How can you balance advocacy and your own personal development in the workplace?

In the latest episode of the Happier at Work podcast, we had the pleasure of speaking with seasoned team leader Dan Daly, who shared invaluable wisdom and practical tips on how to create a positive and empowering workplace environment. 

In this episode, Dan emphasises the importance of ensuring that tasks are completed before diving into efforts to improve culture and employee experience. By prioritising the delivery of work, leaders create the space necessary for improvement initiatives.

First-line leaders have a crucial role in advocating for their team's needs and professional development. By recognising and highlighting team achievements, as well as advocating for their needs, leaders can create a supportive and inclusive work environment.

Dan discusses the impact of organisations not hiring enough people, which can lead to increased workload and decreased morale. Proper prioritisation and resource allocation are important strategies in managing workload effectively.

Taking personal responsibility for learning and development is crucial for career growth. Dan encourages individuals to find multiple ways to learn and to advocate for more time within organisations to focus on personal development.

Dan acknowledges the challenges that first-time managers face, including a lack of upfront training and the broken rung on the career ladder for women. He encourages first-time managers to believe in themselves, take ownership of their learning, and seek out opportunities for growth.

The main points throughout this podcast include:

• Practical tips on how to create a positive and empowering workplace environment.
• By prioritising the delivery of work, leaders create the space necessary for improvement in initiatives.
• First-line leaders have a crucial role in advocating for their team’s needs and professional development.
• The impact of organisations not hiring enough people
• Ways to learn and advocate for more time within organisations to focus on personal development.

Connect with Dan

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-daly-59ab73170/

Do you have any feedback or thoughts on this discussion? If so, please connect with Aoife via the links below and let her know. Aoife would love to hear from you!

Connect with Happier at Work host Aoife O’Brien:

Website: https://happieratwork.ie 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aoifemobrien/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/happieratwork.ie/ 

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HappierAtWorkHQ

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