Brent Obleton, VP, diversity & inclusion and human resources at Hudson Pacific Properties, Inc. (NYSE: HPP), participated in a video interview in conjunction with Nareit’s REITworks: 2022 Conference in La Quinta, California, on Sept. 12-13.
Obleton discussed a panel he sat on at REITworks titled “Leading After a Promotion,” noting that employees who are promoted from a peer relationship into a supervisor role should be “intentional” about how they want to navigate their new responsibilities.
“The more collaborative that someone is, the more partners they have, the [easier a promotion] transition can possibly be,” he said.
Obleton also discussed the difference between leading with authority, which he said can intimidate employees, versus leading through influence, which usually comes across as more authentic and trustworthy.
Turning to what leaders should keep in mind when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion, Obleton said it’s important to remember that organization-wide change must be systemic. He also stressed the difference between measuring both quantitative and qualitative results.
“When you look at quantitative data, it normally points you in the right direction,” he said. “But getting these stories and these narratives around why people are experiencing certain things [is also vital].”