tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43487358744316867752024-03-18T21:31:10.242-07:00Decide DiversityAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02191346866346609510noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4348735874431686775.post-70332856535733303162018-08-07T13:12:00.000-07:002018-08-07T13:12:09.099-07:00Incorporating Bias Interrupters<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the past decade, unconscious bias has dominated the
diversity and inclusion conversation. Research has shown that unconscious bias
may be the primary deterrent in increasing diversity and inclusionary behavior
in many organizations. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How does unconscious bias work? Our brains create shortcuts
so that we don’t have to constantly think about every decision and action. Through
the act of priming, we absorb what we see and hear, and file it away in our
brain’s library. Can you believe that priming starts around the age of 3? When we
approach situations, our brains go through our library’s filing cabinets to gather
all information related to the situation. In most cases, this information leads
to a series of actions. Think about it…How many times have you gotten in your
car to drive home and before you know it, you’re pulling into your driveway? If
you’re anything like me, you don’t remember making any turns, stopping at
lights, or changing lanes! Our brains have learned which turns to make, when to
stop, and how to navigate the roads! You’ve driven the same route and it has
become ingrained in your memory. Your brain pulls from this ingrained knowledge
to function without you even knowing it! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The same thing happens when we approach unfamiliar people.
Picture this: You are walking down the street in your neighborhood when you
cross paths with someone you’ve never seen before. Your brain immediately goes
through your library’s filing cabinet to determine if you should fight or
flight, stay or go, be nice or be neutral. Based on your previous experience or
exposure, your brain will facilitate your behavior. Let’s say you’ve were once
robbed walking down the street. Your brain absorbed that experience and filed
it away in the library. In the event that you encounter an experience similar
to the one that led to you getting robbed, your brain will tell your legs to
run! Fortunately, our brains take over to help us avoid dangerous situations.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The problem occurs when our brains have been fed inaccurate
information during the priming stage! If you’ve never been robbed, but have
seen news reports, tv shows, and movies showing black men with hoodies robbing
elderly white women, your brain absorbed that information and filed it away for
later use. Unless you’ve fed your brain a counter image of black men, either
through your personal experience or on television, your brain will tell you that
black men are dangerous. We all know that being ‘dangerous’ is not associated
with a particular race or gender, but nevertheless, our brains draw that
conclusion before we have a chance to think about it logically. In other words,
our brains have learned to have a bias against black men because of the
information that it has absorbed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There’s a lot of unconscious thinking going on in our
brains. There are over 120 different biases that all work together to help our
brain function without consuming much energy. Biases aren’t to be feared, but
to be overcome if they don’t logically align with what we know to be true. Implementing
‘Bias Interrupters’ help us move from unconscious bias to conscious thinking. Bias
Interrupters are roadblocks that cause us to pause momentarily and think about
our thinking! Think of them as speedbumps or caution signs that make you slow
down and be more aware of your surroundings. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bias Interrupters can be broken down into two main categories:
Technology interrupters and people interrupters. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Technology is becoming smarter,
especially since artificial intelligence like Alexa and Siri are at our fingertips.
Many organizations have software to help minimize bias whether it’s an applicant
tracking system or a talent management system. An applicant tracking system can
ensure that resumes are being compared to a predetermine criteria. Without an applicant
tracking system, we review resumes looking for traits that our brains have
filed away as being “good” or “acceptable”. In many cases, these traits will be
reminiscent of ourselves! An applicant tracking system can also remove identifiers
that may sway our decision to move someone along in the hiring process. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some talent management systems have a flag notification that
appears when a person has been in the same position for more than 18 months. This
prompts a conversation to better understand why that employee hasn’t progressed
in their career. Leaders are finding that this notification has increased career
conversations for women and people of color, considerably. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A software company,
called Textio, allows leaders to upload a job description for analysis. Textio
is looking for words or phrases that may be biased based on research. For example,
phrases like “work hard, play hard” are 15 times more likely to attract males
applicants than female applicants. Uber used the phrase “high performance
culture” and found that it attracted male applicants at a rate of 23 times that
of female applicants. Textio helps leaders create gender neutral job
descriptions. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Technology is great, but we know that it can’t solve
everything! At the end of the day, people also have to be Bias Interrupters. During
the Obama administration, the women in office realized that their ideas were
being stolen and claimed by men during meetings so they created a plan to interrupt
that pattern. They began amplifying each other’s voices, thoughts, and ideas.
When a woman articulated an idea, another woman would say, “Demetria, that was
a great idea” or “To build on what Demetria said earlier” to ensure that the
credit is always given to the originator. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This same sentiment applies in a variety of situations such
as when employees face a parenthood penalty, women approach a glass ceiling,
people of color encounter the concrete ceiling, and so on. We have an
obligation to speak up and against these things when we see them! Have you ever
heard someone ask a woman with kids how she manages work and family? Sure you
have! Be a bias interrupter! When you go to a meeting and see all white people
or all men, be a bias interrupter! Ask why there is no diversity. Have someone in
the room who will be the designated bias interrupter. Their job being to
interrupt, question, and build new conscious behaviors to replace the
unconscious biases that stall diversity and inclusion.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We can all be bias interrupters! In what ways does your
organization interrupt bias?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02191346866346609510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4348735874431686775.post-36123216644044706282018-07-19T11:18:00.001-07:002018-07-19T11:18:28.991-07:00Navigating a Diversity and Inclusion CrisisAlmost every organization faces a diversity and inclusion dilemma. Uber recently had their Founder and Chief People Officer step down after a series of harassment claims went unanswered. Facebook and Google constantly face scrutiny for their lack of diversity in their workforce. But no organization has faced a bigger crisis than the one Papa John's is currently facing. John Schnatter has been no stranger to controversy. Schnatter was vehemently against the Affordable Care Act and spoke about decreasing his workers hours to avoid an increase in healthcare costs. He later blamed the NFL's lack of action against the kneeling players for Papa John's decrease in sales. Now, Schnatter admitted to using the 'n-word' during a May 2018 conference call. Since then, Schnatter has been removed from his post as Chairman of the Papa John's board, had his founder's agreement terminated, forced to give up his office at Papa John's corporate headquarters, removed from the board of trustees at the University of Louisville, and had his name and company name removed from various institutions, buildings, and stadiums. In addition, the court of public opinion has issued a verdict of guilty both to Schnatter and Papa John's, resulting in many calling for a boycott. Needless to say, Papa John's is facing a diversity and inclusion crisis. Unfortunately, the story may not end there as Schnatter has hired a lawyer to fight back.<br />
<br />
In any event, Papa John's has vowed to turn over a new leaf by bringing on a team of experts to right this wrong. At some point, every organization will face some sort of dilemma that needs immediate attention. Here are some next steps Papa John's needs to take to reclaim their reputation, stakeholders, and customers.<br />
<br />
1. Act fast! The longer Papa John's waits to make change, the harder it will be for customers to forgive and forget. Uber's Founder and former CEO, Travis Kalanick, was forced to step down because issues were brought to the leadership team's attention but nothing was done to fix the problem. They then brought in a highly regarded Chief People Officer from Microsoft who stepped down 18 months later because of the same thing. Time is of the essence! Papa John's must keep the public informed on their actions if they want to regain trust. Flood the news channels and social media platforms with a new spokesperson who can talk about the Papa John's values and short term plans. So far, Schnatter has dominated the airwaves and that has to change.<br />
<br />
