“DEI Hire?” Seriously?!
Calling someone a “DEI hire” is a racist, bigoted, and misogynistic insult. It implies that the only reason a person in a position of power or authority got their job was because of a handout or a numerical preference based on race, ethnicity, or gender. It also wrongly assumes that any white male in a senior position earned his role purely on merit, which anyone who has worked with or for an...
Handling Political and Social Tensions in the Workplace
Who Should Read This? If you’re part of the C-suite, working in HR, leadership development, diversity, equity and inclusion, learning and development, or organizational and cultural development, this blog post is for you. You’ll find this content particularly useful if you’re looking for: Practical, proactive approaches to mitigate workplace tensions. Real-world examples of what can be...
This Independence Day – Character Matters
Recently I had the honor to meet a former US Army Colonel and current non-profit CEO at a prestigious leadership awards event in San Diego (he won!). Our conversation turned to the coming election, and I wondered aloud if this would be our last time celebrating Independence Day as a functioning democracy. The Colonel paused thoughtfully for a moment and then responded in a way that offered...
Clash of Ages: Navigating the Multigenerational Workplace
Currently there are five generations at work in almost every organization, and they have an enormous range of experiences and influences. The oldest is the “silent generation,” – also known as the traditionalists – born between 1928 and 1945. As children they most likely experienced the impacts of the Great Depression and WW2, and were alive before the miracle drug penicillin was...
The Business Case for Respect Is Not Enough
Assuming that members of the C-Suite won’t make a move in any direction without a compelling business case for action, I’ve been working for decades to find and present data that convinces leaders that respect and Respectful Leadership™ really do make a powerful, positive difference in what I call the “3 P’s” – partnership, productivity, and performance. At the Center for Respectful...
Return to Office: A Closer Look at the Latest Trends
Welcome back, colleagues and fellow industry observers! Today, we at the Center for Respectful Leadership are delving into compelling findings on the return-to-office (RTO) policies and hybrid work dynamics that are reshaping our work environments, as highlighted in our latest “The Respectful Leader Emergency Updates” series from March 21, 2024, titled “RTO – Return to...
Navigating the Turbulent Waters of Workplace Culture and Election Politics
Greetings, distinguished HR executives and leaders! It’s a pleasure to connect with you. I’m Gregg Ward, steering the ship at the Center for Respectful Leadership. Today, I’d like to draw your attention to a significant issue at hand — the 2024 elections casting a long shadow over the workplace. First, let me introduce our center, founded half a decade ago. Our mission: to...
“Are They Talking About Me?”
Recently, clients in the global financial services sector have asked for our guidance on a challenging workplace issue that I’ll call “the assumption of negative intent.” Shortly after the Israeli-Hamas conflict exploded in October, Jewish employees in these large companies based on the US’s East Coast began complaining to HR about other employees speaking in Arabic to each other at work...
4 KEYS TO ‘INFLUENCING UP’
This week’s article is fromMaya Hu-Chan – thank you for always being a Voice for Respect! INFLUENCING UP IS A STEP ABOVE MANAGING UP, AND IT CAN HAVE A BIG IMPACT. HERE ARE FOUR WAYS TO DO IT. Most people know how important it is to manage up. It takes day-to-day effort to successfully navigate the working relationship with a direct boss. But influencing up can be just as...