"God made each of us, without mistakes, unique and lovely!" Unilever managing director Joy saw his wife living outside the cabinet, he began to think, yes, everyone is special existence, such us, also very cute ah. Interview with Joy Ho Yingde, Managing Director of Unilever, to talk about the story after the cabinet, but also see more responsibility.
Women's 10th Anniversary Interview With Joe He Yingde, Managing Director of Unilever, Taiwan's first publicly available multinational company.
In the previous article, we talk about the real leadership who is not afraid of showing fragility, talk about the development of the career thinking, talk about the mentality of facing setbacks, the next part, talk more about Joy's gay identity story, and he with this identity to break into the workplace open and insight.
Once hidden in the dark cabinet of the double life
Joy grew up knowing that he was different, other girls play as family, he likes to "save the princess", when the country found that they like women, all the way groping, only to know that they are not the wrong shell, is "like girls girls", and gradually have cool gay circle friends. But in the face of his work, he once considered that open sexual orientation was an "unbearable burden" in his career.
"Apart from not wearing short skirts, I've been trying to fit into the mainstream image of women in the workplace." Joy laughs and says it's hard to imagine, right, that she lived a half-hidden double life before going public, and she smiled and recalled, "My wife told me that we were really in love together!" Because when she first met me, I was imitating the image of a middle-aged woman in the mainstream or Obasan.
Meet the wife who is now with him all her life, inspiring Joy to live to be true, to convince him that he is originally there, of course, unique, must be lovely.
"A big piece of the counter was inspired by my wife. She believed that God had made no mistake in making each of us - unique and lovely, and that she should live his true self. If you believe that you are a special existence, why hide it? Want to change?
"I always thought I was a real leader," he says, filling in with Joy's true leadership beliefs. Until I came out with my coach, he asked me, why not with my subordinates? If I've been hiding in a cupboard, there's a piece of my life that can't be touched, that can't have a real relationship with people, and that kind of leadership is hardly completely real.
After Joy came out of the cabinet, unexpectedly, many colleagues came to him and said: You finally out of the cabinet, we are dying! "Maybe because of my hiding attitude, they feel that (talking about cabinets, gays) is a piece I don't want to touch, so that everyone has to be careful to avoid it." Joy suddenly realized that the support system had to start with him giving people a chance. After coming out of the cabinet, Joy gradually heard more dark cabinet stories and saw his responsibilities.
The so-called multi-integration is to make every voice heard
Walking through a double life, Joy listens to other dark-cabinet stories. "I'm in pain, but I'm fully aware of their psychological stress. So I think I have more responsibility to make the overall environment better, whether it's promoting gender diversity or actively implementing the D-I policy."
In addition to leading by example, Joy also actively carried out practical actions in company policy, also led the team to participate in the gay parade, pay more attention to giving back, care about the true views of partners, "We do an annual staff survey, in the D-I and multi-gender score is very high, in addition, employees also highly recognized the supervisory class's support for diversity and integration, which I am particularly proud of."
In addition, he pays special attention to the burning of candles for female workers, and everyone's life changes as they enter different stages. How does the work system support a woman's continued efforts as she enters into marriage, or enters the stage of conceiving the next generation? Can an enterprise understand the life stage transition that employees face? That's what we need to think about. So at Unilever, they offered four months of maternity leave in the hope that they would have enough time to prepare, land slowly in the buffer zone and move on to the next stage of their lives.
Multi-integration is also reflected in cross-border cooperation. Joy worked in an office with participants from 14 countries, an experience that once again expanded her knowledge of D-I, "language, tone, tone are all important part of communication, and 14 tones and workplace cultures in 14 countries are different from each other's past perceptions." Diversity is not just a slogan, but whether it can put aside what it used to know, think from the perspective of others, and find ways to cooperate smoothly.
These experiences have taught Joy to see things from the perspective of others, to express them in ways that the other person can understand and accept, "to make others feel understood, and it's an important thing in the group." Embrace all possibilities.
He is also sharing, the so-called diversity and inclusion should start from small things, I believe that let everyone's voice be heard, or say, let everyone understand that his voice and opinion is valuable. It's a very important and important piece for me as a leader.
