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The Newsletter | Edition 042
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In our Off-White Papers, we provide practical guidance on how to respond to our rapidly-changing world. This weekly newsletter explores those topics in real-time, with information and action steps on how to make progress now.
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...MOVES FROM THE MARGINS.
A core part of any workplace culture is ensuring your (digital or physical) spaces are inclusive. It's important that employees feel empowered to bring their whole selves to work. Because the fact is, our cultural norms have shifted in such a way that companies simply no longer have the luxury of flattening or silencing their employee’s identities. So how can leaders meet the complexity of the unedited human identity? And how can organizations channel that energy, particularly from those in the margins, to become better, more complex, and more human themselves?
- Renewed commitments, less impact, from Osei Kwakye
- Let your guard down, from Julie Lubbers
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Finding commonality in the hard stuff, from Cristina Pansolini
And this time, our illustrations from Katie Sadow.
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DIGNITY OVER DIVERSITY From Osei Kwakye
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TL;DRWhile diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) have integrated into standard operating procedure across the private sector, creating workplaces that genuinely foster belonging will require us to move beyond the superficial optics of difference and towards an ethos of dignity.
WHY IT MATTERSAfter a year of soaking in a cocktail of racial violence, community unrest, and fractured public health, companies are eager to take proactive steps towards social justice. For many this has manifested through renewed public commitments to DEI initiatives. And while perhaps good intentioned, there’s ample evidence that these efforts aren't effective at changing internal workplace cultures. If business leaders earnestly want to leverage their corporate might to address society’s shortcomings they need to stop treating diversity like an academic exercise that can be taught. Instead, companies need to adopt dignity, the belief that all people possess inherent value regardless of their position or background, as a core organizational value. This means creating an environment where people of diverse backgrounds not only exist, but also feel safe, cared for, and not tokenized.
ONE THING YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW
Rearticulate your company’s policies to explicitly include the language of dignity.
THOUGHTS AND A FEW TIPSMany people conflate dignity with respect, but they are not the same thing. Respect is the admiration we feel for others based on their abilities, qualities, or achievements. Dignity, however, is the recognition of someone’s fundamental humanity, regardless of their merits. Even a workplace environment that is polite and friendly on the surface can be teeming with microaggressions that can make the people on the margins feel even more like outsiders.
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THE BEST LEADERS ARE HUMAN, TOOFrom Julie Lubbers
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TL;DRIt’s a longstanding myth that professionals and leaders must repress their vulnerabilities to appear strong and in charge. It only took a global pandemic to completely turn that idea on its head. In fact, Fast Company reports that vulnerability, not bluster and bravado, is the key trait of top leaders post-pandemic.
WHY IT MATTERSAs Sheila Heti said in How Should a Person Be?:
“Most people live their entire lives with their clothes on, and even if they wanted to, couldn’t take them off. Then there are those who cannot put them on. They are the ones who live their lives not just as people but as examples of people. They are destined to expose every part of themselves, so the rest of us can know what it means to be a human.”
The best employees and leaders aren’t those that show up as untouchable perfect creatures, but rather those that live as examples of what it’s like to be human. Once perceived as a weakness, today, vulnerability is seen as a strength that fosters respect and connection. It’s in that zone of discomfort, not comfort, that people and organizations grow together.
ONE THING YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW
Dare to lead with vulnerability.
THOUGHTSWhile many recognize the power of 'vulnerability’ as a concept, it’s not as easy to practice it in real life. Researcher and professor Rene Brown sums that feeling up: “It’s easier for me to give people permission to be human when things are hard than it is for me to give it to myself.”
Admittedly, I struggle with this, too. But through conversations with co-workers this past year, in which they have shared the more vulnerable parts of themselves, I have been inspired to do the same. It’s because of these conversations, not despite them, that I respect, admire, trust, and connect with them more today than ever. And why I’m ready to lead by example with others. So, pass it on.
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THE HARD ROAD HAS A BETTER VIEWFrom Cristina Pansolini
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TL;DRAs more businesses and brands talk about the importance of a shared mission and values amongst their workforce, the unspoken truth is that it is easier to achieve this culture with coworkers who are similar to one another. But easier can often mean lower quality. As HBR points out, more diverse teams are usually higher performing, but also encounter obstacles and face resistance.
WHY IT MATTERSIt is human nature to gravitate towards tribalism, with studies showing that we naturally rally against those who do not meet collective group standards, or are seen as ‘other.’ To combat this instinct while encouraging and benefiting from team diversity in talent, experiences, and perspectives, leaders must embrace otherness and the work that comes with it. The key part of this work is aligning on shared values, which provide a common thread and foundation for differing opinions, working styles, backgrounds, and personalities.
ONE THING YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW
Create a foundation of commonality by identifying and upholding shared values.
THOUGHTSCultivating a workplace that not only prioritizes diversity but fosters its benefits takes more than an engaged HR and resourcing team. To create an environment that embraces the challenges of diversity in service of a better functioning society and business, find themes within the frustrations or obstacles. Utilize these themes as the barriers to entry, digging into each one to find the common ground and ultimately, the shared value that becomes a pillar of working together.
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