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In this time of renewed commitment to racial justice and workplace equity, many organizations are critically analyzing their practices, policies, and organizational culture through this new lens. Arguably, organizational cultures rarely change on their own without a significant jolt and that means that this moment requires boldness – bold action by companies, bold risks by leaders and oftentimes bold and courageous conversations in everyday workplaces. Changing the status quo may require questioning the way we’ve always done things, challenging traditional processes, reconsidering decision-making criteria and even calling out or pushing back on some comments and assumptions. While being bold might feel quite natural (even cathartic) for some, the truth is that it can be awkward and downright terrifying for others.
All that said, this doesn't mean you shouldn't be thoughtful (even careful) with how you broach these issues or handle difficult situations when they present themselves. Too often though the most dangerous choice is to simply do nothing – say nothing because it feels uncomfortable. Indeed, claiming antiracism may be popular, but doing the work certainly isn’t easy so here are a few suggestions to consider when broaching difficult race related conversations.
1. Pick the right time. If you just finished watching an intense documentary and are still reeling a bit emotionally, it's probably prudent to take a step back and collect yourself before launching into a diatribe on the group’s questionable promotion practices. Rarely, do we choose the best words when we're highly emotional. To be clear, it can be perfectly appropriate (even necessary at times) to display authentic emotion around this sensitive issue, but just make sure you're in charge of your message and your emotion isn’t in charge of you.
2. Pose provocative questions. As a facilitation trainer, I learned long ago that one of the best ways to broach a difficult topic is to turn it into a question. Particularly in group settings, questions can be powerful ways to surface issues in a less threatening way. Example: “Given our renewed focus on antiracism, should we possibly review our conference speaker lineup to ensure we’re comfortable with the diversity of speakers?”
3. Use "we" vs. "I" language. Using inclusive “we” vs. “I” language can subtly suggest common interests and goals. Quite likely, you’re not the only one with your point of view. You just may be the only one who feels strongly enough about it to say something. Example: “I’m sure we all agree that this organization isn’t where it needs to be on the issues of antiracism and inclusion, so it might be helpful to think through how we might reflect equity and inclusion in our team goals and metrics.”
4. Do your research. The data around the case for increased inclusion is overwhelming so be sure you bring the facts. If your company has no people of color on its board, that's a fact. If your company lags behind its industry peers on key diversity and inclusion metrics, that's a fact. If your company uses very few suppliers of color, that's a fact. As they say, "we're entitled to our own opinions but not our own facts." Bringing the data is so important because it helps make the case in a very objective way, and many leaders are more responsive to data than emotion. While equity is a human rights issue and shouldn’t require a business case, it generally doesn’t hurt to equip yourself with statistics around the financial/business benefits of diversity and inclusion.
5. Find allies. If you want to bring up a difficult issue during a meeting, consider checking with a few others who might hold similar views but just haven’t been courageous enough to speak up. If they will cosign on your idea, it will not just make it easier to raise but also provide powerful momentum to help the idea or issue gain even more traction. Having said that, remember that this moment requires boldness and some risk so don’t make this a prerequisite for action. Remember that Rosa didn't take a poll before she acted. She just acted.
6. Be authentic and clear. It’s my fervent belief that every human being on the planet has the right (if not the responsibility) to stand up for themselves and demand respect in the workplace – hard stop. Thus, there should be no shame or equivocation about calling out microaggressions or failings where necessary. Example: “Guys as the only person of color on this team, I would be doing our organization a disservice by not calling attention to our continued lack of diversity within leadership levels. I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking that we can do better. Your thoughts?” Sure, this type of diversion from regular programming just may create a bit of frost in the room, but discomfort is often a feature, not a bug on the path towards racial justice.
7. Stay focused. Oftentimes when others feel defensive, they attack the messenger or try to pivot to a completely different topic. Choose your words carefully to minimize discussion scope creep. For example, there’s a difference between asking “How is our company doing on diversity and inclusion?” vs. “How many Blacks are represented on the executive leadership team?” The latter is much more focused while the former may be an invitation for vague equivocation, excuses and off topic rambling. It’s important to stay focused, be absolutely clear in your position and even suggest continuing the conversation at a later time if you feel the atmosphere has degenerated.
8. Be action oriented. If you’re going to focus on a specific problem, come with a specific solution (or at least a recommendation) of how to address the problem. This does not mean that it’s acceptable for groups with a history of decades of rampant discrimination or a toxic culture to lay the problem in the lap of their one Black leader and charge them with solving it. Nor does it mean that as soon as you voice a race related concern, you should then be expected to start and lead a new diversity committee. It does however suggest that if you’re going to raise specific problems, you should have already thought through some suggestions on how to address them.
Contrary to how some may choose to spin it, standing up for your values and/or demanding respect in an unapologetic and authentic way is not disrespectful to the organization. It's calling the organization to be better. It's asking an organization that you love to become a better version of itself. Yes, most would agree that if the organization is completely antithetical to your values, it's probably time to move on, but in some ways, that’s the easier option (albeit the right choice in certain circumstances). The harder more impactful approach is rolling up your sleeves to broach the hard conversations, take the blow back but continue to move forward fully expecting the organization to evolve and be better. As the late U.S. Representative Elijah Cummings chided Congress during a testy IRS hearing, "We're better than that." And of course, he was right. It was what the body needed to hear - even though it may not have been what they wanted to hear. Similarly, in our workplaces, we must realize that organizational cultures won’t transform by osmosis. It will require consistent, deliberate action and more than a few courageous conversations.
