_{Volume 1, Issue 4, November 2022}

Welcome to Volume 1, Issue 4 of The Root.

In order to support our growth, we require a strong network of roots.  They anchor us and serve as a conduit for nutrients to help us develop and deliver on our goals.

During this holiday season, we are focusing on Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging.  From an individual or organizational lens, we hold a mirror to ask, are we leading on the surface?  Do we hold ourselves and others accountable to seeing beyond our biases. Biases creep in, mostly unintentionally – because we need to move fast. 

We are naturally attracted to those who work and think like we do.    

I dig in to determine the root cause – and how we manage these unintentional biases.  

Our focus on Diversity includes LGBTQIA+, gender, race, religion, age and those with visible or invisible disabilities.

Thank you for following along our journey to Aspire to Grow.

Check us out at www.aspiretogrow.co <the .com domain was taken, but I like to think of it as “.co” for co-create>.

Off the Shelf – My Book Pick

Leading Below the Surface – How to Build Real (& Psychologically Safe) Relationships with People Who Are Different From You, by LaTonya Wilkins

The book Leading Below the Surface by LaTonya Wilkins is amazing.  As I dip my toe (or whole foot) into the world of belonging and those who are underrepresented in corporate settings, I am excited to read the research, real-life examples and tools LaTonya Wilkins has created.  More importantly, her book is written from a perspective of a black, gay woman who has direct experiences in corporate HR.   

Like many of us, Wilkins found herself sitting in conference rooms to see that while we talk about DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging), many organizational policies and actions fall short of truly providing inclusion beyond the manager and director levels.  Many leaders are not minimizing bias to allow for greater sense of belonging and inclusion of underrepresented employees. 

Research shows diversity increases innovation.  So why are we not embracing this at all levels?

Meritocracy, defined as a system in which people are chosen or moved into success, power or influence on the basis of demonstrated abilities and merit (Merriam-Webster), is embodied in the current performance measurement systems, only allows for few to succeed. The calibration discussions of “ability” can be subjectively judged by those in power (typically white male power structures).

KPEs – Knowledge, Perspectives and Experiences

HOW we are measured can be impacted by THOSE who are measuring us.    It’s related to our KPEs (Knowledge, Perspectives and Experiences). We all have very different KPEs depending on where we were raised, how we were raised and our socioeconomic backgrounds. Most of those who are underrepresented in corporate culture have different KPEs.   While DEI efforts aim to bring people with different KPEs into the system, they are expected to conform to the dominant leadership standard (typically white male educated at a highly revered university).   

Check out Stop Telling Women They Have Imposter Syndrome as an example — The article’s theme of the current power structure easily resonates with anyone who is different than the current standard.

Human Bias

Sometimes, exclusion is not intentional

Humans naturally want to fit in – we look for a sense of belonging with our friends, families and the organizations.  Because we are wired to find the simplest solution, we look toward those ideas and people that look like us (Wilkins says this process actually releases oxytocin into our bloodstream – as we are drawn to people who make us feel included), resulting in positive feelings and bonding.  This can impart bias super easily. 

Leaders with similar KPEs are drawn to those with similar KPEs.  These KPEs create biases or shortcuts for our brains. The 3 Key Biases (“the terrible three”):

• Affinity Bias – we favor and are drawn to people like us (this occurs in all the circles of our life)
• Confirmation Bias – we recall information that aligns with our beliefs
• In-Group Bias (In-Group Favoritism) – we prefer those who are in our in-group

Do any of these feel familiar?

<Remember -it may be a normal bias, but it’s important to be aware to self-correct.> 

How many of your recent hires were very similar to you?  

Are promotions based on people who are very similar to you? 

Are the highest ratings attributed to employees who have similar KPEs? 

Audit yourself and your leadership team to become more self-aware.

How to Lead Below the Surface

The REAL Framework

Wilkins provides a framework to help us build the Inclusion muscle.  She refers to this as the REAL Model:  Relatable, Equitable, Aware and Loyal.

