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…)
Imagine that you’ve just joined a new organization or department or been appointed to lead a significant new project. You’re excited about your new role and have been given a charge by your new leader regarding specific outcomes and metrics to achieve. You took some time to evaluate the challenge ahead and get to know the team, and you’re ready to make some “quick wins.” There are obvious areas for improvement that will impact organizational metrics favorably. As you meet with your colleagues and team members to introduce your plans, their responses are muted. They don’t seem to appreciate the value of these initiatives. You continue to meet with key people one-on-one to gain their support and probe for issues, but you keep hitting a wall filled with excuses, pushback and noncommitment. What’s wrong? You’ve entered a “no wake zone.”