Hey LinkedIn, How Would Beyonce Dispel The Dark Distrust At Work?

Fairness in the workplace. What can you do?

By Dr Brian Harman

With the barbaric killing of Mr. George Floyd, it's easy to blame cops, BUT racism, fairness, and equality is an a ONGOING ISSUE. The Police Force is just another organization.

How do we end unfairness and inequality in the workplace? What would Beyonce do?

Beyonce has been highly vocal (pun) about civil rights, politics, and equality. She has openly supported democratic politicians that take a firm stance on gender and race issues. We can follow her example by supporting organizational leaders that do the same while speaking up to boot out the bad ones.

PLEASE COMMENT YOUR IDEAS BELOW ????????????????????????????

Why is the Golden Rule not enough?

The Golden Rule says that you should treat people the way you want to be treated. The problem with that is that maybe I don’t want to be treated the way you want to be treated.

Instead, it would be wise to treat people the way they want to be treated. You can do this by asking questions and acknowledging their differences.

 I want to support fairness in the workplace, what should I do?

1. Remember that everyone’s personal story matters. You can give your colleagues this tool to help them with it. https://bit.ly/brianstorytelling
2. Listen to each other without interrupting.
3. Attend training on how to understand your unconscious biases that are harmful to you and the workplace. (Yes, I provide this training!)
4. Have conversations with your colleagues about the topic of diversity as a way to break down barriers and build connections.
5. Attend conferences on the topics of diversity, equality, and gender. Ask yourself how you can become more educated on race and gender issues. Don't be afraid to Google it.
6. Remember that we must be each other's allies, not adversaries. Embrace the shine theory; you shine we all shine.
7. The National Labor Relations Act protects employees' rights to discuss conditions of employment, such as pay, so it’s OK to have these conversations with each other to make sure everyone is being treated fairly.
8. Mentor others if you can provide value to them! That's a strong way to support your fellow community members.
9. Reflect on whether you treat your colleagues equally. For example, “Would I have said that same thing to a xxxx colleague?”
10. Get involved in employee resource groups or start one yourself that support minorities and any under-represented groups.
11. Reward others and give praise when you see someone acting in a way that supports diversity and fairness

Find your purpose and take action!

I am inspired by California Congresswoman Jackie Speier, the admirable leader who founded the organization called the PBWC, (Professional Business Women of California) over 30 years ago.

After being shot five times in the Jonestown Massacre and witnessing the murders of her colleagues and close-by civilians, she returned to the U.S. with a reinvigorated mission and purpose to make a difference in the world.

She put action behind those words. She took the worst thing that's happened to her and turned it into a force of positive energy.

As a result, she has changed the course of leadership forever, giving women a voice on issues they weren't involved in before.

We can all take Jackie’s approach and take action by speaking up when we see something wrong.

It’s always OK to speak up for others who don’t have a voice that's being heard, and it’s always OK to ask when you don’t know about a topic.

Let's support each other and be fair.

More from Beyonce on this topic:

• BeyGood Foundation: https://www.beyonce.com/beygood/
• CNN Report: https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/04/entertainment/beyonce-george-floyd-protests-intl-scli/index.html