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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Dr. <keyword id="9491922" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="janice-gassam">Janice Gassam</keyword> Asare is the author of "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578697165/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;qid=1590266031&amp;refinements=p_27%3AJanice+Gassam+PhD&amp;s=books&amp;sr=1-1&amp;text=Janice+Gassam+PhD&amp;tag=bisafetynet2-20&amp;tag=bisafetynet2-20">Dirty Diversity: A Practical Guide to Foster an Equitable and Inclusive Workplace for All,</a>" and founder of <a href="http://www.bwgbusinesssolutions.com/">BWG Business Solutions, LLC</a>, a consultancy designed to help organizations be more inclusive.</li><li>She says it's great that many corporations have voiced support for Black Lives Matter in the weeks after the killing of George Floyd, but that if they truly want to embrace <keyword id="61889" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Diversity">diversity</keyword>, it'll take more than a few social media posts and vague PR statements.</li><li>Instead, it's important to take actionable steps to evaluate how your <keyword id="6355515" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="business">business</keyword> is doing right now, and to see exactly where it needs to improve.</li><li>Conduct a pay audit to see if you equally pay employees of all races, make leadership pay contingent upon D&amp;I efforts and successes, and create a diverse referral pipeline for considering new hires.</li></ul><p>In the last few weeks, everyone has been talking about racial justice following the killing of George Floyd in police custody. Race relations have led the global conversation. Books on racism have flown off the shelves and currently the New York Times bestseller list is <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/05/books/antiracism-books-race-racism.html">dominated</a> by anti-racism books. </p><p>But truly unlearning racism begins with acknowledgment and awareness of our own blind spots. Educating ourselves on the ways that racial inequities show up in everyday life can help improve our understanding. The next part of the equation is recognizing disparities in our systems and creating solutions to address these issues. </p><p>Over the last few weeks, many corporations  have been called out by their employees and customers for failing to back up <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/06/13/after-years-marginalizing-black-employees-customers-corporate-america-says-black-lives-matter/?arc404=true">their word</a>s with real actions. Posting about how you believe Black Lives Matter is great, but if you're a business leader or in a position of influence, it's more important that you take action.  In today's day and age, people want receipts — a few social media posts are not going to cut it.</p><p>Here are five actionable ways to ensure you are creating an anti-racist workplace.  </p><h2><strong>1. Conduct a pay audit</strong></h2><p>Evidence suggests that despite decades of effort to overcome the racial wealth gap, it <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/07/01/racial-gender-wage-gaps-persist-in-u-s-despite-some-progress/">continues to persist</a>. Implementing a <a href="http://hr.cch.com/hhrlib/issues-answers/conducting-an-equal-pay-audit.asp?date=july-3">pay audit system</a> where the organization analyzes employee pay to assess <keyword id="6391506" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Equity">equity</keyword> can be an effective <keyword id="6363690" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Strategy">strategy</keyword> to ensure pay parity. Some companies have introduced a <a href="https://buffer.com/resources/salary-formula-changes-2019/">transparent salary system</a> where employee salaries are shared online for the public. Frequently review employee salaries to make sure that employees of all races are being fairly compensated for their labor. </p><h2><strong>2. Assess tenure for different racial groups</strong></h2><p>Since 2015, major tech giants have been sharing <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/five-years-tech-diversity-reports-little-progress/">diversity reports</a> that indicate the number of diverse employees in their organizations. One area of focus that deserves attention is the number of diverse employees that stay in the organization over the years. Representation only tells one side of the story. Look at job tenure rates by race to gain a better understanding of the culture of <keyword id="528822" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Inclusion">inclusion</keyword> (or exclusion) within the organization. If you find that Black employees are leaving the organization at higher rates than their counterparts, implementing mentorship and sponsorship programs to support these employees can prove advantageous. </p><h2><strong>3. Tie leadership pay to diversity</strong></h2><p>It was recently <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-16/wells-fargo-ties-senior-executives-pay-to-improving-diversity">announced</a> that Wells Fargo is going to tie executive pay to organizational diversity efforts. According to the new policy, if leaders are able to increase representation for diverse