2. Make diversity and inclusion a true priority going forward. Diversity and inclusion starts at the top and it's clear that Schnatter does not truly value diversity and inclusion. Unfortunately, that sentiment trickles down to Papa John's. A department will eventually need to be established to make diversity and inclusion a sustainable and long term strategy, but a team of outside experts can help create some short term initiatives to get the organization back on track. Papa John's needs to start at the beginning by understanding why diversity and inclusion are good for business, good for the workforce, an good for the community. See Decide Diversity's previous blog on identifying the goal of diversity and inclusion.<br />
<br />
3. Evaluate policies and norms related to diversity and inclusion and ensure that a rewards and punishment system is in place. In many instances, there may be a policy related to hostile environment harassment, such as using the 'n-word' at a conference call, but what is the punishment for violating the policy? Is the punishment applied equally to everyone regardless of their title? The biggest issue at Starbucks wasn't that the manager who called the police on the two African american men was biased. We all have biases that influence our behavior. The problem was that Starbucks didn't have a clear policy; guideline; or rewards and punishment system in place to deter the manager from acting on that bias. Rules, laws, and policies are pointless without a consistent rewards and punishment system.<br />
<br />
4. Increase corporate social responsibility. Papa John's engaged in corporate social responsibility in many ways. They were a sponsor for the NFL, until that contract was cancelled. They were a sponsor at the University of Louisville, specifically for the football stadium and a new business center. The new President of the University of Louisville, Dr. Neeli Bendapudi, took swift action to announce that the partnership has ended. The mayor of Schnatter's hometown also announced that his name would be removed from the city's basketball gym. In other words, there are many organizations that are refusing support from and partnership with Papa John's. This means that they have to double down on their efforts and focus them on the communities that are most impacted by Schnatter's actions and remarks without expecting anything in return. Check out last month's Decide Diversity article to learn more ways to successfully mix corporate social responsibility and diversity and inclusion.<br />
<br />
5. Diversify the leadership team. The face and leaders of Papa John's must be representative of the customers and stakeholders they service. While many will see this as a reactionary move, it's also a very necessary one to help ensure that problems like this don't continue to fester and explode. Having a variety of people with different life and career experiences at the table help make the organization more inclusive of people from underrepresented backgrounds. Also, there's tons of research that shows the financial benefits associated with a diverse leadership team!<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, there is no one size fits all solution for navigating a storm of this magnitude, but Papa John's needs to be very intentional about their next steps. The entire world is watching what happens next! The onus lies with Papa John's to take responsibility for their current situation and to be very vocal about the remedies. Just like with Starbucks, we will be watching!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02191346866346609510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4348735874431686775.post-38377207817007834972018-07-01T19:07:00.001-07:002018-07-01T19:07:22.820-07:00Corporate Social Responsibility and Diversity and Inclusion<h3 style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: -1px; line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase; user-select: text !important;">
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION</h3>
<h4 style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #495150; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px; text-align: center; user-select: text !important;">
June 2018</h4>
<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #8c8b8b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; user-select: text !important;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"></span></span><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); user-select: text !important;" /><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"> </span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"> Organizations of all sizes engage in corporate social responsibility not only to improve the company's image, but can you confidently say that your organization's corporate social responsibility strategy furthers the diversity and inclusion strategy? <br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); user-select: text !important;" /><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); user-select: text !important;" />Corporate Social Responsibility can best be described as an organization's investment in initiatives that improve the environment, people, and the community. The shoe company, Toms, was a trailblazer in corporate social responsibility by donating a pair of shoes for every pair sold. Since Toms entered the market, companies are leveraging the power of corporate social responsibility to further their mission and potentially reach a new and loyal audience. The best part is that the shoes are donated to an underserved population and perfectly compliment the company's commitment to diversity and inclusion.<br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); user-select: text !important;" /><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); user-select: text !important;" />McKinsey & Company released a report outlining ways to make the most of corporate social responsibility. Most interesting is the different ways companies spend their time, talent, and treasures in the name of the ‘greater good’. Leaders choose projects that fall into one of three categories: their personal passions, the perceived benefit to the organization, or the mutual benefit of the organization and the community. Most projects focus on ways to reduce the organization’s environmental footprint, increase the safety of their employees and products, and do no harm to the communities in which they operate. In most cases, the goal is to lessen the negative impact.<br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); user-select: text !important;" /><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); user-select: text !important;" />As the workforce continues to expect more and more from billion-dollar corporations, leaders have a unique opportunity to stand out from the crowd by investing their time, talent, and treasures into underserved communities and populations. It’s no longer acceptable for companies to just ‘do no harm’, the expectation is that companies lift up. Some are better at “lifting up” than others. For example, McDonalds does an awesome job of lifting up Hispanic students with their scholarship program; provides free care, resources, and overnight stays for families of sick children; and celebrates black history and people through 365 Black. Kroger is another company that lifts up the communities they serve. Kroger has a program called ‘Honoring Our Heroes’ where they hire veterans and donate money to the United Service Organization; donate 3 million meals a week to local food banks; and donate through their Giving Hope a Hand campaign to find a cure for breast cancer. AT&T was recently recognized because of their citizenship. One of AT&T’s major goals is to decrease the high school dropout rate through a program called AT&T Aspire that ‘creates connections that drive innovation in education.” They bring mobile learning to the classroom, creating mentoring opportunities, and employ strategies that help students graduate.<br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); user-select: text !important;" /><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); user-select: text !important;" />These organizations are doing corporate social responsibility right! They are serving underserved communities to uplift. They may not consider it under the umbrella of diversity and inclusion, but these initiatives further the strategic mission that diversity and inclusion reminds us of daily. The bar has been set: do no harm and uplift the community. Ask yourself these questions to determine how intertwined your corporate social responsibility initiatives and diversity and inclusion initiatives are.<br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); user-select: text !important;" /><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); user-select: text !important;" /> 1. Who decides what projects or initiatives your organization undertakes? As with all business strategies, who is at the table is important! Because corporate social responsibility involves the community, representatives from the community need to be at the table. Many leaders enter a community, from which they have no ties, and try to enact change without understanding what the community needs. This results in community resentment. Instead, leaders need to meet with community representatives to understand what they feel is needed to make their community better. This is a great way to build relationships with communities that may need your services or choose your organization for employment.<br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); user-select: text !important;" />2. What communities of people does the project or initiative impact? Localized efforts provide a community with a resource that immediately makes a positive impact. Building a playground, cleaning up a stretch of highway, or planting a community garden are examples of projects that are localized to a community and the turnaround is short. Global efforts break down the systemic barriers that prevent people from living a fruitful life. Providing scholarships, supporting research, and donating to causes are examples of initiatives that may take longer, but positively impact more people. A mixture of both is best. Many organizations adopt global efforts at the corporate level and support associate involvement with localized efforts. Victoria’s Secret supports cancer research from a global perspective through the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, named after Victoria’s Secret CEO, Leslie Wexner. There are also multiple opportunities for stores to get involved at a local level by partnering with domestic violence shelters on Mother’s Day and Christmas.