“Prejudice is opinion without knowledge.”
Voltaire

The great lesson I learned over the years that I have worked in my family's companies is the fundamental commitment that everyone involved in the company's management process must assume in light of the responsibilities proposed by the adopted governance model. Only in this way will improvements in management and organizational climate be obtained, and the benefits will be felt by everyone.

The proposal is to allow management to become harmonious and effective with regard to all activities, processes, decisions and changes that may occur in the company, characterizing the improvement of organizational management through the applicability of the concept, principles and good practices of corporate governance.

Such responsibilities go far beyond efficiency in administrative, financial and accounting matters, without taking away the merit and importance of these issues in business performance. What I want to say here is that the governance model must break parameters and break paradigms, rooted for years, including prejudiced managerial thoughts and actions. In my opinion, an organization willing to abandon old beliefs and retrograde ways of acting demonstrates harmony with what is happening in the world and engagement with society.

We cannot completely forget the practices of the past, nor even disregard everything that was accomplished by the family members who managed the business until we arrived at the new models.

After all, all the heritage was built in previous administrations, but it is necessary to open up to the new. We cannot admit inequality between men and women, religious intolerance, gender or any other difference, none of this contributes to the good performance of a professional.

The business vision needs to be more systemic, looking at the role of departments and employees as equally important parts to “turn the gears” of the machine called the company. The maturity of governance members is an indicator for obtaining this recognition.

As Human Resources director, I am very attentive to social issues that are more engaged and less tolerant of prejudice. Certainly, this behavior affects all areas of society, including work relationships.

It is true that women reach increasingly higher positions in corporations, but studies show that they still receive less than men and feel hostage to their colleagues, even if their capabilities are equal and their functions are complementary. Many barriers still need to be overcome. It is clear that women have assumed their leading role in life and in the business world and are more participative and empowered. However, this story will only have a happy ending when the “man and woman” partnership is truly accepted with equality.

It is not easy to impose yourself in front of men who carry cultural machismo in their DNA, who believe that the role of women should still be decided by someone of the opposite sex, be it the father or the husband. A lot has changed for women. They no longer accept the patriarchal male-dominated society and refuse to act like men to gain their space in the organization.

I think that your feminine strength, your subtlety and your adaptability to do several things at the same time are positive points that should be considered in your professional life. And I won't even mention intuition, something magical in women's lives.

Empowering yourself is the way forward, as the idea is far from preaching hate speech, which aims to exchange sexist ideology for its opposite. The incessant search must be towards fairer ways of living in society.

We, women, need to be aware of our capabilities, but, in addition, we need to qualify ourselves to be able to take on leadership roles and positions. In this context, senior management positions are sought after by many workers, but when it comes to assuming the position, they are faced with numerous challenges, mainly due to a lack of preparation and qualifications.

I often joke: who said being a leader is easy? One of the biggest challenges within Human Resources is being able to maintain a motivated team spirit. We are faced daily with the challenge of inspiring and developing people so that they overcome their limitations and achieve much more than they imagine.

The relationship of trust between managers and employees needs to be permanently exercised, through transparent management practices, in which information and important decision-making for the organization are shared with all team members.

The retention of professionals who “wear the shirt” and the development of the team go through a daily routine built and experienced from the inside out, at all hierarchical levels. More than that, it has to be something completely natural in the corporation.

Otherwise, the image conveyed to the professional becomes exactly the opposite of what you want to convey. Therefore, it is extremely important that the company maintains a firm stance against discriminatory conduct.

Emotional intelligence, when it comes to people, is an even more important point. Conflicts of interest, unexpected situations, unachieved goals, relationship difficulties are endless challenges. How to stay balanced in the face of so many difficulties? The answer is to think strategically, negotiating goals, developing action plans with the team and encouraging the belonging of each team member.

I conclude my article by stating that a harmonious work environment is fundamental to the success of any business. Every company has people from different social, racial and cultural classes who often don't have much in common, other than the fact that they work together. Therefore, the best strategy is to always maintain respectful behavior.