Things I’ve Heard From Leaders - 3

“Members of my team don’t think issues of race, sex, etc. exist at our company.”

👂Things I’ve Heard From Leaders - Part 3

Why would a team want to address issues they think don’t exist in their company or organization? Short answer: they don’t. 

The challenge is in showing your team how these issues do show up, often in subtle ways. You might ask your team to reflect on:

• Does anyone do impressions, accents, etc.? If so, how do others react when they do?

• If you work in a physical office, who normally cleans up? Who never cleans up?

• If someone has a question about a community or population different from their own, who do they go to for answers?

• Is there an expectation or assumption that someone will work with a client or customer because they look “alike”?

• During meetings, who usually takes notes (and it’s not in their job description)? Who never does? 

These are just a few examples of questions you can ask your team to encourage them to see the subtle ways that racism and sexism (not to mention ableism, classism, and other ‘isms’) show up in everyday life.