Inclusivity at Work: Reflections from the Playground
Inclusivity at Work: Reflections from the Playground
Think back a few years to when you were in elementary, middle, or high school. The dynamics of navigating the playground and hanging out around school was often just as much of a challenge as mastering your classes. Sure, for some it seemed easy, but for others it was fraught with social stress of making friends, keeping friends, avoiding bullies, trying to be the bully, finding acceptance, and developing trusting relationships.
I recently read an article about a woman who recounted being bullied in school. This, along with other aspects of her personality contributed to psychological trauma as she grew up. Years later she decided to reach out to her childhood classmates to interview them about what they were experiencing during those years. This wasn’t an attempt to cause them any distress, but simply to understand how they viewed the same experiences.1 (more…)
We’re in a time where leaders must determine the role that they want to play in advancing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in their companies. Events over the past six months, including the senseless killings of Black people, the stories that many people of all races have shared about their experiences, and social unrest impacting all facets of our lives, have once again brought this issue to the forefront of our consciousness. I say, “once again”, because it’s nothing new, it’s been cyclical in our nation’s history, yet it’s reached a new level of awareness.