We had the good fortune of connecting with Dawn Myers and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dawn, is there something you believe many others might not?
Early in my Human Resources career I was told that I needed to treat all employees the same and I call bull-you-know-what!

Effective leaders treat employees differently. In speaking to various leaders on this topic I use various analogies to demonstrate what I mean:

I am a mom to two boys who are vastly different – one is very structured, while the other is more of a fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants personality. One is a quiet rule follower, and the other is outspoken and lives in the grey. Neither one is better than the other, they are just different and need to be treated as such. One needs structure while the other needs freedom to be at their best.

Another way to demonstrate my point is to think about a garden and each employee, like a unique plant, thrives under specific conditions. The sunflower might require a clear structure, a strict schedule and well-defined metrics to keep him productive. Conversely an orchid might blossom through team brainstorming and the freedom to experiment.

A rigid schedule of watering every plant daily might inadvertently drown the orchid while leaving the sunflower thirsty. Similarly, forcing an accountant to brainstorm creative ideas might hinder their focus, while imposing strict guidelines on a marketer could stifle their creativity.

Effective leaders, like experienced parents or skilled gardeners, understand the unique needs of each team member. They tailor their leadership style to adapt to strengths, weaknesses, learning styles, and motivators.
Treating everyone the same isn’t synonymous with fairness. Fairness ensures everyone has the opportunity to succeed, not by treating everyone identically, but by offering the tools and support they need to thrive.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I’ve been consulting small businesses for over five years now, and one of the things I’ve come to realize is the struggle to find the time and resources to develop those in leadership.

More often than not, great employees are promoted without training on how to lead people, which leads to problems for themselves, the team, and the company overall. Traditional leadership programs can be expensive and impersonal. Leaders need more than a one-time seminar, they need ongoing support and coaching to truly hone their skills.

That’s why I’m thrilled to share my community group specifically designed for leaders. It’s a space to learn from each other’s experiences, get practical coaching, and develop the skills needed to inspire and empower teams.

Readers can find out more: https://www.dawnmyers.com/community-memberships

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
San Diego has so much to offer it is hard to narrow it down. Walking along Coronado Beach and getting pictures with the historic Hotel del Coronado as a backdrop would always be on the agenda. Eating Miguel’s chips and white queso would make our bellies happy for sure.

La Jolla Cove is a great place to catch breakfast at Brockton Villa. Watching the sea lions play and lay on the rocks is cool if it’s not to smelly 😂. Kayaking is fun there as well.

The San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park, Rueben H Fleet Space Science Center, and all the other countless museum would take days.

Enjoying a Padres game at Petco Park (voted #1) and enjoy some tri-tip nachos and kettle corn couldn’t hurt either.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would give a shout out to all the HR professionals in my network who have shared their knowledge, helped me grow, supported my efforts, and always been available to process my thoughts and ideas with.

Website: https://www.dawnmyers.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawnemyers/

Other: https://resiliencecollective.circle.so/checkout/resilience-collective-membership

https://resiliencecollective.circle.so/checkout/hr-consultants-membership

https://resiliencecollective.circle.so/checkout/leaders-membership

https://resiliencecollective.circle.so/checkout/human-resource-professionals-membership

https://resiliencecollective.circle.so/checkout/employer-membership

Image Credits
Chris Fragiskatos

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutSoCal is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.