Handling difficult conversations at work
Hustle Crew
Since we launched in 2016 we’ve helped ambitious people in tech and beyond take their careers to the next level.
In This Week’s Email
Conversations about race, gender and social issues can be challenging: how do you know what to say and when and how to say it?
When thinking about inequalities at work, many of us avoid conversations out of fear of being misunderstood or judged for expressing vulnerability at work.?
The hesitation is understandable, but when not addressed, the lack of discussion can lead to some serious repercussions.
Studies show?that a "lack of open communication at work (and the absence of support from employers and managers to facilitate honest dialogue) can lead to a toxic culture and an increased desire to find a new workplace". In fact, when these discussions are present, organisations and employees see the benefit.
A study?on discussing race relations at work, conducted by the New York Center for Talent Innovation, found that professionals who felt comfortable discussing race relations at work also:
Plus the majority of participants’ responses suggested talking about race?“made them view the company in a more positive way”.
It is clear that organisations and employees benefit from participating in open conversation at work about important issues pertaining to inequality. So, how do we have these difficult conversations at work?
According to the?Chartered Institute of Personnel Development?(CIPD), organisations should assess their working environment and question whether it is ready to embrace difficult conversations. If the work culture showcases hostility, it is best to re-establish company values such as respect, openness, bravery, and collaboration.
CIPD suggests, "Where open conversations are not yet part of the organisation culture, consider some preparatory work to increase your people’s readiness for these conversations. This might mean engaging the team in concepts such as growth mindset (specifically being open to learning, seeking knowledge and seeing mistakes as opportunities to learn), coaching principles, suspending judgement and active listening"
If you feel like you're team is ready to get uncomfortable, at Hustle Crew we advise you to:
Click the links below to dive into more research-backed advice.
Articles ??
领英推荐
Clips ??
Hustle Crew Academy: join our free webinar on Tue 15 August at 1pm BST
If you’ve ever heard or said things like:
“Isn't white supremacy about extremist groups? What does it have to do with work and allyship?”
“Yes I'm White but I don't consider myself superior - I've never abused my white privilege, that's racist, that's not me.”
“I don't like talking about my white privilege or the world being white supremacist because that's not my experience, yes I'm White but I've suffered, too.”
This workshop is for you!?Register here?and invite your teams, too.
Brand new #Techish in your podcast feed
It’s Tuesday, so that means we have a new episode. Listen to one of the?UK’s Top podcasts?— co-hosts Michael and Abadesi dive into the essential stories across tech and pop culture??????.
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Free inclusion resources ????
Around the community ??????