Action Step #25: Audit and Support Managers

Have you ever had a feeling in the pit of your stomach when you know someone just said something or did something that was racist? Biased? Sexist? Aghhh. If you don’t know this feeling, it impacts Black people and women in a huge way. The experience trauma impacts our mental, emotional and physical well being. We experience it at the hands of some managers whereas, other managers get it. We show up at work going through it, frustrated and holding in what we really want to say because we need this job. We are not sure who we can trust or what we should do. This is what I want to stop.?

So if you can’t tell something happened with a manager, but not to me. This time. But it did happen to many Black women, men and those with intersections yesterday, last week, and last month. I tell stories and share better practices and I am counting on you to move from likes to action this week.

There are highly effective managers and there are managers who demonstrate microinvalidations, sexism and the like daily at work. They have always been in charge, happily accessed their privilege and spout out racism without ever a worry they will get caught. They believe they are performing well. It pains me to see there is no level of accountability from self or others.

Let’s do a T chart of different profiles of managers.?

Manager Profile # 1.

• Female or Male
• Been at the company for years
• Manages Black talent
• Promoted through a subjective and racist system that has never been challenged
• Fly by night training for new Black talent
• Uses their position as a weapon
• Operates the team like a plantation
• Never receives ongoing professional development or training?
• Micromanages to death
• Shoots out emails that begin the trail for a PIP?
• Never receives feedback from a company sponsored survey
• Missed opportunities to ask for feedback in 1:1 (probably does not even have 1:1)
• In the remote world Slacks, emails or text reprehensible language?
• Supervised by non-Black talent who pays attention to the business more than people

Manager Profile # 2.

• Female or Male?
• Been with the company for years?
• Manages Black talent and women
• Owned they were promoted through a subjective and racist system that is undergoing equity audits
• Became educated in levels of racism?
• Understands the need for DEIB
• Uses their privilege for good?
• Receives coaching and professional development?
• Operates the team using collaboration?
• Invests in a Professional Development plan for all
• Seeks out feedback
• Holds 1:1 with all members of their team?
• Supervised by non-Black talent who pays attention and hold accountable convos

Highly effective managers get coached and receive ongoing development. In my previous work in education, there was support from the top to the bottom. Even students gave feedback. Have you ever witnessed someone who fit profile # 1? Have you stepped in? Did you give feedback? We need more managers aligned with profile # 2. For those who say Black employees and women can say something. Hmmm. While it is true that Black talent and women could speak up and say something, the problem is we do. And when we do we are alone. Do we have real allies and advocates who will go to bat with us? Should we choose to advocate for ourselves, we have to think about what happens if I do? Will I be retaliated against? How fast could I get another job? Instead of making us go through that whole scenario, everyone has to help course correct to interrupt ALL. OF. IT.

Managers need proactive ongoing education, support, coaching and accountability. You can do it through using a systemic approach. Managers should hold meeting for the purpose of learning grows and glows. You can do it through gathering feedback in the forms of surveys and actual statements. You do it through auditing perspectives. You do it through auditing practices. You do it through auditing language and behaviors. You do it through documenting inequitable policies. You do it through having systems in place for us to speak our truth. This is how you honor us and make the experience better.

When you proactively interrupt the perspectives, policies and practices it puts us in a position not to have to do it. Allies and advocates-It cannot be just when you feel like it, when it is convenient and when you are most comfortable. This week I am asking you to interrupt manager # 1 on behalf of the Black talent and women who are preparing to advocate for themselves for this morning.

Connection Question: Tell about a time you challenged a manager or tell about a time you celebrated a manager for a perspective or practice demonstrated.

Action Step: Audit and Support Managers

I am LaTonya Davis, CEO and founder of TonyaDavis.com. I love speaking and the power of the pen to change perspectives, practices and policies toward equity in companies, schools and nonprofits. August is Black Business Month so reach out for a consult or speaking. Share this newsletter.