workplace dynamics
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Managing Hiring and Layoffs? Use an Equity Lens
Many businesses and organizations are announcing furloughs and layoffs as a result of the economic upheavals caused by the pandemic. As America faces a profound time of racial reckoning while in the midst of a pandemic, now is precisely the right time to focus our Equity Lens intently on hiring and firing practices. It’s no time for excuses. I’ve heard many say: “Given the pandemic, we don’t have time to look into hiring practices.” That’s just using a laziness lens. As Diana Noriega, Assistant Executive Director of Anti-Racism and Equity at Good Shepherd Services stated on my recent radio show: “Crisis accelerates the process of the work. People get comfortable…
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I’m Not Racist…Or Am I? The Answer Might Be Yes.
Ever been told you were racist? I have – or in reality, I was confronted about the racist impact of something I did – which FELT like they called me racist! That was one of the worst things I could ever imagine happening to me – especially from a person of color who was a colleague at the time. It was so traumatic an experience that I spent three very painful years in a dysfunctional pool of shame, fear and self-recrimination. I created my own isolation, yet there were people around me who would have helped me, if I had only reached out and chosen the path of courage and…
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Effectively Closing An Emotionally Charged Session
I know you’ve been there. You presented a workshop where participants were actively engaged and sharing – so much so that when it was time to close the session, you sensed an overwhelm of unchecked emotions in the room. Can you relate? I’ve been there, too. You can’t expect participants to simply exit the room and resume their day, as if nothing happened after discussing sensitive and upsetting topics. So, effectively plan the last 10 or 15 minutes of your session – allow people time to gather their emotions and feelings so that they can move forward. Moving them forward moves them towards deeper introspection and a sense of…
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Workplace Conflict? How to Overcome Challenging Situations
Are you miserable at work? Fed up with workplace conflict that undermines morale and lowers productivity? Frustrated because the same old issues keep pushing your buttons – and you find yourself reacting the same old way? I can almost hear the thundering chorus of “YES!” But guess what? You CAN overcome these problematic situations. In what’s become one of my most popular courses, Navigating Difficult Situations in the Workplace, I help you recognize your hot buttons and show you how to better respond – and to de-escalate triggering situations as they happen. See what you’ll learn and register right here. You won’t be hearing been-there, tried-that strategies…
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Are Your Diversity Efforts Falling Short? It May Be Because…
Even with the best of intentions, diversity efforts might have fallen short of expectations at your organization. Don’t worry. It’s not your fault. When this happens, there are a couple culprits often to blame. One of the most common? One person (or a small group of people) is expected to create a more inclusive workplace for the entire organization. It can’t be done that way. If only one or a few people are working towards an organization’s goals of equity and inclusion, think for a minute about all the others who may actually be reversing those efforts! How can just one person be expected to undo centuries of racism and…
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I Want to Speak Up at Work…But I Fear Retaliation
How many times I have heard that comment! Lots of Things Can Happen When Inclusion Training Starts I’ve worked for decades as an organizational change consultant, helping organizations to establish socially just environments where everyone feels valued and respected. Some days, my work feels almost like the dog-chasing-its-tail drama: Working to resolve one exclusionary situation can bring to life the ugly head of another issue. Revenge and retaliation always perpetuate the cycle of anger, fear and violence. -Coretta Scott King Once an organization steps up and begins inclusion training, many things can happen. While some earnestly attempt to overcome their exclusionary practices, others seem hell-bent on continuing their…
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Bullying in the Workplace: Had Enough?
Bullying is immersed in our culture: in school, at work, and even online. My fear is you’ve experienced it. Like an epidemic, it spreads. Workplace bullying can lead to lawsuits, a loss of morale among employees and higher rates of absenteeism, along with countless other unproductive, harmful consequences. If you’ve experienced bullying in the workplace, you need to formulate a plan to alleviate the situation. Tolerating it isn’t the answer; that merely perpetuates it. You want to be courageous, to take a stand against bullying – but you’re afraid of retaliation. Your fears may be heightened if the bully is your boss, or someone in a leadership position. There are…
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Bosses and Staff Together At Inclusion Sessions: Yes or No?
For many employees, honest discussion on many topics is inhibited when supervisors and bosses are present. Discussing discrimination and exclusion in the workplace can prove even more challenging when bosses – who have the power to hire and fire – are themselves the ones needing the most training on inclusion practices. So what’s the correct way to hold sessions? Include supervisors and not have full employee input? Or leave the bosses out even though you recognize they’re in need of discrimination and exclusion training as well? I prefer to include supervision and staff together. Here’s why. Differing Opinions on the Same Organizational Goal In a particular organization I worked with,…
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Feeling Excluded In Your Inclusion Efforts?
“Help! I feel like I’m the only one at my organization striving for equity and inclusion. I’m frustrated and drained.” Can you relate to those feelings of weariness? I know you can! I’ve heard similar statements repeated numerous times, and this topic popped up again in one of my recent Q&A sessions. You’ve got a handle around equity and inclusion, and you keep getting more requests to do diversity trainings…but it’s really not your job. The problem is that no one else is stepping up to the plate and you feel stranded in your efforts. Fortunately, there are ways to take the pressure off you while at the same time,…
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Professional Development Is a Must, Not an Option
Creating greater inclusion and equity in your workplace is a top priority. You’ve outlined goals, formed guidelines for diversity practices, met with members of your organization, and shared with them the tools they need to create meaningful, sustainable change. Continuing Professional Development is Essential Feeling pretty good, right? It’s great – for a first step. Continuing professional development is a MUST. You must continue to expand your capacity to serve – to deepen and develop the strategies needed to help your organization move forward together to create an inclusive, socially just organization for all members and for those you serve. You can’t drop the ball in the first inning. You’ve…
