Diversity and Inclusion
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). The observance, which dates back to 1945, is sponsored annually by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy.
Did you know? The employment population ratio for people without disabilities (65.7%) was more than triple that of people with disabilities (18.7%) in 2017, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
BREAKING NEWS: Using slurs to make a point sparks debate on academic freedom. Emory University law professor Robert Saunooke said he tells his students before the start of his first class that there are words and phrases he’ll use that might be uncomfortable (Atlanta Journal-Constitution 9/19/19). And he delivered on that promise by uttering the “N-Word” a couple of times.
“Hey N_ger!”
Boom! Out of nowhere verbal lightning struck me directly. Continue reading The “N-Word Still Stings! – by Terry Howard
The Marine Corps’ purpose as stated on its webpage is to, “Defend the people of the United States at home and abroad. To do that, we make Marines who win our Nation’s battles and return as quality citizens.” To the casual reader, the first half of the purpose, which is to defend the United States, is stated in simple terms and easily understood. However, it is the latter half of the purpose that bears some investigating and begs the question, “What does make a better citizen mean?” To answer this question, I want to take you on a journey through the process of becoming a Marine, the transformation that occurs and the life-changing impact of being immersed into a sea of diversity creates.
Citizens from every walk of life you can imagine arrive by bus to one of three locations. Young men and women who have signed an enlistment contract arrive at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina or Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego. Officer candidates receive their initial training at the Officer Candidate School located in Quantico, Virginia. For the purposes of this journey, we will focus on the experience of the recruits who matriculate through one of the training Depots.
Overcoming obstacles to the integration of disabled people in the C-Suite should be at the top of every board agenda. Often, I hear about diversity, but diversity efforts alone do not deal with the challenges facing disabled senior executives or aspiring leaders. These challenges can be addressed, and leaders have a responsibility to turn around the stigma surrounding disability in the C-suite.
Bullying can be based on various things. A person, most likely, a school student, might find themselves bullied by others because of their race, gender, sexuality, appearance, academic or athletic performance, personality, and other aspects of their identity.
A solution to the problem as complex as this one must be equally comprehensive. Today, however, I would like to tackle but one element of this problem: religion-based bullying.
Religion-based bullying is a horrible trend that is still going strong in our schools. It happens both in the physical world and online and shows no signs of stopping. It would be preposterous for us to blame it exclusively on children, equally as preposterous as to turn a blind eye to it.
Continue reading Religion-based bullying: causes, dangers, solutions – by Sam Chester
This fundamental concept is one of the core principles of my work and integral to DTG’s approach to dealing with diversity issues in the workplace and marketplace. Diversity issues or employee relation issues (among people who are different) typically involve two people. The perpetrator or the initiator of the behavior is one party and the target or the receiver of the behavior is the second party.
The diversity issue or incident (sometimes it is one “moment of truth”) is defined as a behavior, an action, or a series of behaviors (a pathology or trend) that one party (the target) feels or concludes based on the behavior(s) was wrong, inappropriate, disrespectful, discriminatory or illegal.
We all mean well. I never question the intent of any person’s actions. We actually don’t know the intentions of the other person but we assume their intentions based on the behavior we see, how we react (our feelings) or the kind of relationship we have with the perpetrator. This is the first mistake. We should look at the behavior(s) in question and only the behavior(s). Looking just at the face value of the behavior is a good start.
I tend to focus on the actual behavior and how that behavior might affect or influence other people. In other words, I focus on the impact said behavior(s) has on other people. The consequences of any action, how the behavior might be received or perceived or experienced is what I tend to scrutinize.
I find too many people will get defensive when the target confronts the perpetrator about the behavior(s). The perpetrator typically responds with, “I didn’t mean it the way you took it.” Often, in my travels, people don’t want to be held accountable for their actions. Unfortunately, this does not take the “sting” out of the behavior(s). What matters is what you said, not what you meant.
Don’t take it personally – apologize for your comment. Don’t try to avoid your responsibility – step up to the plate. Don’t focus on your intentions – no one knows your intentions. Try to put yourself in the target’s shoes and understand their feelings. Put your feelings aside. This is not about you – the perpetrator – this is about the target. Try to empathize with the target. Apologize and ask the target to always come and share with this person their feelings whenever they feel wronged. You want to be perceived as humble, approachable and “bigger” than any one incident. What you don’t want to do is seem defensive, stubborn, or stubborn. Reach out! This is a wake up call that you need to improve this relationship. Misunderstandings are more likely to arise among strangers or people who have strained or weak relationships.
“You people! What do your people think? You are so articulate for a (blank); I don’t see you as a (blank). Men/women, you can’t….” These are some of the most common mistakes people make. Stay away from these behaviors. Never see people as members of a group but rather focus on the person, the individual. If you do go here, apologize immediately and reach out and ask for help and coaching from the other person.
Camila, a successful professional, grew up in Buenos Aires with an Argentinian mom and a Guatemalan dad. Her native language is Spanish, and she dances tango and sips yerba mate.
But when asked about her cultural identity, “Latina” is not her first answer. “Because my grandparents are European Jews who migrated to South America and I grew up celebrating Jewish traditions and learning Hebrew, I feel more connected to Israel than Argentina,” she says. “I am a Latina, but I’m other identities too that mean as much to me.”
Continue reading What Makes Someone Latinx? – by Susana Rinderle and Addy Chulef
When I provided an introductory session for highly skilled Toastmaster Ant Blair, my goal was to earn the privilege of providing him a program that blends training on how to effect change in one, brief conversation with coaching. Ant was quite engaged during his training. I was feeling optimistic about the outcome. Then at the end of his session, something totally unexpected happened. Ant was the one to effect change in one, brief conversation.
I have been puzzled by colleagues congratulating me on my humility. What are these folks talking about? People who knew me years ago would definitely be amused by that. At best, I was described as “Sweet but Stern.” At my boldest, I was told that I could terrorize entire cities. Community leaders had a white-knuckled grasp on their chairs when I tersely announce my intention to speak off-the-record. Not even a voice from the back of the room calling out, “Oh ho, this should be good!” slowed me down.
Continue reading Nurturing and Humility in Leadership – by Deborah Levine
Unconscious bias training is an admirable project but may often be ineffective. The fuzzy, vague term of unconscious bias is often applied indiscriminately, but unconscious bias isn’t a one-size-fits-all term amenable to a one afternoon of training. Yes, it can refer to the incident where the police were called to arrest two African-Americans waiting for a meeting at Starbucks. But it can also mean only smiling at customers that look like you, rejecting resumes from diverse applicants, and promoting the employees who resemble the current leadership team. If we want to address unconscious bias effectively, we need to first be aware of how the senses, emotions, and brain interact to create unconscious bias. Second, we must go beyond awareness of our biases to sensitivity to their impact. Lastly, we need to develop a system that internalizes wise decision making with ongoing reinforcement of that competence.
Continue reading The Challenge of Unconscious Bias – by Deborah Levine