. These may sound like “fluffy” HR issues, but for more and more employees they are becoming a reason to stay or leave an organization.

If your business relies on innovation to grow and make money, then consider the value of diversity to your team. According to statistics from Deloitte “cognitive diversity can enhance team innovation by up to 20%.”

Ready for Next partner Sean Hutchinson presented on the mainstage at the 2022 EPI Summit. Using neuroscience and curiosity you can banish boredom from the kingdom and engage clients at a deeper, more meaningful level and collect enriched data for mutually beneficial interactions.

Joe Slatter, RFN Advisory Group Senior Advisor presented this Power Session at the 2022 EPI Summit.

Have you ever noticed that little voice in your head doing analysis, solving problems, and preparing your sage advice while your client is talking? Maybe it’s a colleague or spouse who’s sharing a point of view and you’re waiting for a break in the action to share your bit of wisdom.

We all probably do it to some extent and that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. If we want to get more information in less time, we might consider setting our judgments aside and fully engaging curiosity for a little bit. Take a lesson from Kaldi, the goatherd who discovered coffee.

RFN Academy contributor Felicia Johnson exposes the three biggest diversity and inclusion myths.

Some people might be hesitant to explore diversity and inclusion because they believe acknowledging difference is a divisive act that creates rifts and inequality when in fact, the very opposite is true. individuals are wanting more connection within their workplace.

Read this blog to dispel these myths and how diversity and inclusion can build value in your compnay.

For those interested in excelling in complex environments, RFN team member John Lazar recommends Jennifer Garvey Berger’s book, Unlocking Leadership Mindtraps – How to Thrive in Complexity.

At Ready for Next we often discuss VUCA - volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. This book challenges us to consider mind traps and how our instincts may be outdated and lead us right into one.

Your 2022 goals mattered at the beginning of the year. Do they now?

While writing down goals is an important step in achieving them, so is regular review. If it’s been a while since you looked at your 2022 goals, there is no time like now to see how you are doing.

Visual language can keep a business plan, strategic plan or even common goals front and center. For most of us, after the planning session is complete the resulting document is filed away to be reviewed occasionally. Imagine if the plan was captured visually and lived on the wall or on your blotter for regular review.