After leaving the corporate world in 2019, I craved a way to use my skills to make a positive impact beyond the bottom line. I knew I wanted to volunteer more, and a networking engagement led me to Bpeace, a nonprofit focused on creating jobs in crisis-affected areas and expanding the economic empowerment of women.
Bpeace offered a unique opportunity—a chance to leverage my honed consulting skills in a fresh, international context. This wasn’t just about giving back, it was a win-win that boosted my confidence and experience as an independent consultant and coach.
Building Human Workplaces, One Company at a Time
My passion lies in helping companies and HR leaders navigate the human side of business. While employment laws and regulations vary by jurisdiction, the core principles of human-centered workplaces remain constant across borders and industries. We are all human after all!
Employees need a living wage and the resources to do their jobs. But they also desire relationships with colleagues and clients, recognition for their efforts, and a sense of purpose and value within the organization. And this is where I like to partner with companies.
Tailored Solutions for Lasting Impact
My Bpeace engagements have varied from multiweek, heavy deliverable-based work to mini two-hour consults across Latin America. Before each virtual engagement, whether a long-term project or a quick consultation, I review the provided information from Bpeace. This includes details about the company’s leadership and history, industry insights and the human capital priorities as defined by the executive team.
But the real gold mine lies in the employee survey results. These offer a rare glimpse behind the curtain, allowing me to tailor my approach, and is often the first time employees have been asked for their feedback in a structured way. In these results, I can identify key themes, challenge leadership’s priorities and ask probing questions. My goal is to connect the dots, drawing on research and my own experience to suggest best practices that fit the company’s desired culture and business reality. Sometimes this involves refining existing plans, building confidence in the chosen direction. Other times it leads to a complete rethink.
Stepping Outside My Comfort Zone, One Translation at a Time
My previous experience was with a regional bank, so global workplace exposure was limited. All of my Bpeace engagements have been in Latin America, and my first assignment was in El Salvador with a non-English-speaking leadership team. At first, consulting across country borders and using real-time translation during Zoom consultations felt intimidating. But this turned out to be a wonderful learning experience. It forced me to slow down, choose my words carefully and focus on the essence of my message. In addition, my amazing Bpeace liaison ensured that nothing was lost in translation.
This experience reinforced what truly resonates across cultures: the human aspect. Some employee benefits or employee laws are irrelevant, and from time to time I share an idiom that might not land. But the desire for a fulfilling and engaging workplace with clear expectations, a sense of purpose and growth opportunities—that’s universal.
From Wellness Programs to Family Businesses: Real-World Examples
Bpeace has allowed me to leverage my experience in unexpected ways. For instance, I consulted with a provider of employee wellness programs. This was a unique match to my skill set, as I was able to leverage my experience as a former employee benefits director to discuss sales and relationship management strategies from the buyer’s perspective. With this company, we also worked on a plan to cross-train high-potential employees for their personal and professional growth, and a strategy to create fair and equitable employee experiences across departments.
In another instance, I assisted a small family business facing a generational gap. The patriarch wanted respect and appreciation, while his son and daughter needed solutions for financial sustainability. By acting as a neutral third party, I could offer empathy, deference and expertise. This helped bridge the gap and empower the younger generation to effectively manage operations, focusing on establishing meaningful performance goals.
We also brainstormed ways to bridge a deep-rooted social divide between office leadership and operations. We dug into the company values and practices and discovered opportunities for connection. Finally, we assessed historical financial incentives and explored the idea of a compensation philosophy as the company continues to grow.
Regardless of a company’s industry, my role as a volunteer expert is about listening to the critical business needs and taking a human lens to it, leveraging leadership principles to engage, motivate and grow employees.
The Ripple Effect: A Win-Win for All
The beauty of volunteering with Bpeace lies in its inherent win-win structure. I get to share my experience and refine my expertise while helping empower women and grow jobs to stem emigration from their home countries.
What about you? How can you uniquely share your gifts with the world? Perhaps you have a skill you can share. By contributing your talents, you, too, can create a ripple effect of positive change, building more human and impactful places to work.
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