<br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); user-select: text !important;" />3. How often does your organization engage in CSR? One of my previous employers engaged in CSR daily by donating perishable food items to food banks. Other organizations make CSR an annual event. Decide Diversity engages in CSR twice monthly through the local Urban League.<br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); user-select: text !important;" /><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); user-select: text !important;" />No matter how big or small your organization, corporate social responsibility and diversity and inclusion need to be an intertwined strategy. There’s immense power in joining forces and multiplying impact.What other areas of diversity and inclusion could use a jump start? Complete this short quiz to learn other areas of opportunity!</span></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"> </span></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"></span></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"></span></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); user-select: text !important;" /></span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #8c8b8b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; user-select: text !important;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); user-select: text !important;" />Continue the conversation at the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/nndiversityleaders/" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: inherit !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; user-select: text !important;" target="_blank">Network of Intersectional Leaders</a>!</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02191346866346609510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4348735874431686775.post-76764100690928972018-06-05T12:10:00.001-07:002018-06-05T12:10:42.426-07:00Intersectionality: Bridging the Identity Gap<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #8c8b8b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; user-select: text !important;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;">"Professor, I feel like I'm missing something. I'm going to one class and we talk about ways to attract and be more inclusive of women. Then, I go to another class and we discuss issues facing black and brown people. I don't feel like my experiences and perspective are discussed. I don't feel like I can bring myself into the conversation. What am I missing?" </span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #8c8b8b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; user-select: text !important;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"></span></span><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); user-select: text !important;" /></div>
<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #8c8b8b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; user-select: text !important;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;">That was the gist of my bewildered conversation with my professor and advisor in an attempt to understand what was missing. The recommendation from my professor changed my life.</span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #8c8b8b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; user-select: text !important;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"></span></span><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); user-select: text !important;" /></div>
<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #8c8b8b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; user-select: text !important;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;">"Demetria, have you ever heard of intersectionality? Have you read about the critical race theory? Do you know Kimberle Crenshaw? Go research and read all you can, then you'll find your answer."</span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #8c8b8b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; user-select: text !important;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"></span></span><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); user-select: text !important;" /></div>
<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #8c8b8b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; user-select: text !important;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;">Needless to say, I dove head first into the research to better understand what was missing.</span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #8c8b8b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; user-select: text !important;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"></span></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"></span></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"></span><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); user-select: text !important;" /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #8c8b8b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; user-select: text !important;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;">The Roots of Intersectionality</span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #8c8b8b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; user-select: text !important;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"></span><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); user-select: text !important;" /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #8c8b8b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; user-select: text !important;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;">In 1851, Sojourner Truth stood on stage at the Women's Convention and said, "Ain't I a woman? That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages and lifted over mud puddles. Nobody ever helped me into carriages or lifted me over mud puddles. Ain't I a woman?" It was at this point that Sojourner Truth first pointed out the differences in the way white women were treated and how black women where treated. Sojourner was one of the few activists who were mindful of the gap black women fell into. She fought for voting rights for black people and women, knowing that no matter which group were granted voting rights first, she would still come in last. Sojourner's speech was full of examples where she, as a black woman, is treated differently than her white counterpart.</span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #8c8b8b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; user-select: text !important;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"></span></span><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); user-select: text !important;" /></div>
<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #8c8b8b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; user-select: text !important;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;">In 1989, Kimberle Crenshaw put a name to the invisibility black women faced in a world where people who faced multiple marginalization often weren't considered. Kimberle Crenshaw called this phenomenon, 'intersectionality'. Her simple analogy explains the concept perfectly. Imagine an intersection where two or more cars crash and, of course, blame each other for the accident. It can be difficult and sometimes impossible to determine who is at fault. The concept of intersectionality is the same. </span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #8c8b8b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; user-select: text !important;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"></span></span><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); user-select: text !important;" /></div>
<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #8c8b8b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; user-select: text !important;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;">At the intersection of 'woman' and 'black', it can be difficult to pinpoint the cause of the discrimination or hatred black women face. It could be because she is a woman, because she is black, or a combination of both. Intersectionality has mostly been a part of the social justice vocabulary for quite some time, but is finally picking up steam in our workplace conversations.</span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #8c8b8b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; user-select: text !important;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"></span><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); user-select: text !important;" /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #8c8b8b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; user-select: text !important;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; user-select: text !important;">Intersectionality Today</span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #8c8b8b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; user-select: text !important;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"></span><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); user-select: text !important;" /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #8c8b8b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; user-select: text !important;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;">Intersectionality today is not much different than it was during Sojourner Truth's time, except that the definition has expanded to describe the experiences of all intersectional people, not just black women. In the workplace, leaders are realizing that the identities we typically group people by often leave many on the sidelines. By focusing on intersectionality, not only do we recognize the many identities we each possess and the uniqueness it allows us to bring, but we bring more people into the conversation and into the solution. </span></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"></span></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"></span></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); user-select: text !important;" /></span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #8c8b8b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; user-select: text !important;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); user-select: text !important;" />Continue the conversation at the Network of Intersectional Leaders!</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02191346866346609510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4348735874431686775.post-45929774900653365462018-04-16T13:17:00.000-07:002018-04-16T13:17:12.547-07:00Diversity & Inclusion: What's Your Point?One of the very first activities I have all clients and task forces complete is to answer the questions, "Why diversity?" and "Why now?" It's important for the client and for me to understand why we are undertaking this massive task of increasing diversity and improving inclusionary behaviors. Diversity and inclusion is no small feat. It takes time, commitment, money, and a willingness to change processes, procedures, and norms. Diversity and inclusion is not something that is ever complete! There is no end point nor a level of perfection. For most organizations, even the level of what would be considered 'acceptable' is still very far away. But why the sudden focus on diversity and inclusion?<br />
