Building Resilience

Welcome to the February edition of?#TanaSpeaks?with?Dr. Tana M. Session. This is a monthly newsletter designed to expand your perspective in the workplace. Don't miss an issue and be sure to?+subscribe.

Happy Black History Month!! Despite the short month, it's one of my favorite times of the year. February always leaves me wanting for more. PLUS...it's my birthday month, too!

This year's theme is focused on Black Resistance, and I tell my clients that with resistance comes resilience -- the ability to overcome hardships that are often outside of our control. Resilience also becomes easier to manage when we receive help from our community and our Allies.

As I've said over and over again in my trainings, Allyship comes in many forms. Sometimes it's one loud voice in a room, other times it's a quiet and one-to-one.

The silent part of Allyship is when we educate ourselves. The global African and Black diaspora is so colorful and complex.

I haven’t come across many organizations who are 100% NOT performative. But if you wonder whether your company is doing so, I've put together a BUILD acronym for you to test if it’s true for the Black community:

B = Boxes don't work. Even within the Black community, there are many differences in our traditions, what we like to be called, our ways of living, how we speak, our lived experiences and so on... Like any other group, the Black community is embedded with rich and vibrant cultures that is reflective of the path our Black ancestors have had to face. The last thing you want to do is simplify a lived experience, boil it down to a stereotype, and group people in a box.

U = Understand that you won’t have everyone on board. During my time working in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, I’ve run into many individuals who aren’t convinced that this work can lead to change…or that it’s even necessary! If you’ve faced this resistance, that means you’re doing something RIGHT. Many individuals don’t like change (it's uncomfortable!), especially if the individual has been successful for a long time under an old, non-inclusive and inequitable model — but it’s worse to be stagnant! Constant change is a prerequisite for an organization to be successful in Corporate America.

I = Intentions don’t override impact! I’ve told my clients this over and over, and it bares repeating. Maybe you have good intentions and want to highlight a marginalized community and you don’t realize the negative impact it may have. If you’re not certain whether a method of recognition creates the right impact, you should ASK the impacted employee group directly (i.e., ERGs). As Oscar Wilde famously quipped, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”

L = Learning never stops. You can never truly ‘get’ a community. Even myself, despite all my travels to Africa through 11 countries so far, I still have so much to learn about myself, my culture, and my people. It’s important to keep an open mind, because even if you know something to be a fact, it may not ring true for everyone (we are not a monolith). Afterall, we are our own individuals with our own lived experiences.

D = Do better than before. What makes a successful and authentic ALLY? It’s someone who is constantly looking to do better. Now...I’m not suggesting you be self-critical of your past actions; rather, I encourage you to take this moment and reflect. Were there moments of silence where you could have spoken up? Did you give everyone the space and safety they needed to speak up? What were some missed opportunities? Think back to moments in and outside of work.

So…do you think you have the tools to become a better Ally?

And let me know your ideas in the comments below on how your organization is observing Black History Month!

IT'S OFFICIAL!

It's my honor to announce that I will be a speaker at?SXSW?in March 2023 in Austin, TX. My topic will be?'Driving Diversity Forward with Data'. Tickets available now. Hope to see you there!

FEBRUARY OBSERVANCES:

• Black History Month - February is Black History Month in the U.S. and Canada. Black history is American history...so I encourage you to explore history that has been far too neglected and pushed to the wayside.
• Ethnic Equality Month - No matter what race or ethnicity you are, everyone deserves dignity and respect. This month is an opportunity to challenge your thinking and bring light to biases that impact us everyday.
• National Freedom Day, February 1 - An observance in the U.S. that honors the signing of a resolution that proposed the 13th amendment of the nation's constitution on?February 1, 1865.
• National Caregiver's Day, February 17 - According to the AARP Research Report, more than 1 in every 5 Americans are caregivers. Oftentimes this work is unpaid labor, so I welcome you to honor the caregivers around you.
• Parinirvana / Nirvana Day (Buddhist), February 15 - Parinirvana Day, or Nirvana Day, is a Mahayana Buddhist holiday celebrated in East Asia, Vietnam and the Philippines.?
• World Day of Social Justice, February 20 - Recognized by the United Nations General Assembly, the day is an opportunity to recognize the need for more international efforts on poverty education.?Social justice is necessary for peace, security, and development around the world.
• February 18 - Dr. Tana M. Session's birthday (lol)
• Presidents’ Day, February 20 - A federal holiday in the U.S. to celebrate all U.S. presidents, past and present.

Until next month... Be well and stay safe & healthy!

AVAILABLE NOW!!

Working While Black?shares the journey of Black women in Corporate America as they rose through the ranks against all odds and a system stacked against them. Through their stories and prescriptive remedies, readers will develop strategies for career success and have a "true call to action."

You can order a copy of my latest book,?"Working While Black: A Woman's Guide to Stop Being the Best Kept Secret(R)"?on my publisher's?website, or Walmart,?Amazon?and?Barnes & Noble.

STOP BEING THE BEST KEPT SECRET (R)

Check out my interview, How to Own Your Power in the Workplace with Lisa L. Baker, founder of Ascentim LLC, discusses her expertise as an executive coach. Lisa helps high-achieving professional women who feel undervalued in their careers own their power, communicate their worth with confidence, and crush barriers to achieve the promotions and pay they deserve.

I'M ON LINKEDIN LEARNING

My NEW LinkedIn Learning course,?Driving Organizational Accountability in DEIB, is now live and has been taken by more than?6.5k+?learners in the first few months.?Enroll today!

Uncovering Unconscious Bias in Recruiting & Interviewing?has been taken by?more than?289k+?learners since launching!!?Enroll today!

SUPPORT OUR MISSION

I'm pleased to announce the official launch of my new nonprofit "From Foster Care To Fabulous Foundation." Our mission is to provide financial assistance and other resources to foster parents of children aged newborn to four (4) years old. If you know my story...then you know this is personal and near & dear to my heart. We have partnered with foster care agencies in New York, Los Angeles & Atlanta to help us identify foster parents in need.

As of today we've provided grants to support 41 children under four so far. Please support our mission by making your tax deductible charitable contribution via our website "Donate Today" page.?Thank you in advance for your support.?

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Available for purchase at?www.tanamsession.com/products.