Shauna Olney: Chief of Gender, Equality and Diversity Branch at the International Labour Organization
Nov 6, 2023
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Shauna Olney, Chief of Gender, Equality and Diversity at International Labour Organization, discusses her transformative impact, initiatives on gender equality, and establishment of Convention No. 190. She highlights the importance of deep relationships, leveraging strengths, prioritization, and the significance of soft skills for personal growth. Her strengths of positivity and deliberative decision-making process are also discussed.
Relationship building is crucial in achieving extraordinary results and fostering cohesion in a team.
Active listening, understanding others on a personal level, and finding common ground are key to building strong relationships and achieving shared goals.
Deep dives
The Power of Relationship Building
Shanna Only, the former chief of the Gender Equality and Diversity Branch at the International Labor Organization, highlights the importance of relationship building in her journey to success. Her top three strengths, Achiever, Input, and Learner, provide the foundation for hard work, gathering information, and continuous learning. However, it is her strengths in the relationship building domain that truly empower her. By prioritizing connections and understanding others on a personal level, Shanna was able to motivate and co-create with her team, fostering cohesion and achieving extraordinary results.
The Value of Listening and Understanding
Shanna Only's leadership is marked by her exceptional ability to listen. She believes that everyone has something valuable to offer and that through active listening, one can uncover the deeper concerns and passions of others. By leveraging her strengths, including Connectedness, Positivity, and Developer, she effectively builds relationships, relates to people on a personal level, and understands their unique perspectives. Shanna's compassionate listening not only helps her connect with others, but also allows her to find common ground and achieve shared goals.
Overcoming Challenges with Strengths
Throughout her career, Shanna Only has faced significant challenges, one of which was merging her team with another branch at the International Labor Organization. This presented difficulties in terms of staff implications and reduced funding. However, Shanna's strengths, such as Achiever, Developer, and Positivity, guided her through this obstacle. She drew upon her relationship building skills to reach out to individuals, understand their needs, and find creative solutions. Through active listening and harnessing the potential of her team members, Shanna overcame the challenge and achieved great success.
In this episode, we are thrilled to welcome Shauna Olney, the Chief of Gender, Equality and Diversity Branch at the International Labour Organization. With over three decades dedicated to advancing global gender equality and non-discrimination, Shauna's transformative impact shines brightly. Her 25-year tenure at the International Labour Organization fostered groundbreaking initiatives, including the Women at Work Centenary Initiative and the establishment of Convention No. 190 against violence and harassment.
As Chief of the Gender, Equality and Diversity Branch, Shauna's vision ignited monumental change. Her commitment extends through advocacy, mentoring, and advising, all while being recognized as one of the world's 100 most influential people in gender policy.
Shauna’s Top 5 CliftonStrengths are: Achiever, Input, Learner, Developer and Relator.