<br />
The responses I see range from emotional stories of being excluded despite intellect and experience, to stories filled with fear of being ostracized for not making diversity and inclusion a priority. One thing's for sure, everyone has an opinion! The good thing about diversity is that we are all different, but because we are all different, it's difficult to settle on one reason why diversity is important. When was the last time you had to make an important, life changing decision? If you've ever bought a house; bought a car; went on vacation; gotten married; gotten divorced; or even changed jobs, you had to take many factors into consideration. How much money will this cost? How much money will this generate? What will be the impact of this decision in the next 5, 10, or 20 years? Is this a like, love, or hate? All of these things, and more, are important to consider before taking the next step towards commitment. Most factors fall into one of two categories, emotional or data, but are vital to the sustainability of the final decision. You wouldn't go on a vacation to a place you hate just because you could afford to go! Nor would you finance a car that is $20,000 outside your budget, even if it's your dream car! Both the emotional case and the business case must agree in order for the best decision to be made. The same is true for diversity and inclusion.<br />
<br />
<h3>
The Emotional Case for Diversity and Inclusion</h3>
<br />
What's your story? If you are an intersectional employee or leader, you may have a story highlighting your courageous battle to overcome racism, sexism, homophobia, or a host of other biases or discriminatory acts. These stores are powerful in persuading others to take up a cause or to maintain momentum. Think about the telethon for Jude's Children's Hospital. Every 5 seconds, there is a story about a kid suffering from a horrible disease that could be cured with your small donation of $100. These stories move us to action and give us a glimpse into the struggles other people nedure and overcome. The emotional case for diversity and inclusion is what attracts and engages leaders and advocates, however, it isn't sustainable. When times get hard and sacrifices must be made, the emotional case for diversity and inclusion isn't enough. That's why the emotional case must always be accompanied by the business case.<br />
<br />
<h3>
The Business Case for Diversity and Inclusion</h3>
<br />
What's the impact to your specific business? Many leaders struggle forming and articulating the business case for diversity and inclusion that is specific to their industry, organization, and even the project. You must be able to show why diversity and inclusion will help the organization reach its goals faster and more efficiently. I was working with a client whose goal was to improve customer satisfaction. No, customer service is not my area of expertise! However, when developing the business case for diversity and inclusion, we tied it to a significant improvement in customer satisfaction. The client's audience was mostly women, primarily white and African American, and between the ages of 24 and 40. The organization's leadership team? Older white men! Um, hello! We need women at the table to provide a different perspective!<br />
<br />
Increasing diversity and inclusion for the sake of getting greater numbers cannot be the goal. Diversity and inclusion is the vehicle in which we achieve organizational goals faster and more efficiently. Spend more time on the impact specific to your business. A questions leaders don't spend enough time thinking about and answering is, "Who needs to be at the table to help us achieve this goal?"<br />
<br />
Combining the emotional case for diversity and inclusion with the business case specific to your organization is key to sustainable change!<br />
<br />
<h3>
What You Can Do</h3>
<br />
Your organization is full of intersectional employees who have a story to tell. Capture these stories and relay them to leaders, stakeholders, and clients. These stories will get people involved and invested from an emotional level. At Decide Diversity, we call these "Spotlights on Intersectionality". Many organizations house these stories on their website, in marketing material, and at leadership meetings.<br />
<br />
Don't forget the facts. Having a variety of perspectives at the table has never caused an organization to lose money! Calculate the return on investment to determine the benefits diversity and inclusion bring. In the early stages of the journey, it may be easier to determine what pitfalls the organizations will avoid because of the variety of perspectives at the table. It never hurts to get an outside perspective from an experienced diversity and inclusion professional to help point out additional benefits not readily apparent.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Continue the conversation at the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/nndiversityleaders/">Network of Intersectional Leaders!</a></h4>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02191346866346609510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4348735874431686775.post-53356181229683911222018-03-05T19:46:00.002-08:002018-03-05T19:55:38.672-08:00Ditch Stereotypes & Get Curious! Entitled! Lazy! Me, Me, Me! Job Hoppers! Welcome to the Millennial Stereotype! You've heard all these and more, but you probably never realized how destructive this stereotype, and all others like it, is to your ability to attract, hire, and retain top talent. Stereotypes and biases are our brain's way of reaching a solution quickly. They are meant to help us avoid danger, and are generally good at their job! For example, if you see someone waving a gun, you probably don't have time to ask a lot of questions to determine how you should react, you probably just take cover! Unfortunately, our brains don't know when NOT to apply stereotypes or biases to certain situations. When we think about it, we know that not all millennials are entitled, lazy, or self-absorbed. Yet, we like, comment, and share the million articles we see reinforcing the stereotype! So, how do you know who fits the stereotype and who doesn't?<br />
<br />
Let me give you a hint! You can't know based on a person's age! The only way we can determine who fits the stereotype is by asking questions. In recent news, an African American man walked in to his nearby Old Navy store to do some shopping. Coincidentally, he was wearing an Old Navy winter coat when he entered the store. The manager and two associates approached the African American man and demanded that he show proof that he paid for the coat he was wearing. The man insisted that he had purchased the coat but couldn't provide any evidence to back it up. He asked that the manager review the cameras to prove that he walked in wearing the coat. The manager demanded that he remove the coat so the Old Navy crew could check the system and verify the purchase. He complied. They checked the system and reviewed the camera footage, and came to the conclusion that the African American man was telling the truth.<br />
<br />
A similar situation happened at Victoria's Secret and Applebee's all involving African American customers and non-African American employees. The employees in every example mentioned were terminated from their respective company. In the case of Applebee's, the entire restaurant closed.<br />
<br />
Women are stereotyped to be kind, helpful, and collaborative. These stereotypes follow women into the workplace. According to a recent Harvard Business Review article, women are often assigned tasks and projects that are aligned with the <u>stereotype</u> of women. Getting coffee, taking notes, ordering lunch, cleaning the office. These are the types of tasks that women at work, regardless of position, are relegated to. These stereotypes have detrimental side effects! Organizations risk losing customers, top talent, and market share. Old Navy's public image is tarnished due to the acts of a few employees. Customer loyalty suffers, top talent think twice about applying to work for the company, and other retailers use this as an opportunity to gain market share. This all stems from the stereotypes our brains conceive about groups of people.<br />
<br />
There's good news! Stereotypes and biases don't have to influence behavior. In most instances, it would be advantageous for us to take a minute to get curious. What does it mean to be curious? To continuously ask questions! When approaching a situation, that is not life threatening, I practice metacognition. Metacognition simply means, "thinking about thinking" and it's one way for people to understand, analyze, and control our cognitive processes. It's most useful in learning situations and involves questions the situation, the solution, and the process at which we arrive at the solution. In other words, metacognition challenges the shortcuts our brain subconsciously creates.<br />
<br />
At various points in my career, I've been in a recruiting role responsible for hiring for entry level and managerial roles. It's true! Hiring professionals spend less than 10 seconds reviewing a resume. It's been proven that stereotypes and biases play a role in preventing women and people of color from being hired. These preconceived notions help us draw conclusions quickly, for better or worse. For example, most organizations utilize an Applicant Tracking System to review and filter through resumes. However, at some point, hiring managers come in contact with a resume and must face their biases. It's time to get curious!<br />
