There is truly no better leader than Melissa Shillingford to be featured in our month dedicated to Centering Equity. Melissa leads by example through her incredible role at Make Ideas Work, a company she founded years ago to support organizations committed to social change. Ready our quick Q+A with Melissa below, and don't miss her full feature in our July 2024 issue of En Root!
This month's theme is all about centering equity. Tell us how this theme has played a role in your personal or professional life.
I center equity in the work I do by focusing on the human experience. People before process.
At OutGrowth, we believe in designing the space and time to reimagine the path forward. How do you believe that a focus on equity can impact our perspective and influence our future decisions?
Focusing on equity can give people access to opportunities in ways they otherwise wouldn't have. This can also result in strengthening organizations, because they are now including diverse thoughts and ways of doing business.
What is one hard lesson you learned in this past year that contributed to your growth?
Sometimes we have to unlearn what we once thought was right.
What is one competency or skill you hope to develop in 2024 and beyond?
Coaching.
What inspires you?
People who are serving their communities.
At OutGrowth, we believe in preparing the next generation of leaders. What is one resource you'd recommend to those looking to carve out the time for growth in the next year?
Five Habits of Highly Effective People
What's next? What are you excited about in the coming year?
Launching a cohort-based program to help frontline workers develop transferrable skills.
In her role as founder of Make Ideas Work, a boutique consulting company dedicated to empowering organizations committed to positive social change through human-centered management training and capacity-building services, Melissa has had the chance to witness people in this space work smarter, and not harder. She's seen them be able to save time in meetings and reduce emails, so they can spend more time on the things and people that matter.
To further your journey in making Project Management more equitable, consider attending an upcoming workshop with Make Ideas Work.
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