Working Better, Working Smarter
I don’t have a job. But I have worked in non-profit, government, retail, publishing, marketing and freelance.
The thing about not having a job (technically, being underemployed) is that you have less time to object to people’s suggestions about what you should do. The thing about having a job is that you’re so focused on keeping your job that you don’t have space to make improvements.
Are Recruiters, hiring managers, supervisors and anyone in power aware of the challenges facing employees? On-the job stress is a leading cause of disease, and with our high stakes economy the stress won’t subside soon.
Work alone is neither wholly good or wholly bad. It’s the quality and quantity of work that makes a difference to us.
When we work in spaces that don’t care about us, beyond what service we provide we feel the effects.
I once worked at a non profit that went out of the way to call us on a snow day to announce that employees were expected to come in to their offices. It was a terrible experience, that I railed about to friends and peers.
Of course every office has its idiosyncrasies. But management staff is responsible for the culture they are creating.
You can give your employees more work, force them to do extra labor, pile up the burdens in professional and personal interactions but it comes at a cost.
Is there a way out??
Is there a way to protect the bottom line while providing employees with the quality of experience that facilitates great work and achievement??
The role of race and racism in retaining talent
By fighting racism in the workplace and in ourselves we can set up the office to be a place where outrageous success is the norm.
What other experts won’t tell you is that the easy answers last the least amount of time. Some will tout more Foosball tables or free coffee as the answer to work culture problems, but experience will tell you what matters.
As a Marketing and Communications professional I worked for a tiny firm with only two other part time employees. Though my supervisor and I were of the same race, there was a spirit of antagonism between us that reminds me of the more explicit ways that racism happens between people.
Our situation was solved by me moving on — but the worst part was that I wanted to be there. I wanted to contribute in any way that was meaningful.
Antagonism is just one way that it plays a role in workplace relationships.
There’s also the micro-aggressions. There’s being gawked at when you wear a new outfit, or change your hair and the entire week’s worth of conversation around your hygiene practices after. These are experiences that our white coworkers just aren’t exposed to.
The same problems that come up for People of color can be issues for all of the people you’re hiring. When we don’t realize that racism is in the room that also makes space for tons of other internal and environmental problems in the office.
Not only are these discussions rude and disrespectful they are completely unnecessary in the workplace. But they often happen between superiors who are attempting to make a connection.
Changing the culture of connection
A new culture around how we interact with each other at work has to be established. It should include anti-racism as a tenant.
- Anti-racism asks us to be reflective
- Anti-racism is good for the whole office
- Anti-racism creates safe space for good ideas and easy successes
The same tools that we use to consistently fight the oppressions around us in the social world can be used to fight off stagnation and drama at work.
For more on using intentional practices in the work place visit WRITETHEWORLDFREE.com
Learn how to defeat Racism in The World Without Racism.
If this piece was helpful to you please feel free to use these practices in your place of business.