<br />
1. Your brain will likely come to a conclusion before you consciously realize it. Ask yourself, "Do I know that this is a fact or am I basing this on a gut feeling or hunch?" <i>"The candidate is not qualified for the position. Is this a fact or my gut feeling?"</i><br />
<br />
2. Regardless of your answer, ask yourself, "What are the facts?" List the indisputable facts. <i>"Candidate has 5 years of experience, candidate was responsible for leading a team of 4 salespeople, candidate has a bachelor's in business management, etc."</i><br />
<br />
3. Ask yourself, "What else?" Rarely, do we catch all the facts at first glance. Review the situation again and question everything! <i>"What thoughts am I having regarding the candidate's gap in employment? Am I giving this person a negative review because of their employment gap? What more do I need to know about this situation?"</i> Now's your chance to channel your inner kindergarten! Keep asking questions!<br />
<br />
4. Compare the list of facts to the criteria. In hiring situations, the criteria is the job description. <i>"The candidate has a bachelor's degree. The job description asks for a master's degree. The candidate has 5 years of experience. The job description asks for 3 years of experience."</i><br />
<br />
5. Determine if the facts warrant your initial reaction. At this point, you may experience confirmation bias, or you will look for facts that back up your claim. Think about your thinking! Now, you can make a decision based on facts. Try not to allow your emotions to creep into your decision making. You can't defend emotions, you can defend facts!<br />
<br />
Let's see this in action! You are the leader of a team and it's time to issue pay raises. A 1-5% raise is customary, but your team's average increase must be around 3.5%. You go down the list of teammates and assign increase percentages. All done right? Easy peasy! Well, maybe not! You just reprimanded one of your team members for working past midnight...again! This absolutely has an impact on your assignment of pay increases. You may be likely to give this employee a higher percentage due to the amount of hours and dedication he is putting in, but if you ask yourself "What else?" you will see all the facts. The employee has volunteered to serve on several projects and committees unrelated to his role. After reviewing his calendar, you realize that 60% of his time spent at work is dedicated to these extraneous projects. Because he doesn't have a lot of time at work to get his time sensitive projects complete, he has to work past midnight. Those are all the facts. Does he still deserve the pay increase you initially thought?<br />
<br />
Getting curious and challenging your stereotypes and biases may seem like a longer process but with all things, it takes practice. Eventually, you will be curious about everything and the five steps will become second nature. Once you get curious, you discover answers you didn't even know you were looking for!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02191346866346609510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4348735874431686775.post-66240603043416576792017-06-24T12:55:00.001-07:002017-06-24T12:55:58.557-07:00Diversity in Business: A Spotlight on Intersectionality<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #8c8b8b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; user-select: text !important;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;">Imagine this: You're an African American woman applying for a position at a prominent manufacturing company. You go through the first round of interviews and find out that you were not selected to continue forward in the hiring process. At first, you think nothing of it. Maybe, you weren't qualified. Maybe, it wasn't a good fit. Then, you see that other African American women are not making it past the first interview phase. It seems weird, but maybe they weren't qualified either. Then, you discover that the workforce at this company is comprised of white men, white women, and black men. The white men are managers, the white women are in administrative positions, and the black men are machine operators.</span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #8c8b8b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; user-select: text !important;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"></span></span><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); user-select: text !important;" /></div>
<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #8c8b8b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; user-select: text !important;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;">The more you think about it, the more you believe that you have been discriminated against by the company. You talk to the other African American women and consult with an attorney. Collectively, you file a lawsuit. In the lawsuit, you proclaim that your race and gender were both targets for the discrimination you faced. You're positive that it was a combination of both. You go to court and plead your case, only to be told by the judge that you can't double dip. You are told that you cannot benefit from racial and gender discrimination (as if that's truly a benefit). </span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #8c8b8b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; user-select: text !important;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;">You must choose and prove which one type of discrimination you endured. You consider saying that it was a case of racial discrimination, but are quickly reminded that African American men didn't endue the type of discrimination you are claiming. Then, you consider saying it was a case of gender discrimination. Again, you are quickly reminded that white women weren't discriminated against. What do you do? You have no legal argument, but you know you were discriminated against. You wonder why the law hasn't considered this before. Consequently, your case is dismissed.</span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #8c8b8b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; user-select: text !important;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"></span></span><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); user-select: text !important;" /></div>
<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #8c8b8b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; user-select: text !important;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;">This is what happened when Kimberle Crenshaw, the forward thinker behind intersectionality, agreed to assist the legal team for Emma DeGraffenreid and other African American women, in a suit against an employer. Jobs at this company were segregated by gender, an unwritten rule, of course. There were jobs for women, such as administrative jobs, and there were jobs for men, such as machine operating jobs. These jobs were also inherently segregated by race. In the end, black women were not hired for the administrative jobs because they were black, and they were not hired for the operating jobs because they were women. This effectively meant that black women could not work at this company, resulting in a discrimination suit. However, they were faced with a legal stumbling block.</span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #8c8b8b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; user-select: text !important;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"></span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #8c8b8b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; user-select: text !important;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;">White extremely beneficial for many Americans, the anti-discrimination laws catered primarily to the 'single dimension' population. White women could attribute the discrimination they faced, clearly to gender. African American men could attribute the discrimination they faced, clearly to race. Differently-abled people could attribute the discrimination they faced, clearly to disability. But what happens if you don't fit neatly into one of these marginalized groups? </span></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;">Intersectionality occurs when a person identifies with two or more minority or marginalized groups. For example, African American women identify with two groups: African American and woman. Lesbian white women identify with two groups: Lesbian and woman. Disabled, gay, African American men identify with three groups: Disabled, gay, and African American. There is no limit to the number of minority groups a person can belong to, but the more marginalized groups a person identifies with, the more difficult it is to explain her or his experience.</span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #8c8b8b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; user-select: text !important;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"></span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #8c8b8b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; user-select: text !important;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;">Early research into intersectionality showed that identifying with two or more marginalized groups, such as being an African American woman, meant that one had experiences congruent with being African American (regardless of gender) and being a woman (regardless of race). African American + woman= African American woman. However, recent research on intersectionality has discovered that instead of a math equation, where the result is predictable based on the equation, intersectionality is best described as a recipe. The individual ingredients in a recipe come together to create an entirely new experience. If the final product in a recipe doesn't turn out perfectly, it can be difficult to determine which ingredient caused the issue. The same concept can be applied to situations where intersectional individuals feel harassed or discriminated against. Determining the source of the discrimination can be difficult to pinpoint and describe.