Since becoming unilever's general manager, when someone on the team doesn't speak, or is depressed, he takes the initiative to care and give space for colleagues to talk. "I want everyone in this group to feel invited and accepted."
Photo| Unilever
When tired remember: you in this position, must have meaning
When a society can be more and more meta, allowing more women to achieve their own, allowing more unique individuals to find their own values and missions, can expand indefinitely, extend the display of a allowing everyone to pursue their dreams, inclusive and pluralistic society.
Joy's repeated appeal also challenges everyone, and when we see accusations and stereotypes of injustice in society, we should not remain silent, we must be brave enough to speak out before society can progress, "a simple question, such as why women must balance family and career, is a successful female leader?" I think that's a very unfair stereotype. Our definition of female success, as if she had to take care of her family, is painful for many female leaders who are still struggling in their old shackles.
For young leaders, Joy also has two invitations to action, "the first is empathy, and I think we can all understand the discomfort that stereotypes impose on women, so when we have the ability, can we untie it?" To be a force that no longer consolidates these frameworks?
"The second is to "exert influence" and to give up binary opposition and change the environment in the workplace where women and their gender identities are identified through practical actions and resources. You have to get up and act.
"You have a mission to be able to make a difference when you're in a leadership position."
Being a worker, or a leader, is bound to experience moments of exhaustion and confusion, joy says, and that's when you get back to your roots. "Work is an uncut part of life, and I turn back and ask myself: What drives my sense of mission and values?" Why am I here? Why is this the time for me to stand in this position?
In Joy's words, when you understand your value, you can fully engage, and you won't suffer. If you always feel that your existence is just a responsibility, just to do what's in the job, she's firm and continues to encourage, "Then you might be able to dig a little deeper." It must be meaningful, there must be roles and values you can play.
Without a perfect decision, let go when you're done
Understanding that no one is perfect, but not requiring perfection is what Joy has learned over the decades of his career: "There are no perfect people, no perfect answers, and certainly no perfect decisions, and work life is all there is." You can only combine all the parameters of the present, go back to the beginning, and try your best to make the best decisions in the present. If there is a mistake, but also tolerate the same self, are learning and hard work opportunities, put their own horse.
Allow yourself to be imperfect and make mistakes. This may seem different from the stereotyped leader, but then again, diversity is respect for people have all kinds of patterns, as leaders of course also have their own spleen, we should put down the cycle of tearing labels for each other - you are just you, that is enough.
The road has come so far, He Yingde is now in the third decade slowly forward, no matter how the identity changes, life to what stage, she has a firm eye to move forward, but also always with the inner dialogue: do not go too far, and forget why began, and why has been to the present, did not want to give up.
"Don't forget the original heart, don't forget the original intention, you can always look back at that origin." What's that for you?
Postscript to the interview
At the end of the interview, we asked Joy to bring the reader "exercises that can be carried out tomorrow", and Joy thought that humor and shrewdness combined with Unilever's two brands, inviting readers to give themselves positive cues and self-encouragement every day.
He said, get up early, face the mirror, can you first say to yourself in the mirror" myself "my beauty, I believe" - Dove would like to be close to your beauty every day!
What if you're upset about your hairstyle and worry about a different aesthetic? Remember that body autonomy is on yourself, "My hair, I said it" - Dove supports every hairstyle decision you make!
Before the action, when hesitating and afraid, "brave go GO, not afraid of scale" - dirty with brandy to help you!
A short one-hour interview, thirty years of career story essence concentrated, worthy of detailed reflection to read. Next time you see Dove/Brand products in the mall, I hope you'll also think of this women's fan interview and the inspiration, encouragement, and blessings Joy wants to give everyone.
Unilever Managing Director Joy Gold
God made no mistake in making each of us - they are unique and lovely, and we should live our true self.
Work is an uncut part of life, and when you're tired, ask yourself: What drives my sense of mission and values? Why is this the time, I'm here?
There is no perfect person, no perfect answer, no perfect decision, can only combine all the parameters of the present, go back to the beginning, do their best to give the best decision of the present.