employees, they will receive pay packages at the end of each year. Organizations hoping to impact change should consider implementing a similar program into their workplace. In 2014, Intel implemented <a href="https://talentmgt.com/2015/12/11/tying-diversity-to-compensation__trashed/">a similar model</a> where executive pay was tied to the attainment of diversity goals. Intel saw growth in the number of underrepresented groups that were hired into the organization. Linking pay to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts is an effective strategy to make racial equity a priority. </p><h2><strong>4. Create a diverse referral program</strong></h2><p>70-85% of jobs are estimated to be filled through networking, one <a href="https://www.payscale.com/career-news/2017/04/many-jobs-found-networking">report</a> found. Many industries point to a <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/tech-pipline-problem_n_57f7f15de4b0b6a43031ee34">pipeline problem</a> to explain why there is an inability to attract diverse talent. Corporations hoping to foster an anti-racist organization must ditch the traditional referral systems, which often lead to an echo chamber of the same types of employees. Implementing a diverse referral program into the workplace may resolve this issue. Assess company demographics and determine which groups are underrepresented. Once this information is attained, communicate with employees the desire to increase representation and encourage employees to recommend their friends to the diverse pipeline. When hiring for open positions, be sure to use this diverse pipeline to source qualified candidates. </p><h2><strong>5. Curate open discussions on race</strong></h2><p>Race is like the hot pink elephant that enters a room and you try to ignore it. Think about how difficult it is to pretend you don't see the pink elephant in the room; this is like the organization that shies away from conversations about race. In order to foster an anti-racist organization, there should be frequent and open discussions about race, racial equity and inclusion. What systems and structures are in place to educate employees on racial microaggressions? Implement <a href="https://hbr.org/2018/10/to-combat-harassment-more-companies-should-try-bystander-training">bystander training</a> into the workplace so employees understand and are equipped with the tools to intervene when they witness discrimination taking place. One diversity training session is not going to move the needle. Change comes with consistent and ongoing discussions around race. </p><p><a href="http://www.drjanicegassam.com/"><em>Janice Gassam, PhD</em></a><em> is the founder of <a href="http://www.bwgbusinesssolutions.com/">BWG Business Solutions, LLC</a>, a consultancy designed to help organizations create more inclusive environments. She facilitates workshops, and delivers keynote speeches and "Awareness Talks" to spark important dialogue about workplace equity. She </em><em>is a professor of business management at Sacred Heart University and author of the new <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578697165/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;qid=1590266031&amp;refinements=p_27%3AJanice+Gassam+PhD&amp;s=books&amp;sr=1-1&amp;text=Janice+Gassam+PhDxt=Janice+Gassam+PhD">book</a>, "Dirty Diversity: A Practical Guide to Foster an Equitable and Inclusive Workplace for All."  She is also a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lS60_5bALFs&amp;t=1st=1s">TEDx</a> speaker and host of the <a href="https://www.drjanicegassam.com/podcast-1">Dirty Diversity</a> podcast where she discusses all things diversity, equity, inclusion. Follow her on <a href="https://twitter.com/drjanicegassam">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/janicejnice/">Instagram</a>.</em></p>

I've worked with places like H&M, Nordstrom, and Yale University to spark dialogue about workplace equity and diversity — here are 5 actions I advise every business leader to take right now

<p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/talent-insider"></a></p><div type="image" title="Janice Gassam Asare and Suzannah Cameron" height="3000" width="4000" msid="93714819" hostid="261" sizebytes="875390"></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>The pandemic and the Great Resignation have fueled a war for talent among small-business owners.</li><li>Many employers have also recently made stronger commitments to DEI in their hiring processes.</li><li>Here's how entrepreneurs can prioritize DEI in their hiring.</li></ul><p>Entrepreneurship has blossomed in the pandemic — more than 11 million new business applications were filed between <a href="https://www.census.gov/econ/bfs/index.html">January 2020</a> and <a href="https://www.census.gov/econ/bfs/pdf/bfs_current.pdf">July 2022</a>, according to the US Census Bureau. And millions of people have left their jobs in the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/great-resignation-forever-turnover-job-quitting-remote-work-2022-5">Great Resignation</a>, creating a war for talent among business owners.</p><p>Additionally, many employers have made stronger commitments to <a href="https://www.naceweb.