And these issues are not ones that organizations or their leaders - from CEOs at the top of the hierarchy to team managers on the frontline - can ignore. In particular, millions of Black people and their allies are hurting. No matter your racial, political, or other identity, these events are almost impossible to escape. The United Nations has urged action from U.S. As the American Psychological Association has declared, “we are living in a racism pandemic” too. It will require consistent, deliberate action and more than a few courageous conversations.In a week that focused on “reopening the economy,” everyone has become keenly aware that there is more than one pandemic affecting U.S. Similarly, in our workplaces, we must realize that organizational cultures won’t transform by osmosis. It was what the body needed to hear - even though it may not have been what they wanted to hear. Representative Elijah Cummings chided Congress during a testy IRS hearing, "We're better than that." And of course, he was right. The harder more impactful approach is rolling up your sleeves to broach the hard conversations, take the blow back but continue to move forward fully expecting the organization to evolve and be better. Yes, most would agree that if the organization is completely antithetical to your values, it's probably time to move on, but in some ways, that’s the easier option (albeit the right choice in certain circumstances). It's asking an organization that you love to become a better version of itself. It's calling the organization to be better. It does however suggest that if you’re going to raise specific problems, you should have already thought through some suggestions on how to address them.Ĭontrary to how some may choose to spin it, standing up for your values and/or demanding respect in an unapologetic and authentic way is not disrespectful to the organization. Nor does it mean that as soon as you voice a race related concern, you should then be expected to start and lead a new diversity committee. This does not mean that it’s acceptable for groups with a history of decades of rampant discrimination or a toxic culture to lay the problem in the lap of their one Black leader and charge them with solving it. If you’re going to focus on a specific problem, come with a specific solution (or at least a recommendation) of how to address the problem. It’s important to stay focused, be absolutely clear in your position and even suggest continuing the conversation at a later time if you feel the atmosphere has degenerated.Ĩ. “How many Blacks are represented on the executive leadership team?” The latter is much more focused while the former may be an invitation for vague equivocation, excuses and off topic rambling. For example, there’s a difference between asking “How is our company doing on diversity and inclusion?” vs. Choose your words carefully to minimize discussion scope creep. Oftentimes when others feel defensive, they attack the messenger or try to pivot to a completely different topic. Your thoughts?” Sure, this type of diversion from regular programming just may create a bit of frost in the room, but discomfort is often a feature, not a bug on the path towards racial justice.ħ. I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking that we can do better. Example: “ Guys as the only person of color on this team, I would be doing our organization a disservice by not calling attention to our continued lack of diversity within leadership levels. Thus, there should be no shame or equivocation about calling out microaggressions or failings where necessary. It’s my fervent belief that every human being on the planet has the right (if not the responsibility) to stand up for themselves and demand respect in the workplace – hard stop. Remember that Rosa didn't take a poll before she acted. Having said that, remember that this moment requires boldness and some risk so don’t make this a prerequisite for action. If they will cosign on your idea, it will not just make it easier to raise but also provide powerful momentum to help the idea or issue gain even more traction. If you want to bring up a difficult issue during a meeting, consider checking with a few others who might hold similar views but just haven’t been courageous enough to speak up.
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