Courage is when a leader builds a values-based culture that puts more control in the hands of employees, accepting that the outcome is unpredictable. That’s a bad outcome at any time, but in tight talent markets, it’s a one-way ticket to mediocrity.Ĭontrary to business clichés, courage is not betting the company on a new product. Leadership may wind up left with people who agree that only part of themselves should come to work or who feel powerless to change the situation.
The CEO must admit that it’s not within their power to compel that. If the CEO pleads for greater engagement, they are asking employees to put more of themselves into their work. If a CEO says all decisions are based on maximizing shareholder value, then employees know where they stand. The difficult conversation starts when a leader admits the constraints on their own power, and this is also a clarifying moment. You can certainly squelch it and discourage it, or conversely, you can embrace it. The only way employees bring their power to work is if it’s in service of their own values. You don’t own that power, your employees do. Leaders talk about empowering people as if empowerment were a tangible asset.
Change has been slow, in part because of nonstop crises (a time when most leaders focus on limiting the damage) and in part because cultural change calls for re-arranging both how people work together and how they’re rewarded in material and psychological terms.īringing our whole selves to work means going beyond the box-checking, virtue-signaling and good-intentions posing and digging into the hard conversations. But Emmanuel Acho – the former NFL player and host of “Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man” – says that in order for the US to truly be the “land of the free.we’ve got to get a little uncomfortable.Stakeholder capitalism was embraced with great fanfare (and analysis) by the Business Roundtable two years ago. The more we talk to each other about race and confront racial inequalities when we see them, the better chance we have at achieving an anti-racist society. Her perspective is that “you can garner someone's respect and their attention if you go to them privately rather than embarrassing them and calling them out in public.” It’s something she knows from experience ( cough Hannah Brown cough). If someone says something offensive in a public setting, like work, Rachel Lindsay – an attorney and the first Black “Bachelorette” – thinks you may get a better outcome by talking to them privately. And share how you felt when you saw a video of that violence – like the killing of George Floyd.īe cognizant of your surroundings. Beverly Tatum – the author of “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?” – recommends using statements with the words “felt, found, and feel.” Example: if someone says they don’t think police brutality is a systemic problem, you could say you found out about how often Black Americans face police violence. People can take things personally and can be defensive – especially when you know them well. If you feel like the conversation is getting away from you, Ijeoma Oluo – the author of “So You Want to Talk About Race”– advises taking a break and saying something like, “'Right now, emotions are a bit high.Can we come back to this in a day or two?” Then actually follow up.į words are your friend. Some people like a heated discussion (see: lawyers). Tiffany Warren – SVP and Chief Diversity Officer for Omnicom, as well as the founder and president of ADCOLOR – makes the case that in these conversations, “correction is secondary to education.” In order to have an effective conversation, try to be open, have empathy, and guide the conversation to your end goal. Don’t just sit there waiting to share your next point, listen to the other person’s response to better understand them and make them feel heard. Then, be compassionate so they’re more comfortable sharing their honest opinions. Kwame Christian – a mediator, author, and speaker – says the best way to begin a tough conversation is to tell the other person you know it’s going to be hard. By having an intention, the conversation is less likely to derail.īe open. That could be to address an offensive term or phrase someone used, or to let someone know how their behavior has made you or others feel. It’s helpful if you go into these conversations with a goal in mind. We’ve pulled together some tips that can help.
Speaking out and having conversations about race can be uncomfortable. And many Americans (predominately White Americans) are being asked to step up as allies. George Floyd’s death and subsequent protests have sparked a national debate about systemic racism and injustice.