The Uncomfortable Truth & The Future of the Workplace
By: Sharena Denard Gainer
Tags: Workplace, Future Of Work, Women Leaders, Millennials, Diversity

Millennial. Black Excellence. Women in Leadership. Three buzz words that insight conflicting emotions in America, more specifically in the workplace. And the end it all boils down to CHANGE. There are several clichés that depict change as uncomfortable, hard, or difficult. Is it really?

If I gave you several million dollars and changed your financial status would you resist that change? What if I snapped my fingers and Coronavirus no longer plagued our world, would that make you uncomfortable? Most people would welcome both scenarios. The truth is, Change is resisted when you feel it negatively impacts your desired way of life. It is becoming acceptable to talk about personal finances, politics, religion and social issues. Is it possible that if we were able to discuss these topics openly, we would have the ability to have effective and constructive “uncomfortable” conversations with more ease? Thankfully, taboo, is becoming a thing of the past.

So where are we going wrong with diversifying in the workplace? (Inclusion is one issue but we can address that in another discussion)There are several hiring & promotion processes in place that continue to impede the progress of creating a diverse workplace. An added pressure is the damage diversity is doing to the heterosexual white male ego. While I understand that it tough seeing the world, they have known for centuries now challenging what they have always thought was meant to be theirs, I DO NOT SYMPATHIZE NOR EMPATHIZE. Why? That same world conditioned a large group of people to believe they had to be smarter, more strategic and less authentic to obtain what many mediocre men have had handed to them. All these factors are stressors that are impeding the process.

The revolution of the millennial black female professional is essential to the thriving workplace. Do you know that women will typically apply for positions when they know for certain they are qualified for? Conversely, most male professionals will apply for positions they believe they have the potential to be successful in. Equipped with this knowledge, leaders should approach the interview process differently. You know more than likely women candidates already have the skills, training and education to do the job, you need to figure out the reason the interview process may be eliminating them from the process. Could it be confirmation bias, affinity bias or could she just be bad at interviewing? Did you possibly eliminate the next great innovative leader based on interview abilities that have no impact on job aptitude?

This leads to the discussion around equity. Equity is about being fair and impartial, it’s based on the individual and not the collective. This makes it different from the thought of being equal. Equal is centered around the thought of treating everyone the same. Equal implies we are on the same and we all have different experiences that shape our little worlds. What I need to be successful may be vastly different from what Jason needs to be successful. Are leaders prepared to meet the individual needs of their employees?

Several organizations have truly embraced the changes necessary to create a workplace that looks like the rest of the country and the world. Those that aren’t ready, need to be putting plans together to embrace the future of a Diverse, Equitable and Inclusive workforce. And as for my Black Millenial Women Leaders… Don’t worry, We Stay Ready so We Never have to GET READY!