Bold for Change
Amongst the banners and slogans held proudly during the recent Women’s March in London there was one that particularly stuck with me. It read
‘Remaining neutral is not an option any more. The stakes are too high’
Remaining neutral is something I’m often guilty of. Not upsetting the apple cart, smoothing over difficult situations, keeping things on an even keel. I know I’m not alone in this. As human beings we are conditioned to make social situations as frictionless as possible, to play nicely, to establish a common ‘norm’ that we all fit into; a comfortable status quo that we all aim to operate neutrally within.
But what happens when the dominant norm or status quo serves the interest of one particular group rather than all equally?
Fitting in is a big part of agency life. We put great value on team chemistry. We work and play hard together. We enjoy the banter and the communal energy of being part of our world famous creative industry.
Being the one to point out the cracks is hard. If we’re honest it’s more than hard, we don’t want to be the one to be difficult or awkward. For some, especially junior colleagues, it’s a real fear about jeopardising popularity or promotion if they point out where our culture is less than equitable.
This is why #beboldforchange isn’t just a campaign to raise awareness; it’s a call to action.
A call to each and every one of us to critically assess our judgements and ways of working, to create an environment that actively encourages different points of view, that welcomes alternative life experiences to our own and allows us to safely question where we could do better. It means being honest with ourselves and others.
The stakes are too high for us not to. Not just within our corporate walls but in the wider world. For the first time Emotional Intelligence appeared on the 2016 World Economic Forum’s top ten skills to thrive in the future workplace; the ability to deploy empathy, to fully relate to and understand the impact of our own behaviour on others.
So we need to be crystal clear that #beboldforchange isn’t business as usual. The definition of being bold is ‘to be brave — a willingness to take risks, to be confident and courageous’ (OED). These are ACTIVE not neutral states and often don’t feel comfortable. But as the philosopher for our modern day Beyonce said ‘Transformation is uncomfortable’.
So that’s my pledge on International Women’s Day — to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. To move from being neutral to active when there are opportunities to address inequality or bias, to speak up especially when others feel voiceless and to get involved in agitating BOLD change for the better, for all.
