Aitch Are Gives You...
What do you think of when you hear the word "ripple"?
Ice-cream? A stone lobbed into the middle of a pond? Or polite applause, perhaps? Well, think again, because what you should be thinking of is Joanna Suvarna, founder of the #BeTheRipple movement (@BeTheRipple2020), and my latest virtual cuppa companion! After a brief discussion on the positive impact being by the sea has on mental health (Jo lives in Tenby, a stones-throw away from the lovely Carmarthen Bay) we explored how the Ripple movement got off the ground. There seemed to have been three main drivers for Jo. First up has been the struggles Jo has had to contend with through the years ("I could write a trilogy on these, maybe 4 books!"), where she has had to at times juggle toxic work environments with personal challenges, and still be expected to show up as if everything was OK. Second up was the cathartic release she found in writing a couple of blogs. The first was for @Gary_Cookson (this talks to the importance of rising up in the face of adversity and can be read here) and the second was for @PerryTimms (which featured the Tall Poppy Syndrome where people who stand out get cut back down to size by colleagues or managers - read more here). The response she got to these blogs was "incredible" and gave her the final nudge needed as she realized there was a need for a platform or collective voice for the many people contending with difficult work environments. Thirdly, the passing of her aunt at the young age of 58 and Jo wanting to make the working world better for her own 15-year-old white, Welsh/black Nigerian daughter's future. So, with the help of other Ripplers and co-founders, May 2020 saw #BeTheRipple enter this world! But why the "Ripple" tag? Jo was inspired by the view that there's no such thing as a small act of kindness, as every act of kindness creates a ripple with no logical end. She wanted the movement to be fluid and limitless. And how have things been going since the launch? Whilst it's early days, the movement has quickly amassed over 2000 followers on Twitter, and the energy around the discussion has been positive affirmation that this was the right, and a timely, thing to do. The current climate has shone a light on the behaviour of employers, the need for kindness and wellbeing in the workplace has been propelled to the fore like never before, and #BeTheRipple has given a voice to this movement. How does Jo amplify this voice? She has used multiple ways to spread the kindness message, including blogs, engaging with people via Twitter and her website (betheripple.co.uk), and launching "Top Tip Tuesdays" - short videos where contributors highlight how to spread kindness. The latest and most ambitious initiative is Kindfest on 17 September, the brainchild of @ScottLeiper, which is shaping up to be a two-hour mash-up of storytelling, conversations that matter, activities, music and fun! Find out more, and book, here! There's also a couple of big surprises lined up, try as I did I could not persuade Jo to reveal more... So where does Jo see #BeTheRipple 2 or 3 years down the line? Following a refreshingly frank "I really don't know", Jo then proceeded to outline thoughts she has had herself and in collaboration with other Ripplers around adapting the movement for different sectors, engaging with educational establishments, building up a network of ripple champions etc. so although not nailed down, she has clearly been giving thought to how to build on the early momentum. Key here is that nothing with rippling is done in isolation, it’s about people coming together and sharing ideas, collaborating and lifting organisations higher. I think, on the quiet, Jo has global ambitions. Which makes sense. Kindness, after all, has no boundaries, right? What of HR's role in all of this? What would "Jo's Top Tips" be? 1. Take time to actively listen. 2. Translate listening to actionable insights. 3. Promote kindness. We can't possibly know what's going on in everyone's lives behind their "professional game-face". 4. Ensure policies and processes are people-centric and designed with kindness in mind. 5. People first. Even before profit. Before we knew it, our tea had gone cold, those sands of time had ran out, and my next call was gate-crashing the meeting! Doesn't time fly? A huge thanks to Jo for taking part. It is so easy to be a bystander, looking on, assuming that someone else will be the catalyst for change. Which is what makes Jo's achievements in such a short space of time that much more remarkable. The world of work is at a tipping-point right now, so what better time for businesses to weave kindness into how they do things going forward? Don't forget - #kindfest - be part of it :) See you next time - stay well and be good! Aitch
3 Comments
Joanna Suvarna
9/11/2020 09:34:14 am
Thank you so much 😊 It was a delight to chat with you and the blog is lovely. I really love it.
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Stephers
9/30/2020 03:36:19 am
Top tips to live by. Thank you.
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AuthorSenior HR executive who has seen it all. On a mission to simplify the world of work. Archives
May 2020
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