• Relatable: These leaders are authentic and aren’t afraid to share uncomfortable things about themselves and they remain curious
• Equitable: These leaders are committed to share resources and space, and raise others’ voices (including those who are underrepresented)
• Aware: These leaders are conscious of their decisions and potential blind spots and biases that can impact decisions
• Loyal: These leaders create safe environments for success, failure and innovation – they forgive mistakes to increase psychological safety

Do you lead below the surface level?

Which REAL qualities do you exhibit?

Which REAL qualities do you need to bring into your daily practice? 

Wilkins provides so much more information on leading with empathy and building psychological safety. 

Check this book out — complete the internal self-assessments to determine your level of leadership, and the ways to become a more REAL leader.  It’s never too late.  

---

Stream On – My Podcast Pick

Dimensions of Diversity: Neurodiversity: Being Autistic and Encountering the Workplace 

There are many great choices of podcasts focusing on diversity and inclusion in the workplace.   This month, I listened to Dimensions of Diversity: Neurodiversity; Being Autistic and Encountering the Workplace. 

Courtney A. Munnings, Attorney, Autistic, Neurodiversity Advocate, Speaker and Certified Life Coach speaks about her journey as an autistic black woman, who became aware of her autism after law school.

As a coach, I see an unmet need for those who are silent (or not silent) experiencing invisible disabilities, including chronic migraines, anxiety and depression, ADHD, dyslexia, brain injury and chronic autoimmune conditions.  I’m learning more about the struggles and extra effort these individuals face to complete amazing work despite their differences. 

Accommodating Employees

Munnings speaks about the different working and learning styles associated with autistic employees and leaders. Minor accommodations and tools can provide optimal experiences for all employees (not just those with different learning styles).

The website AskJan.org (Job Accommodation Network) provides a list of accommodations that can benefit all employees.

The accommodations are provided for multiple disabilities and chronic conditions. Things as simple as extra time, detailed process steps, lighting and font size can go a long way to offering an additional support for work success.

If you are like me, this new awareness left me wondering, what have I been missing for my employees who may be suffering in silence?

Masking & Universal Design

Many people with invisible disabilities “mask” their conditions for fear of being different and for the desire to fit in.  But this “masking” takes additional effort and energy. More employees are masking difficulties than you might imagine – resulting in potential decreased productivity or increased absenteeism.

Employees may not feel comfortable asking for accommodations but using Universal Design when developing systems and work environments allows everyone to have the most optimal work experience.

Universal Design includes the following 7 Principles:

1. Equitable use
2. Flexibility in use
3. Simple and intuitive
4. Noticeable information
5. Tolerance of error
6. Low physical effort
7. Size (and shape) for approach and use

Some of the invisible disabilities that millions of Americans deal with everyday are listed below.  This list is by no means all encompassing.  Consider the impact of Long COVID, cancer, etc.

Mindful Moments

Traditions at American Thanksgiving

While many countries celebrate Thanksgiving at different times of the year, in the US, we celebrate on the last Thursday of November.

Growing up in Michigan, our Thanksgiving dinner centered around the traditional Detroit Lions Thanksgiving Day football game.  As a Lion’s fan, we are mostly used to a losing season, but there is a sense of nostalgia that goes along with the day, the parades and the game.   

For the last 10 years, my family and I get up early to participate in the local turkey trot (almost all of us), and then we all have breakfast at the local Cracker Barrel (even the sleepy heads who didn’t make it to the fun run). I’m not sure how Cracker Barrel was chosen. We only go there on Thanksgiving Day. 

At Thanksgiving, we are all together. Last year, we even adopted 3 new “family members” to join our tradition.  

• We all take part in cooking the dinner.
• We sip mimosas. 
• We watch football. 
• We enjoy dinner & conversation. 

It’s super special.  Here’s hoping you all spend Thanksgiving with the people you care about. 

Sincerely, Kathleen