Caution: danger ahead!

I am stunned by the stories I'm hearing recently (four in a week) from coaching clients and companies about inclusion related issues. The stories were not about diversity; they were about people and how they experienced fear, embarrassment, anger, shock. Experiences that included racist comments from co-workers, being told their surroundings were offensive, being told that DEI efforts are just "too uncomfortable", and that being in the U.S. was just too scary for a non-white family to stay. 

In each situation, my clients were experiencing the same fear and panic that comes with a potential lion attack - our brains don’t know the difference between a lion and a manager, but certainly know it’s unsafe. Not exactly a productive work environment.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging is not about a 'nice to have' skillset. It's not about a future transformation. It's not about priority-setting, quotas, changing standards or token efforts. 

It's about being a human being and valuing who others are and their experiences. It's about being intentional about our own thoughts, actions and presence. It's about creating and committing to safety and belonging - basic, human needs for every person on this planet.  

While I'm angry and frustrated, I also experienced HOPE in talking with my clients: 

• The empathy & allyship in standing with and for their co-workers 

• The strength & courage a woman is building to stand up to others in injustice (directly or indirectly) to make the world a better place for her children

• The passion a manager has for learning and taking action to help his team feel safer, heard and included. He’s committed to being uncomfortable, vulnerable and accountable. 

I hope organizations, leaders and managers commit to being uncomfortable and to taking action in their role of safety and inclusion. It makes us better human beings, and if that's not a good enough reason, I’ll appeal to your business sense: it makes for more better results.