Inclusion matters every month (not just in February)
Stacey A. Gordon, MBA
Bias Disruptor ?? Unapologetic Evangelist for Inclusion ?? Top Voice in Gender Equity ??Global Keynote Speaker ?? #1 Course of LinkedIn Learning (2021)
Welcome to Lead With Inclusion! This weekly newsletter is a resource for EVERY professional. Whether you’re a manager ready to be a more inclusive leader, or an employee ready to be a DEI champion in your workplace, inclusive actions lead to inclusive outcomes. Leading with inclusion simply means starting with inclusive actions in everything you do. It means identifying the areas where bias is at work, and shifting mindsets to make change.?
If you’re not sure where to begin, start here.
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Did you know the origins of Black History Month? Why we celebrate it? And why in February? Frustrated with the way Black people were depicted in history and treated at the time, historian and author, Dr. Carter G. Woodson founded an association to celebrate the achievements of Black people. It started as one week in 1926 and February was chosen because it included the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.
It’s now kind of ironic that we celebrate Black History Month yet we tolerate the erasure of said history.
Florida has adopted new African-American history standards allowing the Board of Education to characterize slavery as beneficial to the enslaved among other ludicrous lies as well as making the decision to prevent public colleges from using state or federal funds for diversity efforts.?
Meanwhile, Texas has passed legislation that prohibits the teaching of critical race theory in schools and limits the ways in which historical information is disseminated.
So this week’s ‘DEI Don’t’ is simple:?
Don’t think about addressing issues that affect your Black employees ONLY during Black History Month and while you’re at it, don’t bother addressing the issues at all if you are aligning your thinking with that of the Texas and Florida legislatures.?
At Rework Work, we help our clients ensure their intentions match their impact. But in order to have a positive impact, you first have to have an underlying belief that DEI matters, that equity is something everyone is entitled to, and a baseline acceptance that history happened, though it doesn’t have to repeat itself.
Be An Inclusive Leader?
If you understand that DEI is not about making people feel good, neither is it about making people feel bad, then it means you are ready to do the work in the messy middle.
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Leaders who believe DEI is about making people feel bad are the ones who are banning historical facts because they don’t like the way their ancestors are portrayed. While leaders who believe DEI is about making people feel good are focusing on some of the outcomes, but not on the process, the goals or the true value to an organization.
If you’re not addressing inequity every month of the year and not just in February, this is your opportunity to change that. Did your organization bring in a speaker this month to discuss their career journey? If so, maybe pay attention to why their journey was so harrowing, and what could’ve been done to reduce some of the barriers. Look at what some of the obstacles may be within your own organization that you can remove.
Lead With Inclusion
Be an ally. Speak up when your instinct tells you to but fear bullies you into silence.?
Practicing allyship means listening to people who are different than you, learning about racism, educating others, practicing inclusion and amplifying different voices.
In order to lead with inclusion, you have to be aware of inequities, all year-round, and not just in February. It means you lend your privilege when you have the opportunity to do so.
You have an individual responsibility to act with inclusion in mind and if you’re only doing it in less than 10% of the year, are you really being inclusive?
We are helping individual leaders and teams navigate the messy middle. If you’d like to let go of fear so your intentions can match the impact you want to have in the world, join me in my Unconscious Inclusion program. It’s a safe space to learn to be brave!
About Stacey Gordon:
Stacey Gordon is Executive Advisor and Founder of Rework Work where she and her team coach and counsel executive leaders on DEI strategies for the business, while offering a no-nonsense approach to unconscious bias education for the broader employee population. As a global keynote speaker, Stacey is a Top Voice on LinkedIn and a popular LinkedIn Learning [IN]structor with nearly two million unique learners enjoying her courses.?
Want to hear Stacey live? Consider booking her for your next keynote or workshop.
The ROI Guy ? I help DEI Consultants get more warm leads ? Download my ROI of DEI white paper to learn the framework (see featured section)
8 个月Great insights.?What do you think about: Promoting allyship beyond awareness months into everyday actions?? P.S.?How can we make this lasting impact?
Governance Specialist, EPMO, New York Power Authority (NYPA)
9 个月Thank you. I love the way this is written and, especially, its content. The approved educational practices in Texas and Florida do and don’t consider the long term effects of inaccurate portrayals of Black Lives’ contributions to the United States. I say both because they do know it’s inaccurate, yet they fail to identify with the fact that people who grew up having learned nothing or little about their own history are also going to be subjected to more of the same. The people who seek to erase and /or rewrite history are now aware that something was left out as they themselves sat at their own tiny desks, while growing up, that was vital to their own self identity. Consequently, the lies of omission have resulted in their positive self-identity. That’s an unearned run. The difference is that, now, they know what was left out and seek to perpetuate such ignorance at the cost of the identities of those whose ancestries were omitted. Thus ensuring that the cycle continues. One of my HS instructors used to say that prejudice is power, meaning it’s the action one takes based on belief, not just the idle thoughts. It’s spoken and taught, gains momentum, manifesting in any tangible form it can grasp, and enacted against others.
Employee Engagement Specialist | Change Management | Data-driven Insights | DEIA Champion | Driving employee satisfaction and organizational success through strategic action
9 个月Excellent newsletter. I appreciate how you said not to bother if your beliefs don't align with the mission. I'm bias because I think everyone should be supporting (and excited about) DEI initiatives. But, if it's only lip-service, it'll be obvious.
??Elevating Equity for All! ?? - build culture, innovation and growth with trailblazers: Top Down Equitable Boards | Across Equity AI & Human Design | Equity Bottom Up @Grassroots. A 25+ years portfolio.
9 个月Thank you for shedding light on these important topics. ??
Inclusive Leadership | Authentic Connection | Driving Performance
9 个月Say it louder!