</span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #8c8b8b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; user-select: text !important;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"></span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #8c8b8b; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; user-select: text !important;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: black; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; user-select: text !important;">The law has since caught up with the concept of intersectionality, but the invisibility of intersectional individuals in the business world is still very prominent. Business leaders are unaware and uninformed on intersectionality. As a result, it's become the diversity topic we aren't talking about.</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02191346866346609510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4348735874431686775.post-83564043784400305762017-03-02T13:00:00.001-08:002017-03-02T13:00:18.964-08:00<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Pat Summitt’s fight with Alzheimer’s ended June 28 and anyone who knows sports knew that Pat’s led an amazing basketball program. I grew up playing basketball and looked up to a number of greats. The way Pat led her players towards greatness was admirable and made aspiring athletes, like me, want to spend more time in the gym. To me, Pat Summitt was a great basketball coach. Period. However, upon her passing, a number of news outlets headlined their articles or reports using gender based language. The Wall Street Journal titled their article, <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/pat-summitt-legendary-basketball-coach-has-died-at-64-1467111882?mod=WSJ_GoogleNews" rel="nofollow noopener" saprocessedanchor="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #8c68cb; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Pat Summitt, Champion of Women’s Basketball, Has Died at 64</a>. People Magazine released an article titled,<a href="http://www.people.com/article/how-pat-summitt-changed-womens-college-sports?xid=rss-topheadlines" rel="nofollow noopener" saprocessedanchor="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #8c68cb; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank"> How Legendary Basketball Coach Pat Summitt Changed Women’s College Sports</a>.</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
If we want to speak in silos and be very specific, then yes, Pat Summitt is a great women’s basketball coach. But why do we put women’s accomplishments in a silo? Pat Summitt led her team to 1098 wins out of 1306 games. In other words, for every 100 games Pat’s team played, they won 84. When comparing that winning record to other coaches in both the men’s and women’s divisions, Pat outperformed them. Not only that, but every student that Pat coached, graduated. This shows that Pat was a great basketball coach, not just a great <span class="underline" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">female</span> coach in <span class="underline" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">women’s</span> basketball.</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Women often feel as though they have to work twice as hard to get the same level of recognition and validity as their male colleagues. Pat Summitt has accomplished more in her career than any other male or female, yet her accomplishments are belittled to gendered boxes. Have you ever wondered why we have a WNBA, Women's National Basketball Association, and not a MNBA, <span class="underline" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Men's</span> National Basketball Association? Why are associations, leagues, and conferences automatically assumed to be male oriented? We never hear of a men's leadership conference or a men's association, but a search of "women's conference" yields over 34 million hits. Women are always placed in situations where they seem to be "catching up" to the standard set by men in the workplace. </div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
What can we do to ensure that women's accomplishments are not limited to the pool of women, but instead are among the ranks of all people's accomplishments?</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
1. We must be aware that we are minimizing women's accomplishments. We must recognize when we, or those around us, categorize women's accomplishments into limiting boxes and call it out. Most people are unaware of what they say, no matter how hurtful it can be towards others. Respectfully bringing these issues to the surface can help others learn how to be more inclusive to women in the workplace.</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
2. Form a group of allies who will celebrate your successes. Sometimes referred to as "circles" these are supporters who are excited to tell others about you and your accomplishments and recommend you for growth opportunities. Your supporters can be your golden ticket to your dream career or client. You know the saying "you are an average of the 5 people you surround yourself with most". Make those 5 people count.</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
3. Be a supporter! Surround yourself with people you enjoy promoting. Being a supporter is two-fold: you are recognized for being an encourager and your person is recognized for their accomplishments. "A rising tide lifts all boats". Share in the success of those in your circle. Success is contagious. </div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
4. Own your success. You are talented, you worked hard, and the world needs to know how you did it. By downplaying your success, you deny the world of the best you. The world needs the best you!</div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
5. Spread the word. Create a special hashtag or phrase that you and your circle use when supporting each other. This will show others that you #LeanInTogether. Nothing is more powerful than a group of people who gather together to uplift one another. </div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: "Source Serif Pro", serif; font-size: 21px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin-bottom: 3.2rem; margin-top: 3.2rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Together, we have the power to change the workplace. Recognizing women's achievements is one step in the right direction.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02191346866346609510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4348735874431686775.post-51988182083717250372017-01-06T08:07:00.001-08:002017-01-06T08:07:39.024-08:00Diversity in Business: The Part we Aren't Talking About Growing up, my dad would give me sit-down serious talks about making good decisions and being a good person. One of the important lessons he bestowed on me was the disadvantages I would face as an African American woman in the world. He told me that being an African American man is hard, but being an African American woman would be even harder and that I would need to work really hard in school and work to be successful. This is very similar to the conversation many people of color are having with their kids. A particular level of priming is reinforced to children to help prepare them for the inequality that awaits them at the front door of adulthood. Admittedly, I didn't quite understand what my dad meant. At that time, my life was filled with sports, piano lessons, and carefree living. Fortunately, I hadn't been able to recognize the biases that people have that negatively impact women and people of color. It wasn't until I grew up and began working in corporate America that it became abundantly clear that there is an unknown force that I had to fight. A force that can't be identified or quantified. It can't be seen nor felt by all and any mention of its presence yields defensiveness, hostility, and denial.<br />
<br />
Diversity is on the agenda of every conference and the topic of every leadership meeting. How do we improve diversity? Where do we find diverse individuals? How do we increase inclusion? The list of questions regarding diversity are endless. Today's version of diversity covers, among many other things: gender, race/ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, sexual identity, religion, and veteran status. Everyone fits nicely into these categories. According to statistical reports, people fit into only one of these categories at a time. We compare men to women, white people to people of color, and cis gender and straight to LGBTQ.<br />
<br />
Many leaders, consultants, and experts discuss solutions to increase the number of women in senior leadership positions or eliminate age discrimination or create an inclusive environment for the LGBTQ community.
The problem is that these solutions are one-dimensional.<br />
<br />
The studies and research that we base our solutions on did not have diversity in mind. Most researchers, whose mission was to identify inconsistencies between men and women, gathered responses from white men and white women. After the numbers were crunched, researchers then apply those findings to all women. For example, there's been so much research to dispel the myth that the traits stereotypically assigned to women, such as kindness and compassion, are not the traits necessary to be great leaders. This line of research goes back to at least the early 2000s. It has come to light that the majority of the people participating in this research were white men and white women. Yet, we have taken the results of the research and applied it to men and women of all races, ages, and sexual orientations. This incorrectly assumes that white women and women of color have similar experiences.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoXx0VmPUB3mZ7h3YZvgiNhyZKK1h71HMmRF0O5CiGAXwjydAvouo_PGOztVKlFwlkLF2NTqQvgQi603j5kIUn6DvdOI_6bfpJNzb99RdnG65eV76y-qIkPtObo2XsRMKakSzP08hN2A9I/s1600/Intersectionality+Street+Sign.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoXx0VmPUB3mZ7h3YZvgiNhyZKK1h71HMmRF0O5CiGAXwjydAvouo_PGOztVKlFwlkLF2NTqQvgQi603j5kIUn6DvdOI_6bfpJNzb99RdnG65eV76y-qIkPtObo2XsRMKakSzP08hN2A9I/s200/Intersectionality+Street+Sign.png" width="195" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What happens at the intersection of race and gender?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
What leaders aren't talking about, is intersectionality.
