How do you address power and privilege in relationship building?

1 Acknowledge your own position

The first step is to reflect on your own identity, experiences, and biases, and how they shape your perspective and interactions with others. What are the sources of power and privilege that you have or lack, and how do they affect your opportunities, challenges, and expectations? How do you benefit or suffer from the existing systems and structures that create and maintain inequality? How do you use or resist your power and privilege in different situations and relationships? Being honest and humble about your own position can help you recognize and appreciate the diversity and complexity of others.

2 Listen and learn from others

The second step is to listen and learn from the people you want to build relationships with, especially those who have different or less power and privilege than you. Listening means paying attention to what they say and how they say it, without interrupting, judging, or imposing your own views. Learning means asking open-ended and respectful questions, seeking to understand their experiences, perspectives, and needs, and acknowledging the gaps in your knowledge. Listening and learning can help you build trust, empathy, and rapport with others.

3 Share and support others

The third step is to share and support the people you want to build relationships with, especially those who have different or less power and privilege than you. Sharing means offering your own experiences, perspectives, and needs, without dominating, dismissing, or invalidating theirs. Supporting means showing appreciation, encouragement, and solidarity, without patronizing, rescuing, or exploiting them. Sharing and supporting can help you create mutual value, respect, and collaboration with others.

4 Challenge and change the system

The fourth step is to challenge and change the system that creates and maintains power and privilege imbalances, both within and beyond your relationships. Challenging means speaking up and taking action against injustice, oppression, and discrimination, both in your own behavior and in the behavior of others. Changing means advocating for and implementing policies, practices, and norms that promote equity, inclusion, and diversity, both in your own sphere of influence and in the wider society. Challenging and changing can help you contribute to social justice and transformation.

5 Adapt and grow with others

The fifth step is to adapt and grow with the people you want to build relationships with, especially those who have different or less power and privilege than you. Adapting means being flexible, responsive, and open to feedback, without compromising your values or integrity. Growing means seeking opportunities to learn, improve, and innovate, without being complacent or stagnant. Adapting and growing can help you foster mutual growth, learning, and innovation with others.

6 Evaluate and celebrate your relationships

The sixth step is to evaluate and celebrate your relationships, both individually and collectively. Evaluating means assessing the quality, impact, and sustainability of your relationships, using both quantitative and qualitative measures. Celebrating means acknowledging the achievements, challenges, and lessons learned from your relationships, using both formal and informal methods. Evaluating and celebrating can help you appreciate, sustain, and enhance your relationships.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?