Recently On the Blog
Conversation 2: (Re)Defining Leadership
Now that we’ve discussed our origin stories and how we came to this work, it’s time to examine how we define leadership.
Conversation 1: Telling Our Origin Stories
Telling our origin stories is the first essential conversation for shared leadership. Reflect on and share with one another your backgrounds, beliefs, assumptions, and commitments.
Why Even Good People Don’t Like DEI Trainings
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how even good people are often unhappy with the training they’ve experienced and what we can do about it. After reflecting on my own experiences participating in employer-sponsored DEI trainings, I recently headed to LinkedIn and asked “Why do people dread DEI trainings?” I’ve compiled a list of some of the reasons these experiences are often frustrating.
What Is Shared Power?
Shared power requires that we see power as abundant, not scarce. We must think about what power is and dominance as two different things. We must see power is being available to all, regardless of identity.
Data For Justice: Interview with Erin Butler and Mia Henry
Mia Henry interviews Erin Butler on how and what it means to use data and data collection to improve justice + equity training and serve social movements.
The Transformative Power of Apologizing: Being Accountable in the Workplace and at Home
A reflective and sincere apology is a necessary first step for any possibility of shifting a relationship. In the workplace or at home.
3 Podcasts to Expand Our Understanding of Identity & Power
I personally love podcasts! Interesting audio content soothes my heart, keeps me company, and feeds my constant curiosity… and I know I’m not alone.
The number of available podcasts is growing each year, and the number of podcast listeners has grown exponentially throughout the last year.
Since I mostly work from home, I like to listen to podcasts while taking a break from work to walk around my neighborhood - or sometimes in the car, on road trips. When I listen to really good episodes (or read interesting books and articles), the ever-curious student in me wants to share what I’m learning with you!
My hope in sharing these 3 podcast episodes is that they serve to expand our conversations about identity and power (in the workplace and beyond).
Why We Chose Hybrid Learning for Equity Education
When it comes to justice & equity training, the hybrid (recorded & live) approach wins hands down. As a seasoned facilitator, I still believe strongly in the benefits of live, synchronous learning.
Learning to Press Pause
One of the ways my own relationships have suffered in the past is that I moved forward in my work and personal plans quickly… without checking in with myself. I tend to want to just get it done or keep it moving. So learning to pause and check in with how I am feeling, to survey my options, and get a little advice before taking my next steps has been a critical lesson for me. This has been particularly important learning for me during this last trip around the sun.
Why You Shouldn't Wait to Train Your Team on Justice and Equity
You know it’s important, but it can be hard to find time (or choose the “right” time) to train your team on justice and equity. Plus, there are so many choices out there, it’s almost impossible to know what will work for your people and what won’t. You might feel like it is simply easier to put off this decision until later (much later).
How to Use Community Interviews to Hire Within Nonprofits
A community interview is one part within the final phases of the hiring process, where community members (from within the organization or those who are impacted by it) will be invited to participate in selecting the best candidate for the open position.
How to Start Your JEDI Team: 5 Keys to Success
Too many teams wander aimlessly toward justice. After working with dozens of organizations that have attempted to institutionalize JEDI leadership through committees, we have witnessed various degrees of success. We have seen some organizations create a team that fizzles out in months, and others have people seeing success within weeks. Let’s take a closer look at what it takes to create a successful JEDI team.
Doing DEI work in your organization? Start with Justice.
Justice does not only ask who is represented at our table but moves us to inquire about who is served at the table that has been set. Further, it asks: Are there any barriers that prevent certain people from being served? It requires that we name and examine historical and current systems of oppression. It helps us expand the conversation beyond diversity and embrace the complexity of addressing oppression in all its forms, not just marginalization.