Hi reader, we're going to skip #5 for today and move straight to my reflections on the fourth most-read post from 2022.
#4 | "Who Woke The Business Bro?" (July 9)
There's not much I can add that is specifically related to this post. It's a short piece with an obvious point, though I suppose whether the point is obvious or not depends on how clearly you've thought about this topic. I can also note that there is an element of a "TOA special" here in the way it's crafted to give any type of reader an angle for disagreement (or maybe I should say - it doesn't finish where it started, another TOA hallmark). But I'm not feeling compelled to add to any of the above today.
Maybe the only real observation I can make about this post is that it's a good example of why I don't share TOA with my current colleagues. I've been involved in my organization's DEI group since late 2019. It's been a good experience despite slow progress, but for the most part I've been able to maintain my commitment and stick with the process. The past year or so (at the time of the post, it would have been a few months) was a turning point for me. I think my patience gave way to frustration far more easily than it did in the first two years, with a consistent source of this feeling stemming from those who prioritized learning ahead of working toward the organization's stated goals. I can partner with anyone who values learning, in fact I am more than willing to play some role in contributing to their learning process, but in this specific context I've started to feel that the "learning process" operates a lot like a small child's "eating process" - waiting around until someone more experienced serves a highly curated, easily digestible nugget at just the right time. Would you like to try a carrot, even if it's a little uncomfortable? No, of course not, since eating includes only the things you are comfortable eating. Would you like to tell me you're hungry? No, I should just know, to spare you the vulnerability of admitting you need my help.
But there is another angle, which goes back to something I mentioned in the original post. Despite my frustrations maybe what's happening is actually the right thing, and I'm simply failing to accept my role in the next step of the process. I suppose it's reasonable that I should help others continue the learning process that they began in June 2020, and that they should define this process rather than me. OK, I can entertain that idea. But if this is the case, then shouldn't reality be reflected in the paycheck? Schools pay the teachers, not the students. At perhaps the most basic level this is what DEI in the workplace is all about - recognizing, valuing, and compensating people for the work produced through their skills and experience, which in the DEI context often refers to such that have traditionally escaped acknowledgment. In an organization such as mine, there is a strong emphasis placed on having the qualifications to further DEI work, but no reward for those already in the team who are furthering DEI work. If we need to start somewhere, why not with those who are helping their colleagues develop and apply these skills to the work? I think as long as paychecks make no recognition of the ongoing work in the present, then it won't be possible to accomplish the goals set for the future.
