Michelle and Maria continue their Tough Talk series of random discussions here today by once again addressing the critical topic of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Joining them today is Joe Gast, a professional who trains on DEI initiatives, and who absolutely lives, eats, and breathes this topic each and every day, and whose insights are, as you will hear, incredibly valuable in this area.
They begin by looking at ‘The Great Resignation’ which the workforce is currently experiencing, and then they go on to explore labels and identity, the impact of biases, the importance of being open and accepting, and the evolving nature of gender and sexual orientation nomenclature. How companies use the information they gather on applications, gender based restroom issues, the necessity for starting to have conversations in this space, and how DEI is defined and applied are all discussed as well. This informative and instructive episode comes to a powerful close with Joe offering his highly regarded advice for listeners navigating this all important component within organizations – practical wisdom that all should take to heart.
The Finer Details of This Episode:
Quotes:
“Surround yourself by people who are different than you, and build a relationship with them to a point where you can have tough questions, or you can ask tough questions, and not just immediately shut down during that conversation.”
“There is a difference between a label and someone's identity.”
“No one wants to be invisible, no one wants to be unnoticed, no one wants to be ignored, and most people are looking for representation.”
“Nobody wins until we all win, until everyone makes it across the finish line.”
“I think that DEI is important because it starts to redefine what normal is.”
“The best way for us to learn about DEI is just watch children.”
“If we could start to look at employees, managers, applicants, candidates, trainees, that person sitting in my office, that person I'm interviewing on Zoom, in that lens that we don't care what they are, what those labels and identity things are, but I care who you are, and I hear what you're bringing to the table, I think we'd be a lot further ahead.”
“I think that for us to be successful in an HR training organization at this point, and even in regards to organizational development evenly, we just have to be open to the conversation, be willing to listen. People want to be listened to.”
“I had to realize that that was just my defense mechanism to stay in a place that is comfortable for me that I'm used to.”
“I want people to know I'm a safe space.”
“It's okay to say, ‘You know what? I don't have all the answers, but you know what? Let's seek the answers together.’”
“If someone is a child molester, they're gonna molest a child no matter what. They don't need to run to a restroom dressed as the opposite sex to do it.”
“If...one of your listeners listens to this conversation, and brings that to the workplace, or brings that to a manager or to a team member or an employee that they've not known how to address or talk to before, well, then we've already been part of the solution, not part of the problem.”
“It is your responsibility as an employer to keep all your employees safe, and that means you're going to have to start having conversations with people. They're going to be super uncomfortable, and you're not going to know how to have them, and I would advise you to seek out someone who is comfortable leading those conversations in uncomfortable places.”
“We need to start to see people and recognize people for not what they are, but who they are. That will be the game changer.”
Show Links:
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