Action Step #10-Use the stoplight method

I will start by sharing I have had the privilege of leading in schools and workspaces where the majority were joyful and the best places to work. I cringe at the few I could describe as toxic and traumatic. In one case, I remember reading 7 pages with examples of racism, microaggressions with screenshots and all. That person was me. I actually had not kept a record or journal as it happened and was asked to share my experience. I also had not really processed it until I read it all. Some people who are African American get it. In case you are wondering, change came to the people in that organization because I advocated. I have been in this game for 20+ years and this is why I believe the Equity Source is needed.

What is important to note is that schools and workplaces are not the inherent problems. As I shared, they can be great places to work. The real problem is the people who work in those spaces. Some of the people create and sustain a toxic work environment producing trauma for others. There are typically two key stakeholders in these scenarios: the creator and the recipient. Sometimes there is the bystander who does nothing and could care less about the Good Samaritan rule. That might be another newsletter.

So, who are these people?

The creator will always have an intersection, but for this moment it could be a person who identifies as a woman or man who is usually in a position of actual authority or influential authority as a manager, leader, or co-worker.

The recipient will always have an intersection, but for foundational purposes it's a person who could identify as a woman, man, nonbinary and also African American, Hispanic American, Asian American and Native American/Indigenous. Other intersections include neurodiversity, nationality, age, and more.

The creators may or may not be self-aware, but it is important that they come to understand what their words and actions are and how the impact of their words and actions affected the recipient. Why? The recipient is left with trying to figure out what to do in the situation. Creators say things like, "This is how it's always been done", "You can't speak on the Black History Panel", or "you are not here to change things" and that is lightweight. Creators do things like leave you out of meeting invite, over talk you in meetings, put you on PIPs, disregard your judgment, fail to give you credit and refuse to own or apologize when racial or gender bias is called out. See what happens is the recipients deal with it in different ways-take it home, marinate on it, talk to friends, talk with a therapist, rehearse ideas with family, advocate to the creator, ask bystanders to support, go to HR and/or some just quit because they/we cannot take it anymore. I won't even get into the physical and financial costs associated with trauma. This is easily googable. The point is it should not happen.

Coming from my work with the EEOC and Department of Labor, I have seen people have to go to the extreme to get relief. I get updates on sexual harassment, age discrimination and the like. It saddens me. Yet I am a strong advocate of proactive measures to increase positive work experiences and positive educational experiences for kids. I am hoping this newsletter prevents that from happening.

If you are not a person who has never been a recipient, then message is for you. Consider these proactive steps I designed:

1. Red light: Stop harmful words and actions: Think for a moment about your past actions and words. How would you feel if the shoes were reversed? If this happened to your child? Your partner?

2. Yellow light: Caution your words and actions: Think about your interactions with people who have a different intersection than you in your past work experiences. Can you get honest feedback from the people you work with in the past and now?

3. Green light: Use antibias and antiracist words and actions: Think about how you can learn more about the intersections of those you work and practice doing it better.

This is hard work, but someone's got to do it. If not you, then who? It's the only way we reach equity for all.

Connection Question: What makes it challenging for you to see yourself as a creator?

Action Step: Use the stoplight method

The Equity Source?is the space that turns likes into action and viewers into doers.?I am CEO and founder of LaTonya Davis Consulting, LLC. I enjoy speaking, leading workshops and the power of the pen. Subscribe to my newsletter and forward it to others. Learn more at TonyaDavis.com. Thanks!