Episode 33 | You Can Be Yourself Here: Creating Inclusive Workplaces Through the Psychology of Belonging
ABOUT DDS DOBSON-SMITH:
DDS Dobson-Smith is a licensed therapist, author, executive coach, speaker on leadership and growth, and a Reiki master — all in service of helping others grow and become who they are. They are the Founder and CEO of SoulTrained, an executive coaching and leadership growth consultancy. Their new book is called “You Can Be Yourself Here: Your Pocket Guide to Creating Inclusive Workplaces by Using the Psychology of Belonging”
DDS brings multi-sector global experience, decades of training in human potential, and enduring dedication to creating leaders who are worth following to everything they do.
They have notched up over 25 years of working in small, medium, and large corporations. They grew up in the hospitality industry and they started their career as a college professor teaching hotel and business management. They’ve since held a range of senior, executive, and C-Suite level roles across a host of sectors and companies.
DDS Dobson-Smith is certified as an Executive Coach by both the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and the Oxford School of Coaching & Mentoring. They are credentialed with the International Coach Federation, and are a coach-supervisor through the Coaching Supervision Academy.
EPISODE NOTES:
Dr. Laura welcomes DDS Dobson-Smith, CEO of SoulTrained and author of “You Can Be Yourself Here: Your Pocket Guide to Creating Inclusive Workplaces by Using the Psychology of Belonging”, to the podcast to explore the vital subject of belonging through the lens of psychology and corporate culture. DDS has lived experience as a queer person and a long career in corporate America, Europe, and Asia that informs their focus on belonging in workplaces.
DDS shares insight on the key differences between diversity, inclusion, and belonging. They explain how inclusion can’t exist without diversity, but a workplace can be diverse without fostering inclusion. Dr. Laura and DDS explore ways in which DDS’s book defines conditions for creating a culture of belonging, starting with people at the top levels. DDS highlights how it’s not just major situations that can be toxic but small, ingrained behavior we don’t think about. This episode is vital to understanding how any organization can support an individual and foster belonging through leadership.
“So belonging… I often find that diversity and inclusion are said almost as if they’re the same word these days. And they’re definitely said in the same sentence, but they are different things. Diversity is a fact. You know, when you look around in an organization, do you see people who are like you? And do you see people who are not like you? The answer is either yes or no. And if the answer is yes to both of those questions, then you could probably safely say this organization has diversity. Inclusion is a behavior and a set of behaviors.” – DDS Dobson-Smith
Resources:
- Soul Trained
- DDS Dobson-Smith Instagram
- DDS Dobson-Smith LinkedIn
- “You Can Be Yourself Here: Your Pocket Guide to Creating Inclusive Workplaces by Using the Psychology of Belonging” by DDS Dobson-Smith
Learn more about Dr. Laura on her website: https://drlaura.live
For more resources, look into Dr. Laura’s organizations:
Dr. Laura is a partner of Humance | Culture and Performance.
Season 2 EPISODES
Episode 40 | Evolving Yourself to Live Happy in this Messy World
About Cy Wakeman: Cy Wakeman is a drama researcher, global thought-leader, and New York Times best-selling author who is recognized for cultivating a counter-intuitive, reality-based approach to leadership. Backed by over 25 years of unparalleled experience, Wakeman’s...
Episode 39 | Life’s Messy, Live Happy: Keys to Contentment
About Cy Wakeman: Cy Wakeman is a drama researcher, global thought-leader, and New York Times best-selling author who is recognized for cultivating a counter-intuitive, reality-based approach to leadership. Backed by over 25 years of unparalleled experience, Wakeman’s...
Episode 38 | Healthy to Destructive: Exploring Narcissism in Ourselves and Others
About Dr. Nina W. Brown: Nina W. Brown, EdD, LPC, NCC, Distinguished Fellow American Group Psychotherapy Association, American Psychological Association Fellow is a professor and eminent scholar at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA USA. She received her...
Episode 37 | How to Handle Narcissistic Personalities on the Job
About Dr. Nina W. Brown: Nina W. Brown, EdD, LPC, NCC, Distinguished Fellow American Group Psychotherapy Association, American Psychological Association Fellow is a professor and eminent scholar at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA USA. She received her...
Episode 36 | Navigating Narcissism in Work and Life
About Wendy Behary: With 25+ years of professional experience and advanced level certifications, Wendy Behary is the founder and director of The Cognitive Therapy Center of New Jersey and The Schema Therapy Institutes of NJ-NYC-DC. She has been treating clients,...
Episode 35 | Disarming the Narcissist at Work
About Wendy Behary: With 25+ years of professional experience and advanced level certifications, Wendy Behary is the founder and director of The Cognitive Therapy Center of New Jersey and The Schema Therapy Institutes of NJ-NYC-DC. She has been treating clients,...
MORE THRIVING ORGANIZATIONS EPISODES
Episode 80 | The 4-Day Workweek: The Future or a Fad?
About Joe O’Connor: Joe is CEO and co-founder of the Work Time Reduction Center of Excellence, a consulting and research organization based in Toronto, which specializes in shorter workweek models and reduced-hour, outcome-focused working. Internationally...
Episode 79 | The Four Day Week: A Panacea for Productivity?
About Andrew Barnes: Entrepreneur Andrew Barnes has made a career of market-changing innovation and industry digitisation leading and transforming companies in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. In 2018, he made international headlines across the world...
Episode 75 | Never Not Working: How Always-On Cultures are Bad for People and Business
About Dr. Malissa Clark: Malissa Clark is an associate professor of industrial/organizational (I-O) psychology at the University of Georgia, where she has been on faculty since 2013. Currently, Clark serves as associate head of the department of psychology and...
Episode 73 | Burnout Prevention: What Organizations Must Do
About Dr. Laura: Bringing nearly 25 years of expertise as an Industrial/Organizational and Career Psychologist and pioneer on the future of work, Dr. Laura helps organizations evolve their cultures, and leaders and employees to thrive in their work and lives. She...
Episode 72 | The Emotionally Strong Leader: Transforming from the Inside Out
About Carolyn Stern: Carolyn Stern is the President and CEO of EI Experience—an executive leadership development and emotional intelligence training firm. She is a certified Emotional Intelligence and Leadership Development Expert, professional speaker, award-winning...
Episode 71 | Fighting the Good Fight for Workplace Flexibility: Why Remote Work Can’t Go Away!
About Kaleem Clarkson: Kaleem is a husband, father, remote work advocate, and speaker. He is the Chief Operating Officer of Blend Me, Inc, a fractional people operations consultancy that helps startups and small businesses transform into high-functioning remote or...