We write weekly on the issues that are top of mind for us as we do the work of driving equity, shifting culture and co-creating inclusion with our clients. To receive these posts via email, join our free weekly email series, Self-coaching for DEI advocates and leaders.
Change is a funny thing. I find that people, myself included, often get stuck in either being resistant to change because it's happening too fast and is out of our control or not in the direction we wanted, or being frustrated and feeling like we're banging our heads into walls and screaming into the wind because change isn't happening fast enough. Sometimes it feels like change isn't happening at all, or it's one step forward and three steps back.
Read MoreI'm feeling very fortunate to have shifted into what feels like a new phase of quarantine. It feels like my brain is working again and wow, what a relief!
Read MoreWhat has helped me to shift out of self-pity and despair has been to focus on the ways in which I can meet my needs, rather than all of the ways that other people or the current circumstances are failing to meet my needs.
It has reminded me of how we give up our power when we depend on others changing.
It doesn’t mean that we don’t need to hold people accountable, but that we can do so while still staying connected to our agency.
Read MoreIt's so interesting to me how so many of the people who are quarantined alone are suffering from isolation, and so many who are quarantined with family, especially with young kids, are suffering from a lack of alone time.
For some of us, the way we happen to be quarantined aligns better with our personality preferences than others.
And of course, some of us do not have the luxury or privilege of being quarantined at all.
Read MoreThe other day, someone shared with me that something they have learned, and that they've been practicing during this time, is: "I don't have to know what to do next."
Although I have known this for a while, it really hit me in the gut all over again. A sense of relief washed over me. I felt my entire body, heart, and soul exhale.
Are you holding on tightly to the idea that you have to have all the answers right now?
Read MoreHow I’m finding breathing space, and my podcast interview on Second Breaks with Lou Blaser: How Our Values and Natural Preferences Help Us in Times of Disruption
Read MoreI won't lie, it's been a rough week for me. I suspect it has been for many of us. I went to a dark place but today I had an aha moment that is helping me to feel better than I have all week.
Read MoreWhat if we could shift the ways in which we have been socialized to think and behave, and adjust to having our kids around not as a disruption but as a re-integration?
An article on "Traditional Indigenous Kinship Practices at Home: Being Child-Centered During the Pandemic" gave me a completely new perspective.
Read MoreNot only is it INHUMANE during a crisis of this scale, but it is going to hurt the organizations that do this in the long run.
Read MoreWe’ve been having frank and open conversations with leaders and HR folks at our client organizations about what equitable and inclusive leadership looks like at this time.
Based on these and various other conversations across multiple sectors and communities, here are some of our takeaways.
Read MoreWhat a week. Here in the US, I feel like we knew it was coming, but we weren't quite prepared for how fast, and things that seemed unthinkable just a week ago are now the "new normal." I know we are all adjusting as best we can.
I wanted to quickly reflect on and share some of the things that have been working for me during this time.
Read MoreGetting adjusted to the "new normal" and posing some questions.
What does anti-oppression and anti-racism work look like in a pandemic or other crisis?
How can we hold a growth mindset, create realistic plans, and promote transparency and open decision-making? How can we share rather than hoard power? How can we hold space for complexity? How can we collaborate?
Read MoreBeing able to heal others, heals me.
At the same time, it is so much harder to do for myself and for my children what I can do for others. To get my own truth back. To help myself be heard. To help my kids be heard.
Read MoreIt was an honor to chat with Joanna Bull of the Outside the Bubble podcast for teachers. We talked about unconscious bias and systems of oppression, delving into equity, racism, bullying, white privilege, systems of oppression, intent and impact, and more.
Read MoreIn my interview with Leana Delle on her podcast, Girlfriend We Need to Talk, we talk about how I use Myers-Briggs as a tool for unlearning assimilation, reconciling across differences and creating inclusion.
Read MoreWhat is your “zone of genius”? This is one of my favorite concepts from Gay Hendricks book, “The Big Leap.” I’ve found it a helpful guide to aligning with what energizes me so I can increase my impact without sacrificing myself in the process.
Read More
