“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...
Dear Corporate America: By Not Talking About It, You’re Sending a Clear Message
Shortly after the death of George Floyd in May of 2020, corporate statements and earnings call mentions of support for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) jumped through the roof. At that time and for at least two years afterward, it seemed that everyone was talking about the importance of DEI, ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) and Sustainability. Corporate leaders had finally...
The Changing Landscape of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has become an increasingly prominent focus for organizations over the last two decades. The murder of George Floyd in May of 2020 sparked a wave of public declarations of support by major US companies. However, recent political and legal developments have created new challenges and uncertainties around corporate and institutional DEI efforts. To better...
Here’s Why Your Employees Aren’t Talking
This article was originally published by Inc.com. Thank you Maya Hu-Chan for allowing us to republish your work. If you’re met with silence when you ask for input, these tips can start a dialogue. A question I often get from my clients is, “How do I get my employees to speak up?” They ask their teams to share their opinions and speak their minds, but they are most often met...
Celebrate Black history. All of it.
This is the first Black History Month in a time in which lynching is a federal crime and Juneteenth is a national holiday. Last March, President Biden signed the Emmett Till Antilynching Act — only three Republicans voted against the measure in the House, and the Senate passed it by unanimous consent. The preceding summer, the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act became law, when it, too,...
8 Ways to celebrate Black History Month in the workplace
As I mentioned last week, we will be honoring Black History Month weekly with the Respectfully Resist newsletter. Let us look inward and how you can create a safe and collaborative process to celebrate in the workplace. Here is part of a blog by Hi Bob Inc. If you haven’t already created events at your organization, let this article assist you in the brainstorming process. How can we celebrate...
A history of Black-owned businesses in the US
Throughout February, in celebration of Black History Month, our newsletter will feature history on Black owned businesses and commentary by Black business entrepreneurs. This week, we’re sharing a short history, with a timeline, of Black owned businesses in the US that was originally published by Hiscox insurance, which is The Center for Respectful Leadership’s insurer. Black-owned businesses...
Sympathy Versus Empathy and Why You Should Know the Difference
When one of my clients experienced discrimination in the workplace, she confided in a colleague. She had hoped to feel understood, validated, and supported. Instead, her colleague’s response made her feel dismissed and belittled. She was a high performer at her company, but she had recently been denied a leadership position. “You’re Asian,” her boss had said....
How to Successfully Manage Conflict Across Cultures
Conflict on global teams can show up in ways you may not expect. Here are the skills to navigate these moments. Ted and his team had reached a crisis point. Ted is a senior leader with a global company. His team had been collaborating cross-functionally on a project with another team, but the project had come to a standstill. The relationship between both teams had broken down, to the point of...