Dr. Colleen Batchelder

POWERHOUSE GLOBAL MAGAZINE (PGMAG) INTERVIEW WITH:

DR. COLLEEN BATCHELDER (DCB)

PGMAG: Dr. Colleen, welcome to today’s interview.

DCB: Thank you so much! It’s an honor to be a part of the incredible work that you are doing.

PGMAG: Please briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

DCB:

I'm a diversity and inclusion consultant and leadership strategist, executive coach, and keynote speaker passionate about creating companies where Millennials want to work.

For over 20 years, I've presented talks on generational differences, racial justice, LGBTQIA+ inclusion, and the necessity for intergenerational education within corporate, non-profit, and government sectors.

I was named an emerging leader under 40 by the NYC Mayor's Center for Faith and Community Partnership, presented my PechaKucha on diversity and inclusion at Oxford University, and was a consultant for Thrivent and numerous non-profits and corporations.

I've had the privilege of being published in Entrepreneur, MSN, Lifehack.org, Thrive Global, She Owns It, InClub Magazine, and The Good Men Project. I've been featured in QARA, 30 Days of Hope, Andy's Pandemic Podcast, I’ll Go First, Repurposed, and Unconventional Leaders.

PGMAG: How can we change the directions of our lives as leaders, in order to become more valuable in the marketplace?

DCB: Great question! This year has forced me to pivot in so many ways. And it’s been the greatest blessing for my business.

Before this pandemic, I had my five-year plan written in stone. I was all set to move to Manhattan, teach in academia, and continue with my non-profit work in the city. However, life did not go according to plan. If anything, life took my plans and placed me on a completely different path.

It's been a year, and every goal that I mentioned above has been replaced. Nothing on my list came to fruition, not even moving to Manhattan. Covid-19 changed everything and I’m so glad that it redirected my path.

All of us have been forced to pivot in different ways this past year. It hasn’t always been easy, but it’s forced us to take a step back, revaluate our habits, and question our course of action. If you want to become more valuable in the marketplace, it starts by listening to the needs of your audience. This is the perfect time to survey your customers and understand their needs. Before you create a fiveyear plan or hire more staff, ask your base to provide feedback. Then, work to create a solution that fits their specific needs. Remember, you can’t lead by giving answers to questions that no one is asking. If you want to be valuable–show your audience that they are valued.

PGMAG: Considering the current global challenge (Covid-19), what are the steps needed to repair past mistakes, and create a better future for ourselves and for those we lead?

DCB: The current global crisis has forced many countries to close their borders, while at the same time, question their global responsibility. Each country has faced the same devastations. We’ve all buried loved ones, lost jobs, faced isolation, and feared the future.

Even now, we’re all praying for the same outcome: survival. Now, more than ever, is the perfect time to be introspective, receptive, and ready to change. This moment in history is impacting all nations, races, cultures, languages, and religions. If we want to move forward and find hope after this devastation, we need to find ways to own up to our discrimination.

After all, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said it best, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Right now, we are all facing the injustice of a pandemic. However, not all of us are facing it in the same way. For many, injustice will persist after the last vaccine is given. We need to continue to shift our mindset and change our mission. It’s not enough to patch things up, we need better policies.

It’s not enough to apologize and make amends. We need to figure out how to move forward without assumption. If we want to repair past mistakes and create a better future for ourselves and those we lead, we need to marry our ideologies with implementation.

PGMAG: As a global influencer, what could be done to address the issue around ‘generational differences?’

DCB: Thank you for this question. Generational differences have the ability to create change or create barriers to change. This is why, it is imperative that companies take the time to develop open and honest dialogue around the topic of generational dissonance. Especially, when certain generations are moving up in management and shaping the corporate culture.

According to Hartford Business, “By 2025, Millennials will dominate the workforce, making up 75% of the labor force.”

Millennials expect equality, diversity, and inclusion to be central to corporate operation. They also expect lateral leadership, team-oriented structures, and a marriage of business and community mindfulness.

Now, in contrast, if you look at previous generations, especially Generation X and Baby Boomers, you’ll find a preference for isolation within their work environments, hierarchical leadership structures, and strong separation between vocation and personal life.

One of the most significant things that business leaders can do when addressing generational differences, is to create spaces of dialogue. If you’re a Generation X or Baby Boomer manager, schedule time each week to converse with your team members over coffee or Zoom. By taking the time to know your employees, you gain the insight into what needs to change.

