The most important decision we will make -- how to remove barriers to people’s unique capabilities.
Dr. Frances Frei, Harvard, author of Unleashed
Thoughts/Reflections –
Ignorance, in my view, is generally at the root of most tragic situations, including the execution of George Floyd. This is why a quality education is such a sacred right. In that spirit, I reached out to several people much smarter in this space than me, to provide some direction, learning, and action.
Inclusion then Diversity --
Diverse teams dramatically eclipse homogeneous teams, but only when there is a feeling of inclusion. Dr. Frances Frei addressed this timely topic, given the tragic events of this week (and centuries), a couple weeks ago during her 10-minute Summit keynote. Here’s a link to her insightful presentation. Change starts with learning – then decision and action (LDA). Please encourage your team members to review her presentation and then read her new book, released this week, titled Unleashed: The Unapologetic Leader’s Guide to Empowering Everyone Around You. Learn, decide, act.
This from Harvard Business Review –
I didn’t have time to seek permission, so I’m begging forgiveness for sharing, verbatim, this summary of an insightful HBR article titled “US Business Must Take Meaningful Action Against Racism.”
If you’re a business leader in the U.S., no matter your ethnic or political identity, you have an opportunity to speak up and take meaningful action against racism right now. Of course, no one leader’s language can fix the deep-seated, systemic racial injustice in America. But the right words can be a salve for the widespread pain that so many are experiencing — and it can set the conditions for an action-oriented culture. If you are a leader who is not Black, don’t approach statements or conversations about racism with a defensive mindset, don’t make sweeping generalizations about people’s feelings, words, or actions, and, crucially, don’t rely on your Black and brown colleagues to educate you on the news or social justice initiatives. Acknowledge what you don’t know, commit to listening and learning, and pledge to use your position of power to effect change. Do the research to understand current events, using data from reliable sources. Give your Black and brown employees the space to be angry, afraid, disenchanted, or even disengaged from work. Seek out support and reading materials from your human resources team or office of diversity and inclusion. Create space for continued reflection, discussion, and vulnerability by making it clear that you care and are available. Finally, take meaningful action: Make a strong public statement, donate to Black-owned businesses and social justice causes in your community, form a committee on racial justice and reform — there are countless ways to help build a better future. Find a few that align with your organization, and make a commitment to them. Racism isn’t just Black people’s problem, and inaction is a tacit endorsement of the status quo.
Fogbreak Justice –
Shanti Brien has a consulting company that teaches police forces and their admin staff implicit bias and leadership. She has also been an appellate attorney for 20 years and is about to publish her book, Almost Innocent. Her organization, Fogbreak Justice, has been working on the transformation of the criminal justice system for many years and is looking to connect with people who are interested in the issue. She wrote a blog post about what actions people can take right now (besides or in addition to protesting). We must do more than talk, we must act. Please take 2 minutes to read her post – then decide and act.
Life, Liberty, Property
What we’ve seen this week, and over the centuries, are violations of three sacred human rights – life, liberty, and property. A citizen’s life was taken at the hands of government forces – without due process of law. We’ve seen speech censored – and protests prevail. We’ve seen property destroyed and people rebelling against the feeling they’re still property. I pray we learn and never lose sight of these fundamental rights. And that we continue to face these tragedies with love vs. loathe. Be safe, be free.