Why Our Words Matter
Margot Slattery
Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion and Belonging at ISS A/S at ISS A/S CDir /INED Bord na Móna plc and “Founding Member” at Kella . Member of (ED&I) Advisory Board at publicjobs Ireland
I’ve never been a leader who parses her words. I’m more informal and enjoy building connections with people through transparency and humor.
But I’ve come to recognize that the words I choose matter. Whether in person or online, they hold power and carry weight.
Last week, the world watched – including my wife Sarah and me in Ireland – as the United States marked the inauguration of its next president. We listened to hear what words would be chosen and what they might mean.
What captivated us—and the rest of the world—were the words of a 22-year poet, Amanda Gorman, who now famously ended her beautiful prose with, “For there is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.”
A message of hope. A reminder that we are all responsible for standing up for the change we want to see in the world. An antidote for the anxiety the world faces as it surpasses 2 million lost lives, a global economic recession, racial injustice and more.
It’s true; they are just words. But as we’ve seen, words do inspire action.
My personal goal is to inspire the type of action that continues to drive justice and equity forward, both inside and outside of Sodexo where I lead Diversity and Inclusion globally.
And while organizations are important drivers of systemic change, they are made up of people. People who can take small steps every day toward the larger goal. People who can expand their mindset by reading a book about race. People who insist their candidate pool is diverse. People who become allies for an affinity group or purchase from minority and women-owned businesses.
And most importantly, people who bravely use their voices to respectfully challenge the status quo. People whose voices spread unity and light rather than division.
That’s how I plan to use my voice. Because as we know—and perhaps we needed a 22-year old poet named Amanda Gorman to remind us— words do matter.
Chairperson of the Irish Emergency Alliance , former Chair of Road Safety Authority Oct 2014-2024, Public Affairs Consultant, Former TD and Government Minister , Writer and broadcaster.
3 年Well said Margot.
C&W Services | Board Member | Dynamic Leader | Large P&L Operations | Strategic Partnerships | Aviation | Sports & Entertainment | Hospitality
3 年Brava Margot Slattery - words matter very much and they protect our teams and ensure they feel safe at work! Thank you for leading by example! ???
Retired CEO, Director of Nursing, Director of Addiction and Disability Services. Quality Improvement Service Lead HSE Disability Services. Director of Business Development.Qualified work place investigator.
3 年As the poet Miranda’s Hamilton said of Amanda Gorman she is changing the world “ one word at a time”. These are followed by us doing one deed at a time to initiate change. As Amanda writes “I can hear change humming In its loudest, proudest song. I don’t fear change coming, And so I sing along.”
Responsable de site
3 年Bravo à cette dame pour son parcours. Quant aux entreprises qui dressent cette réussite comme un étendard , qu’elle cesse de faire que de la communication. La vrai diversité cela se prouve par Les organigrammes à tous les échelons. Le reste c’est de l’illusion pas de l’inclusion, de la ségrégation à bas bruit. Beaucoup d’entreprises qui disent faire de l’inclusion pratiquent en réalité un apartheid à bas bruit. Dès que l’on monte dans les étages des organigrammes, les personnes blanchissent comme si le talent et la compétence était blanc, avec son archétype du blanc de 50 ans. C’est un peu comme pour le solfège en musique, une personne blanche vaut deux noires, question d’histoire ou de culture. La hiérarchie inconsciente et ethnique que ces entreprises portent dans leurs organigrammes est le révélateur d’une histoire mais également des résidus d’une idéologie, ce que certains appellent la hiérarchie des races.