Generational difference is a global issue. But just because it’s a global phenomenon does not mean that there’s a onesize-fits-all solution.

It takes time to figure out what will work best for your company. However, if you’re willing to lean in, listen, and ask questions of your Millennial and Generation Z employees, you’ll be able to figure out the next steps to bring your company to the next level.

PGMAG: As a woman, what would you suggest to those who are struggling with low self-esteem?

DCB: It’s funny,

I’ve always worked in male-dominated jobs and been one of the only women in the room. In many ways, being outnumbered forced me to have a voice, stand up for my ideas, and sit at the table, regardless if I was invited.

It hasn’t always been easy. But when I look back, I realize that being one of the only females in the room forced me to develop a strong sense of self and lead from a place of confidence.

My advice for those struggling with low self-esteem would be to surround yourself with people who are for you and supportive of your goals. You need people in your life that know you and can encourage you to be 100 percent yourself without apology. I’m lucky to have some incredible friends, both male and female, who push me to own my voice and follow my dreams.

So, the first thing I would recommend is to find a strong support group. The next thing I would suggest is to lose the word perfection from your vocabulary.

I can’t tell you how many times I would feel stuck because I was caught in the trap of trying to be perfect. When Covid-19 hit, I realized I had two choices: 1) I could be deterred by perfection 2) I could choose progress.

I choose the latter and I never looked back.

If you’re struggling with low self-esteem, revaluate your friend group and rethink your idea of success. When you make the conscience choice to remove yourself from toxicity and embrace your goals without getting tripped up by perfection, you’ll find your voice and you lead with confidence.

PGMAG: What were the top three books that changed your life?

DCB: 1) Searching for Sunday, by Rachel Held Evans 2) Lean In, by Sheryl Sandberg 3) True Inclusion, by Brandan Robertson

PGMAG: What is your message for world leaders?

DCB: Listen, lean in, and take on the stance of a student. If you’re willing to learn something new, then you’ll succeed regardless of the changes that occur in your future.

Remember, when your mission is to help people, you have to be willing to adapt your tactics to accomplish your goals. So, be ready to pivot your mindset and your business goals daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annually.

PGMAG: What are some of the opportunities you seek for as a leader?

DCB: I seek to always learn. If I remain in a place of teachability, I know that I’ll be able to write, consult, and speak solutions, not assumptions.

I have many dreams and goals for myself this year and in the future. But my greatest goal is that I live my life without apology, be 100 percent present with people, and embrace the adventures along the way.

PGMAG: A lot of people give up on their mission at the slightest challenge life throws at them. What are some of the steps to achieving set goals?

DCB: I love this question, because 9/10 times I have felt like giving up. Even now, I sometimes look at my task list and feel overwhelmed. I’ve learned to embrace these moments and remember the why behind my mission–I concentrate on the faces. Each action that I take is a response to hearing someone’s story. When I feel like giving up, I lean in, listen, and remember that my mission is to create conversations of hope and change.

I don’t get bogged down by the volume of chores. I step back and remind myself that I need to write, speak, and consult so that the world can enter into conversation and become spaces of equality, diversity, and inclusion. I continue because I have hope for the future and frustration with the present.

PGMAG: Finally, what would you say to your younger self?

DCB:

If I could go back in time, I would tell myself, “Your life will look nothing like you planned and that’s a good thing.”

When I was in high school, I dreamt of being on Broadway and belting my heart out. I loved the feeling of my stomach rising to my throat when the curtain came up and the joy of seeing an audience be transported after the first act.

I might not have ended up in the theatre, but I found the same joy in what I do now. There’s no better feeling than seeing a client’s eyes open to their own bias, aiding them with the tools to change, and watching them create workplace environments that are safe spaces for all.

In many ways, I help businesses create their own stages. I work with them to tear down their old sets, create a new production, and collaborate with their fellow cast members to put on the show–I help them develop companies where Millennials want to work.

PGMAG: Thank you so very much for granting us this opportunity to interview you.

DCB: It was my pleasure. Thank you for the wonderful work that you are doing through Powerhouse Global Magazine.

PGMAG: Please share your links with us.

DCB: Website: https://www. colleenbatchelder.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin. com/in/colleenbatchelder/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ Colleen_Batch Facebook: https:// www.facebook.com/ Dr.ColleenBatchelder Instagram: https://www. instagram.com/colleen_ batchelder/