Intersectionality is when a person falls into two or more minority or oppressive groups. Kimberle Crenshaw coined this term in 1989 and has completed extensive research in this area. An example of intersectionality is African American women, they fall into two groups: African American group and woman group. One of the biggest issues with intersectionality is that it can be difficult to determine which group can be attributed to failure. African American women often ask, "is it because I'm African American? Is it because I'm a woman? Could it be a little of both?" There's no magic answer, and that can be frustrating.<br />
<br />
It is time to begin thinking about intersectionality in the workplace. The more we focus on singular groups, the more people we exclude from the table. Just as women and African Americans bring unique experiences to the table, African American women bring another set of unique experiences that should be accounted for, lesbian white women bring another set of unique experiences, and disabled, gay men bring another set of unique experiences and so on.<br />
<br />
<br />
It's impossible to account for every combination of people at the decision table, but the sooner we begin thinking outside of the singular groups, the sooner we can begin to truly understand the experiences people from multiple groups have that make them the right people to have at the table.
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
About the author: Demetria is the Founder and CEO of Decide Diversity, a company focused on increasing the presence and effectiveness of women and minorities in the workplace, specifically in leadership positions. Demetria's experiences and education has energized her to take action and lead a new generation of leaders away from traditional stereotypes and self-inflicted limiting behaviors that prevent qualified people from reaching their highest potential.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02191346866346609510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4348735874431686775.post-21118814310680480752016-08-01T20:25:00.000-07:002016-08-01T20:25:57.634-07:00What Will You Decide?Growing up, I've always admired Rosa Parks. My church would have a Black History Month program where we dress up as and speak on pivotal civil rights leaders. Rosa was always my favorite. My admiration for Rosa has grown over the years. It started just as most civil rights favorites do, through repeated exposure. Rosa Parks, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Harriet Tubman are just a few of the names most talked about in February, history class, and black history programs. As I got older, I learned about more influential figures in history, but I still drawn to Rosa Parks. We all know that Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus, got arrested, and gave people the momentum to start the civil rights movement. But did Rosa start the day thinking that she was going to sit on the bus and refuse to give up her seat? She probably had that thought all the time. We all have grandiose thoughts about what we would say to our boss, our parents, or the bully in the hallway, but rarely do we act on them. We play out scenarios in our mind of what each person says and does. If you're anything like me, you have a vivid imagination and sometimes your scenarios go a little too far! But it's just that, our thoughts and imagination.
Rosa's story started on December 1, 1955. She, and many other African Americans, were forced to live a segregated life. At the end of a long day's work, she would get on the bus through the front door to pay her bus fare, then re-enter through the back of the bus to find a seat. Rosa found a seat behind the "Colored Only" sign. While it wasn't law that black people give up their seat to white people as the bus filled up, it was customary for bus drivers to require it, enforce it, and make it punishable should one refuse. As the bus made its way through the city, more and more white people were left standing in the aisles. The bus driver asked the black people to give up their seats to make room for the white people and all complied, except for one. Rosa was arrested, and the rest is history.
What intrigues me most about Rosa's story is that she made one decision and that one decision facilitated a major change in America. Unlike Dr. King, Rosa didn't have a platform or extensive education that propelled her into the civil rights spotlight. Rosa was an unknown woman living the segregated life like everyone else. She was just like you and me. She went to work everyday amidst the injustices that are occurring in the world. She watched the news everyday and heard stories of black men being killed because they "made eyes" with a white woman. She watched the news and heard about Emmett Till being beaten, tortured, shot, and killed at the age of 14 because he "flirted" with a white woman. Rosa was tired, both physically and mentally. She was tired of people who looked like her being treated unfairly and losing their lives over these injustices, but what could she do about it? She was a seamstress. Nobody would listen to a seamstress. Nobody would listen to a woman. Nobody would listen to a black woman. The odds of Rosa making an impact were slim. She thought like we think. She thought like I thought. I am a small, insignificant person in this world, incapable of making a difference. Rosa proved us wrong. She proved me wrong! One decision, made not that long ago, allows me, a young, African American woman to be here today, on this platform, writing to you.
What decision would you make if you knew that that decision would have an impact on someone 60 years later? One small decision can start a revolution. Some of us decide to go to school for an advanced degree. Some of us decide to start a family. Some of us decide to start our own businesses. Some of us decide to speak out against injustices. What will you decide?
I decided to be authentically me. There were so many times I tried to be like someone else so I could be successful. I didn't realize that the best way for me to be successful, is to be myself. I decided to use my education and experience to increase the presence and effectiveness of minority groups in the workplace. I don't know if I will make a huge difference, but I have decided to try. If Rosa had decided to give up her seat on the bus, where would we be today? What is the world missing out on, because you haven't decided?
I Decide Diversity.
