Embracing Curiosity and Continuous Learning to Overcome ‘The Sticky Middle’ with Anna Keen

Safety And Risk Success

Christian welcomes Anna Keen, a safety and sustainability specialist who recently launched her own business after a 20-year career. Anna shares her insightful perspective on the challenges faced by professionals in the “sticky middle” of their careers, those who are stuck between entry-level roles and leadership positions. They discuss the importance of mindset shifts, continuous learning, and how organisations can better support these individuals to unlock their potential.

Highlights:

- The Sticky Middle: A unique set of challenges for professionals stuck in mid-career: stuck in org charts, lacking skills for advancement, or isolated in silos.

- Beyond Skills: Focusing solely on technical skills is insufficient. We need to tap into deeper rooted identity, values, and limiting beliefs to create true change.

- Shifting Mindset: Moving away from binary thinking and embracing curiosity as an expert, combined with a willingness to challenge assumptions, leads to growth.

- Personal Responsibility: Individuals must recognise the power of their own actions in creating change. If you want to create positive change in your organisation, first, change yourself.

- The Drama Triangle: This model highlights the need for professionals to move beyond the “hero”, “victim”, and “villain” roles to an empowered, “happens by us, not to us” mindset.

- The R-Rate of Safety: How we influence others, whether consciously or unconsciously, is crucial. Strive to positively impact colleagues and build trust, not perpetuate stereotypes.

- Embracing Failure: Learning from mistakes and failures, rather than solely focusing on successes, is critical for growth.

- The Future of Safety: AI and technology will reshape the industry. Professionals must adapt and focus on their unique human-centered skills like communication and leadership.

- Supporting the Sticky Middle: Organisations must create development pathways and open dialogues to support mid-career professionals and address their unique needs.

Actions:

Connect with Anna: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-keen-6159687/

Connect with Chrisitan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-harris-slip-safety/