Like most industries, the market of children and baby clothing has experienced an unpredictable sales and production period. Despite this, many businesses were able to implement positive developments into their work pipelines. One such example is Mini Rodini, a Swedish clothing brand founded by Cassandra Rhodin in 2006. Mini Rodini has roots in progressive philosophies, as the majority of the wear is unisex and focused on diversity. Mini Rodini has also made leaps to improve international growth while observing sustainable production during the pandemic.
Wisdom, humanity, and moderation are virtues that can be observed in the practice of Cassandra Rhodin. Firstly, her brand is very driven by humanitarian ideals like equality, diversity, incorporation of varied cultures, and creative aspects. These values were not excluded during the pandemic and continued to develop as Mini Rodini became more prevalent in the international market of children’s clothing. Rhodin also offers many collaborative projects during the year but observes that her partners respect the ideals by which they direct her company.
Rhodin’s business decisions are driven by the wisdom of her experience within the market. She is able to create designs and patterns herself due to her involvement in the production process for many years. She selects partners through multiple criteria, such as when her brand worked with Sea Shepherd, an international, non-profit marine preservation organization. She also worked with Adidas as she had a positive experience with her brand prior.
Lastly, Rhodin is able to moderate the damage clothing manufacturing can do to the environment by turning to sustainable methods of production during the time of the pandemic. This process includes the utilization of non-hazardous materials, the involvement of conscious clients, and continuous improvement of the technologies in the industry.
Karen Ellison was a practicing doctor between 1987 and 2012, after which she moved to the Medical Protection Society to work as a consultant. Ellison was able to observe much of the issues that were met during her work period and she discovered that many of them stem from dysfunctional communication between staff, departments, and employees, and executives. Her own initiative, Civility Saves Lives, focuses on honesty, humankind, and humility when approaching issues. Implementing these factors, she has supported doctors with reports, complaints, ethical advice, disciplinary matters, inquiries, and regulatory referrals. These issues are even larger during the pandemic and may go unanalyzed during hectic and especially non-communicate work environments.
Ellison is able to offer mindfulness to the doctors with which she discusses the issues during the pandemic. It is through this effective listening that she is able to find the core of the problem, which often includes dysfunctional departments, professional rivalry, and undermining behavior that leads to stress. If not talked about, these issues could have become unmanageable during a situation of crisis in the pandemic. Her listening is also very people and content-oriented, as she is able to navigate complex workplace relationships and the problems affecting them. Ellison’s reliance on honesty, humility, and humankind as core ideals are also essential in the confirmation she offers during dialogue. She is able to review the issues faced by each individual doctor and identify that the problems are often led by suboptimal communication between team members. Since her approach is personal, she is able to acknowledge the perspective of the staff she is meeting without judgment but with a willingness to solve the problem collectively. She is able to continue to do this even with the increased stakes of the pandemic.