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion/trends-and-predictions/formal-diversity-recruiting-efforts-climb-among-employers/">diversity, equity, and inclusion</a> in their hiring processes, stemming from a greater awareness of and desire to address racial injustice in the US. But it <a href="https://hbr.org/2021/02/research-how-companies-committed-to-diverse-hiring-still-fail">continues to be a challenge</a> for both large and small companies.</p><p><a href="https://www.drjanicegassam.com/">Janice Gassam Asare</a>, a racial-equity consultant, told Insider that small-business owners looking to hire employees from underrepresented populations face more difficulty than bigger firms. She added that many entrepreneurs are operating without HR departments and often have tight deadlines and smaller budgets for recruiting.</p><p>Asare and Suzanna Cameron, who founded the florist shop <a href="https://www.stemsbrooklyn.com/">Stems Brooklyn</a> in New York, shared their advice on how small-business owners can prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion in hiring.</p><h2>Avoid networking bias by expanding your outreach</h2><p>Asare said that unconscious bias affects the recruiting process for both startup founders and corporations. She added that if you're in charge of hiring and are white or white passing, you could be more inclined to hire someone who looks like you.</p><p>"You need to get as many people from different backgrounds involved in the hiring process as possible, but for small businesses that's not always possible," she said, adding that some founders work alone or use a contractor to source talent.</p><p>For business owners using recruiting websites, Asare cautioned that these platforms might not offer a wide range of candidates from underrepresented backgrounds.</p><p>"There's a networking bias since we're more likely to be connected with people who look like us," Asare said. "With some of my clients, they find less diverse candidates when they're looking on a site like LinkedIn."</p><p>Asare recommended small-business owners use sites like <a href="https://www.jopwell.com">Jopwell</a>, a career-advancement platform for Black, Latinx, and Native American job seekers. </p><p>She also encouraged founders to tap online communities when looking for candidates in specific industries. For example, if you need legal counsel, consider reaching out to networks representing Black lawyers.</p><h2>Use Instagram to reach a more diverse audience</h2><p>Cameron said that as a white female business owner, she wasn't aware of what diversity and inclusion in hiring truly meant when she started her small business 10 years ago. She said that in 2018 she took a closer look at the people who were applying for jobs at her store and noticed they were predominantly white women.</p><p><a href="https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat11.htm">Bureau of Labor Statistics data</a> indicates that in 2021, about 77% of floral designers were women, and about 77% were white. Cameron said she sought to support people from marginalized groups interested in becoming florists.</p><p>"The first step is to assess<em> why</em> you want to be inclusive in your business and hiring practices," Cameron said, adding that she wants people of all backgrounds to be able to pursue a career in floristry if that's their dream.</p><p>This spring, Cameron and her team started advertising open positions on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stemsbrooklyn/?hl=en">Instagram</a>, where Stems Brooklyn's account has a little more than 21,000 followers. Before, they had relied on recruiting through word of mouth and finding candidates who lived in the immediate neighborhood.</p><p>Cameron said the new strategy gave the business a wider audience to find potential hires.</p><p>"Once I started peeling back the layers of how the business as a whole could interact with the community, it started attracting a different crowd," she said. One hire out of the nine people she employs was found through the platform.</p><h2>Rethink qualifications</h2><p>Cameron said she also changed the qualifications in her job postings — for example, she reduced the years of experience required in hopes that this would encourage more people to apply.</p><p>"As a business, we require people to have a lot of experience, because what we're doing is pretty advanced in terms of design mechanics," she told Insider. "My thinking was that we could bring on people who have less experience in order to be more inclusive."</p><p>She said that while this means she and her team have to put in more effort to train new hires, it's worth it. "It's a small price to pay considering I benefit from white privilege, so spending the extra time to make sure I can train people is really important to me," she said.</p>

How small-business owners can prioritize DEI in hiring

