When April and Shawna were starting Allen & Unger – finding a way to support HR, DEIB, people leaders, improve organizational culture and performance was a critical priority. In a previous life, April and Shawna worked together in a large and complex healthcare system, where April was a DEIB executive, and Shawna was a HR and Labor executive. In order to implement strategic cultural change, they found themselves working side by side to bring change to mindsets, policies and outdated traditions. The duo found that their differences – their ability to disarm both staff and leaders with their insight, humor, stories, knowledge and direct application from different vantage points – was their strength. April noticed, “When we worked together, we saw how the two of us could bring understanding, clarity and comfort into a space that not only resulted in results but real heart change that led to front-line workers to executives feeling respected and valued.”
Over the course of their careers, Shawna and April noticed a theme of organizations struggling to provide honest feedback at the executive tables as well as provide safe and effective support for staff from historically underrepresented groups. As Shawna knows, “HR has such a critical strategic role to play in the organization, but often – delivering the hard and plain truth to senior leadership can impact the HR executive’s ability to successfully live to fight another day. April and I provide the facilitation and translation to take even the most difficult feedback from the frontlines and middle managers and create actionable plans to address. Most executives do want the best for their employees and are committed to creating a strong and healthy workplace culture – but that commitment can also make it difficult to hear the truth of the employee experience. Particularly when the experience is less than positive.”
Born out of that experience, April and Shawna made the decision to step out of their organizational roles and form Allen and Unger, knowing they could support organizations in a unique way. “There are some conversations that benefit from external facilitation and translating across organizational divides as well as genuine difference of experience, belief and perspective – is part of what makes the work of Allen and Unger so vital. As an HR Executive, I was constantly juggling the tension of the voice of staff, middle management, and senior leaders – and April and I are passionate about helping not only with that translation, but in creating actionable plans and meaningful change.”
April and Shawna understand that difference is hard – as well as a superpower if leaders are given the skills, strategy and safe space to work through the challenge, and harness the power of difference.
