We recently connected with NaTasha Woody-Wideman and have shared our conversation below.

NaTasha, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

The mission of my work is simple. I’m driven to be who I needed as a young student and who I needed as a budding professional. I feel like it is important to leave organizations and individuals better and more supported than when I found them.

NaTasha, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I remember in college wanting to be a doctor. A pediatrician like my brother, to be specific. One day after classes, I went downtown to Five Points for a quick meal and heard a group of young people talking. Their limited experience and speech pattern hit me in a special way and I knew that I wanted to reach young people in a different way. The next day, I went back on campus and became an English Major with a focus on education.
Moving through the field of education, I knew there was an even larger calling on my life. I knew I wanted to serve the folks who serve the kids. I knew that I’d increase my impact in that way. This drove me to leadership and consulting.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

Whew! My biggest piece of advice is to never forget what being in that space feels like. Don’t become a restaurant owner and forget what it’s like to be a chef.
Also, maintain a culture of open feedback. It’s essential to facilitate an environment where feedback is bi-directional, as well as vertical and horizontal. The individuals on your team all have something amazing to offer. If they didn’t, they would not be on the team. Treat them like they have something to offer and they’ll never forget it.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One lesson I had to unlearn is thinking that I’m the smartest in the room. When I started working with one of my teams years ago, I entered the situation knowing that I was brilliant. I felt there was nothing that I could be taught from these folks. If there was, I wouldn’t have been brought in.

That mindset came with some hard conversations and an erosion of the culture on my team. Unknowingly, I was setting the tone for a whole team of adults.

Once my team lead took the time to really sit me down and discuss my impact, I knew I had to change and become more collaborative.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.widemindedconsulting.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natasha-m-woody