Today’s guest is the inimitable Kara Riley, Global VP of People, Culture and Belonging at Elite Model World, here to talk to us about her work and achieving workplace equity. In this episode, we dive deeply into what makes Kara Riley tick, how she has risen through the ranks to where she is today, and some extremely valuable and hard-won advice for those wishing to follow a similar path. We dive right in with tackling topics of high-level representation, how organizations can show up better globally, and what specific questions companies need to be asking themselves to keep honest and ensure change happens at the right levels. Kara also gives us her personal tips for other under-estimated individuals walking their projected career path with pragmatism, an eye for growth, and an awareness of which organizations will help you thrive. Lastly, we dive into the creation of psychological safety, and how it's paramount that leadership have the awareness and education to foster safe spaces.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Getting to know Kara Riley and her rise through the ranks from humble beginnings. 
• Questions of what your time is worth, and always having a number in your head.
• High-level representation, visibility, and aspirational feedback Kara got in her Netflix role. 
• Flipping the verbiage 'under-represented groups' to a more accurate 'underestimated groups'.
• Kara shares her hard-won advice for dealing with career obstacles of prejudice.
• Tackling gender double standards around existing as a woman in the workspace. 
• Kara describes her pragmatic approach to new job opportunities, and keeping aligned with your projected career vision. 
• Creating a five-year plan, asking for what you want, and owning your progress at work. 
• Doing things, asking questions later, and leaving if you're made to feel unsafe to be proactive.
• Leadership's responsibility of psychological safety, starting with communication.
• Kara explains the most important questions an organization needs to ask itself.
• Describing a multi-prong approach to create safety and leadership responsibility for employees from underestimated groups. 
• How to conduct a listening tour without putting the burden on the individuals being assessed.
• Navigating being a trailblazer, and what companies need to be doing to define the process. 

 

 

 

Tweetables:

“Be aspirational, look at those job descriptions, your roles that you want to be in, or those individuals on LinkedIn and see what types of other organizations that they’ve gone through, their path to get to where they want to be.”  — Kara Riley [0:12:53]

“You have to ask. Closed mouths don’t get fed.” — Kara Riley [0:14:35]

“I like to get in good trouble, doing things and asking questions later, or asking forgiveness later. You can’t be afraid. If your organization does not give you that psychological security to not be afraid, then I would reassess, “Is this the right organization for me?” — Kara Riley [0:15:23]

 

“How do we want to show up in this global community? That’s the big question. Then, how are we going to hold ourselves accountable to it?” — Kara Riley [0:17:39]

 

“Do not expect the underestimated groups to tell you what the company needs to do better and what the company is doing wrong. It is not their job to fix it.” — Kara Riley [0:18:47]

 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

 

Kara Riley on LinkedIn

Elite Model World

My Unorthodox Life

Talk Talent to Me