What do you decide?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02191346866346609510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4348735874431686775.post-27356673032372661042016-06-13T19:11:00.002-07:002016-06-14T03:58:38.609-07:00What Muhammad Ali Taught Us About Overcoming Stereotypes<b>"I don't have to be what you want me to be. I'm free to be what I want." -Muhammad Ali</b><br />
<br />
With the recent passing of Muhammad Ali, the world took time to remember the G.O.A.T. and all his achievements, both in the ring and in our communities. Muhammad Ali grew up as Cassius Clay in West Louisville, a mostly minority, low to middle socioeconomic, often forgotten part of town. He worked hard to achieve his goal, declaring that he was the greatest along the way. No matter how popular, famous, or rich Ali became, he never forgot about his hometown. Even in his passing, he chose Louisville to hold his historic memorials drawing thousands of people from all over the world. Muhammad Ali will be remembered for a lot of things. When he announced his religious choice and changed his name from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali, he immediately assumed a different stereotype. Or did he?<br />
<br />
Stereotypes are schemas that our brain has developed as shortcuts to solutions in unfamiliar situations. These schemas or scenarios are based on our personal experience or the experiences of others that we observe, perceive, or hear. In most cases, schemas are good. It helps us discern safety and risk without using "trial and error". For example, most of us have never been mugged in a dark alley, but our heart starts beating faster and our breathing shallows when we walk past an alley late at night. By reading that last sentence, you probably noticed a difference in your physiological state. That's our body's way of preparing us to fight or flight just in case we encounter someone who might try to hurt us. Sometimes, our schemas jump the gun and negatively assess situations. For example, a man in a hoodie can automatically be seen as threatening because of the schemas we have associated with men in hoodies. People who are high in self-awareness override these stereotypes once they understand that the schema no longer fits the situation, and then a new schema is formed. Just one problem, people do not always override the stereotypes they have about a subset of people or situations.<br />
<br />
<b>"I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was" -Muhammad Ali</b><br />
<br />
When Cassius Clay became Muhammad Ali, many people assigned to him, the Muslim stereotype. You know, the one where everyone thinks that Muslims are terrorists whose only goal is to blow up buildings and kill people. But Muhammad Ali, the Champ, the Louisville Lip, the Greatest Of All Time didn't fit that stereotype. Muhammad Ali was <i>different</i>. He helped people in need, showed compassion to those who were less fortunate, and stood up for the rights of those who couldn't stand for themselves. Ali was a hero who wanted to bring people together, not tear people apart. How can we deal with this junxtaposition?<br />
<br />
There was research conducted on stereotypes where a group of participants were told the typical stereotypes of a cohort of people. Examples include white men as leaders or asians as mathmatically intelligent. Then, the group of participants were told that the stereotype has changed. White men are no longer seen as leaders, asians are no longer seen as mathmatically intelligent, and so on. The point of the experiment was to determine how easy it is to change stereotypes once they are formed. The researchers found that when the stereotype change is minor such as asians being perceived as scientifically intelligent instead of mathmatically intelligent, it is believable. But when the stereotype change is drastic, people have a hard time believing and accepting it, but it is possible.<br />
<br />
<b>"If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it, then I can achieve it" -Muhammad Ali</b><br />
<br />
We love Muhammad Ali and what he stood for. We followed the life of Muhammad Ali and determined that he was <i>different</i>. We took the time to assess the individual, resulting in our brains creating a new stereotype specifically for Muhammad Ali. If we can overcome stereotypes about the G.O.A.T., we can overcome stereotypes about the kid from the West side of Louisville, the Muslim who lives down the street, or the victims of the mass shooting in Orlando.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02191346866346609510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4348735874431686775.post-9593679596066052852016-02-23T17:15:00.001-08:002016-02-23T17:15:35.546-08:00Diversity Means More Than Race For as long as I can remember, I have been "the only". In high school I worked at Sonic Drive-In and was the only African American employed. In college, I majored in Chemistry for two years and was the only African American in many of my classes. In many of my retail jobs, I was the only African American in management. To this day, I can list the vast associations and organizations in which I am the only African American. As the token African American woman, I am looked upon to represent the thoughts, beliefs, and actions of African American women. In the eyes of the law, I represent diversity. I filled the quota, but due to my experiences in corporate America, I have realized that diversity is more than an influx of people who look different than the majority.<br />
<div>
An article at Fast Company states that millennials have a different outlook on diversity than previous generations. The author says millennials consider a difference of thought, experience, and background a valid definition for diversity. As a millennial, I think I can explain why this is the case. Affirmative Action was enacted in 1961 to ensure employers do not discriminate against qualified individuals due to race, ethnicity, creed, or national origin. In 1967, gender was added to the list. People of color and women were fighting for jobs. Certain jobs were characterized as agentic, or requiring male attributes, such as manager, sales person, or firefighter. The jobs that were characterized as communal, or requiring female attributes, such as secretary, were set aside for women. Then, there was a third set of jobs, such as cleaning person, seamstress, or factory worker that were set aside for people of color. Affirmative action ensured that people of color and women who were qualified to be managers, sales people, or firefighters were given an equal opportunity of employment. Fast forward to today, where hiring of people of color and women in organizations has improved, the modern day social equality fight has expanded to include more facets of fairness and equality.<br />
Affirmative action is considered a success once the minority individual has been hired. Then what? The characteristics and qualities of the minority individual that mirror those of the majority are acknowledged and celebrated. Phrases such as "you sound so articulate"or "you carry yourself so well" are a few examples of the microaggressions congratulating people of color and women for assimilating. There's just one problem, when people display characteristics outside of the stereotypical social roles assigned to them based on race and gender, they are viewed as being less authentic, and as a result, less trustworthy. Alice Eagly, a social psychologist, has conducted research on the consequences of social role incongruity, or the mismatch between how a person behaves and how we think they should behave. Eagly is most notable for researching men and women in leadership positions and how their followers perceive their competence based on their gender. The Social Role Theory also explains how attributions based on race and ethnicity can affect perception.<br />
After Affirmative Action, comes diversity and inclusion. Diversity means more than race! Organizations must allow people of diverse backgrounds to bring their entire selves to work, not just the parts that meet the majority's expectations. Diversity means accepting people who come from a different background or have a different set of experiences, and encouraging them to express their opinion, suggest ideas, and speak up when processes or procedures do not make sense. Diversity means appreciating cultural norms and creating a safe atmosphere for cultural conversations. Diversity means pushing aside stereotypes to learn about the person. Diversity means more than race and organizations will either adjust their culture accordingly or watch their competitors welcome diverse talent with open arms. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02191346866346609510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4348735874431686775.post-34686874895052938742016-01-19T10:57:00.001-08:002016-01-19T11:03:16.855-08:00Decide Diversity- 3 Ways You Can As a child, to celebrate MLK Day, I recited Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech to a congregation of family and friends. I stood behind the podium and echoed Dr. King's iconic mannerisms and intonations that he used to incite crowds. I felt powerful. In that moment, I felt as though I could accomplish just as much as Dr. King. I was intrigued by his confidence and sureness in making difficult decisions, even if it resulted in his death. Dr. King decided to stand up against segregation, discrimination, unfair pay, and other social injustices. <br />
<br />
As we return to work after the holiday, we often think about what we can do to make Dr. King proud and forward his mission. One thing you can do is Decide Diversity. We spend at least 2080 hours at work a year, where 91% of all executives are white, 88% of all operations managers are white, and 83% of all human resource managers are white (DOL, 2014). We have an uphill battle in getting more people of color, women, LGBTQ, disabled, and veterans into leadership positions in the workplace. But why? Why is diversity in the workplace important?<br />
<br />
<b>Diversity leads to higher innovation</b>. People from diverse backgrounds have different experiences and perspectives that they bring to the workplace. These ideas help teams think outside the box to develop new and improved products and deliver top quality service.<br />
<br />
<b>Diversity leads to better customer representation</b>. Organizations have the opportunity to genuinely reach more people when their workforce is representative of the customer base. How logical is it for an organization to market to African American men 24-40, yet not have any African Americans on staff? This isn't to say that one African American can speak for an entire race, but he can bring a different perspective to the table that can make marketing to the target group more effective.<br />
<br />
<b>Diversity is the right thing to do</b>. 50 years from now, our children and grandchildren will look back and be disgusted by the demographic makeup of organizations that we created and allowed, just as we are disgusted that people of color were treated as they were 50 years ago.<br />
<br />
Decide Diversity. Decide that you will be aware of issues affecting communities of people other than your own. Decide that you will speak up for workforce diversity. Decide that you will not accept workplace injustices. Decide that you will do what is right. No matter what position in the organization you are in, you can make a difference. Decide that you will make a difference today. Decide Diversity.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02191346866346609510noreply@blogger.com0