Where Everyone Has a Seat At the Table | Kelly Beattie
Contributing Writer: Kelly Beattie
Each month The Story of Us features different changemakers on The Leader Path and in The House as they share their unique voice and perspective to positively impact the world we are co-creating together. Today's contributing writer is PowHERhouse AMPLIFY Coach and Beyond Connections founder, Kelly Beattie who invites us to step into each new season with four questions and a sense of community.
Where Everyone Has a Seat At the Table
I am a farm kid so I love the message of this picture: Where everyone has a seat at the table. I’m sure many of you can relate. How often do you find yourself, your friends and family all around the kitchen table? Or you suddenly realize everyone has migrated their way from the other living areas of the home, standing around the kitchen and seated at the dining table, casually sharing stories, laughter and perhaps tears. Calling the central room in the house a Living room suggests we spend most of our time, but in my experience, most of the time we all end up around the kitchen and dining room table.
Why? Surely it’s not because it’s the most comfortable seating. But perhaps that’s just it. It’s not about the seat being comfortable, it’s where we experience a different kind of comfort - a place where we belong. There’s always a warm cup of coffee to be had at the kitchen table, and hopefully a satisfying meal too. The table is where we come together to 'break bread' and share the stories of our day.
Think about your kitchen table. What do you see? For me, my mind is a blur of images flashing through. Times of joy, sorrow and trauma, but somehow all with a sense of comfort while seated around a table. I envision these times and I see smiles, perhaps tears, but most importantly I see love, care, compassion and connection.
What do you see?
It makes me wonder about my work with organizations, growing culture, teams and improvements... if everyone has a seat at the table, not only in terms of diversity but in terms of the psychological safety in their environment. Do I cultivate a safe space where individuals feel comfortable enough to share their story, to laugh with one another, and yes even shed a tear while feeling connected and supported?
Envision your organization and consider if it truly feels like home ...
Kelly Beattie is the founder of Beyond Connections and is part of the PowHERhouse Amplify Relational Leadership Coaching team. Kelly is a heart-centred relational leader who believes that business improvement begins with the people. She is driven by a firm belief that each individual in their own way wants to be part of something bigger than themselves, and that organizations are made up of people like you and me who want to be involved and want to feel valued. She calls Kipling, Saskatchewan her home where she has raised two young adults, both leaders in their own rights, on Treaty 4 Territory, the traditional lands of the nêhiyawak (Cree), Anihšināpēk (Saulteaux), Dakota, Lakota, and Nakoda, and the homeland of the Métis/Michif Nation.
