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...
5 Ways To Make Sure Employees Know You Respect Them—And Why That’s Crucial For Success
This article originally appeared in FAST COMPANY on May 22, 2023. You can access it directlyHERE. For decades, employees have been told to pay their dues, to “deal with” workplace disrespect and drama, and that earning their bosses’ approval was priority number one. But now, it’s a different ballgame. Today’s millennial and Gen Z employees—who make up nearly half of all full-time U.S....
The Bullied and Their Guns
When I learned that the Texas school shooter was bullied in school, I couldn’t help but think back to my childhood. I was bullied mercilessly in middle and junior high school. I was beaten up, my lips cut, my glasses broken, and my clothing torn on a regular basis. I was called “f*gg*t” repeatedly, not because I was gay, but because I sang in the choir, and acted in plays and musicals, and...
7 Things You Can Say When Disrespect Goes Over the Line
Given recent events in the US and in many other countries, none of us should be surprised when we say that the evidence indicates that right now the amount of public disrespect – where people are saying and doing very disrespectful things to each other out in the open – is at, or approaching, an all-time high. As proof, we’ve already mentioned numerous incidents of public disrespect in...
Why the Chris Rock/Will Smith Oscar Altercation was a DE&I Issue
An Invited Opinion By Rainea Cumberbatch On Oscar night, Sunday March 27th, Will Smith became the fifth African American to win the prestigious Best Actor In a Leading Role award for his portrayal as Richard Williams in King Richard. The actor won the Oscar from an academy which, in it’s 94 years in existence, has only nominated 23 Black men for this award. We also watched Will Smith...
Will Smith “Apologized.” But Was It Full?
I’m pretty sure that by now most people have heard about the incident during the recent Academy Awards ceremony. No, not the industry-shaking fact that for the first time in history a streaming service won a Best Picture Oscar, for the indie film, “CODA,” (Children of Deaf Adults). Rather, everyone’s attention was galvanized by what is being called the “slap heard round the world,” actor Will...
5 Ways Disrespect in Your Company is Costing You
Conflict in the workplace has far-reaching consequences that go far beyond transient misunderstandings. My 20+ years of counseling executives from some of the world’s largest organizations on how respect affects the bottom line informed a lot of our work at The Center for Respectful Leadership. I work in the business ecosystem using two very distinct models – fix it or build it. I...
Practicing Regular Respect Is Easy Until It Isn’t
For the most part, while entering or exiting a public location such as an office building, coffee shop, or retailer, you’ll keep the door open for someone you don’t know. You’ll also say “excuse me” when you run into someone in public, if you’re like the vast majority of people. When someone sneezes, you’ll greet them with a “bless you.”...