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Compassionate Leadership: On a mission to build compassionate organizations | Janet Gwilliam-Wright's Story
Description
Janet Gwilliam-Wright , a grief awareness advocate and educator, shares her personal experience of losing her mother and how it shaped her life.
She launched the Mother Love Project as a platform for motherless daughters to share their stories, and co-founded Bloomwell Partners, a global training and consulting firm working to build more compassionate and grief-informed workspaces.
In this conversation, Janet discusses the importance of honoring and remembering our loved ones, the complexities of grief, and the need for support and understanding in the workplace.
Janet also shares the two main aspects of her work: consulting and training.
She helps organizations build grief-informed cultures through policies and practices, and provides grief education and training for managers and leaders. The training includes workshops and webinars, and focuses on a six-part framework with monthly coaching calls.
Janet emphasizes the importance of addressing various types of grief, including those not related to death. She also highlights the impact of grief-informed practices on employee retention, recruitment, and overall well-being.
Takeaways
- Grief is complex and nuanced, and it is important to allow ourselves to feel all of the emotions that come with it.
- Support and community are crucial in the grieving process, and connecting with others who have had similar experiences can be incredibly healing.
- The workplace often lacks understanding and support for grieving employees, and there is a need for more compassionate and grief-informed workspaces.
- Managers and leaders play a key role in supporting grieving employees, and training and resources should be provided to help them navigate these situations.
- Grief-informed cultures can be built through policies and practices in organizations.
- Grief education and training for managers and leaders is crucial.
- Different types of grief, beyond the loss of a person, should be addressed.
- Grief-informed practices can improve employee retention, recruitment, and overall well-being.
- Supporting employees through grief and loss not only benefits individuals, but also creates more compassionate and engaged workplaces and communities.
Janet GWilliam Wright's Social & Website:
Grief and Light is an award-winning, independent podcast exploring the honest, messy, and deeply human experience of loss. We're on a mission to foster a more grief-informed, hopeful world, one conversation at a time.
🏆 Ear Worthy Best Life Lessons 2026 · TalkDeath Readers' Choice Best Podcast 2025 · Women Who Podcast Awards 2025 Winner · Podground Editor's Pick
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