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Dr. Janice Gassam Asare is an author and founder of <a href="http://www.bwgbusinesssolutions.com/">BWG Business Solutions, LLC</a>, a consultancy that helps organizations be more inclusive and sparks important dialogue about workplace <keyword id="6391506" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Equity">equity</keyword>.</li><li>She says that although <keyword id="61889" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Diversity">diversity</keyword> and <keyword id="528822" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Inclusion">inclusion</keyword> trainings are popular in large corporations, evidence shows that they are not highly effective at promoting workplace equity.</li><li>Part of the problem may be that companies depend too heavily on these trainings without addressing other structural and systemic issues at play.</li><li>In order to maximize the impact of <keyword id="2768235" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="unconscious-bias">unconscious bias</keyword> training, it's important to reassess other company practices, hold upper management accountable for enacting change, and include job- or industry-specific scenarios in the trainings.</li></ul><p>When companies get themselves  into trouble, they often turn to their beloved "unconscious bias training."</p><p>We saw this with <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2018/beyond-may-29-lessons-from-starbucks-anti-bias-training-and-whats-next/">Starbucks</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/04/style/sephora-will-shut-down-for-an-hour-of-diversity-training-tomorrow.html">Sephora</a>, and <a href="https://www.thrillist.com/news/nation/papa-johns-implements-unconscious-bias-training">Papa John's</a> following very public missteps. Unconscious bias trainings seem to be the go-to for any diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) problems that companies are facing. </p><p><div type="image" title="Janice Gassam Asare" height="1800" width="2400" msid="76876655" hostid="261"></div></p><p>But despite their popularity, there is <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-01-04/implicit-bias-training-isn-t-improving-corporate-diversity">growing evidence</a> that the trainings (also called implicit bias training) are ineffective. In my experience, they've resulted in very little long-term change.</p><p>Part of the problem may be because employees are skeptical of these trainings to begin with. Companies also have to worry about the validity and effectiveness of bias training. In the fall of 2019, Ernst &amp; Young found itself <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ernst-and-young-reportedly-hosted-a-training-with-gender-stereotypes">embroiled in controversy</a> over bias training they implemented that reportedly projected negative stereotypes about women.</p><p>Part of the problem could be that companies treat these trainings as the sole ingredient in the corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) recipe. Another issue is that there is often a lack of focus placed on structural and systemic issues which may hamper the success of these training sessions.</p><p>So what can companies do to address these issues and ensure that unconscious bias training truly leads to long-term changes in the organization?</p><h2><strong>1. Examine company practices</strong></h2><p>A lack of objectivity in corporate practices can create cracks in your company's structure. Go through the different practices your organization has adopted and evaluate whether objective criteria are utilized. Rubrics or <a href="https://hbr.org/2016/02/a-scorecard-for-making-better-hiring-decisions">scorecards</a> should be used when assessing job prospects, as well as during a <a href="https://sehd.ucdenver.edu/impact/files/Evaluation-Rubric-Examples_detail.pdf">performance evaluation</a>. Also examine the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for different roles. Adjust degree and certification requirements. In some cases, certain criteria may unintentionally filter out different populations of job candidates. Determine and reevaluate degree requirements and consider hiring based on specific job-related abilities, rather than hiring solely based on degrees and certifications. </p><h2><strong>2. Manager accountability is needed</strong></h2><p>Toxicity as well as inequities and imbalances within the corporate structure all trickle down from upper management. Assess how organizational leaders are being evaluated, and ensure there are accountability measures set up. DEI is everyone's responsibility and not just the job of the chief diversity officer — this is important to emphasize. Managers should be involved with implementing unconscious bias trainings, whether they are the ones sourcing outside vendors, or they are giving trainers input regarding what is needed to increase training effectiveness. Linking manager performance evaluations to DEI program effectiveness will make the trainings more successful, and may also create more manager accountability. </p><h2><strong>3. Include relevant scenarios in unconscious bias training</strong></h2><p>If you <em>do</em> decide to implement unconscious bias training into the workplace, you want to include several job-relevant scenarios to increase the training effectiveness. According to <a href="https://hbr.org/2017/04/dont-give-up-on-unconscious-bias-training-make-it-better">one study</a>, including job-relevant scenarios into unconscious bias trainings allowed employees to make concrete commitments to activities and behaviors in the workplace. Rather than focusing solely on concepts and terminology (which <em>is</em> important for a baseline understanding) efforts should be put into creating trainings that encompass workplace practices where bias is more likely to creep in. Employees should be provided with actionable steps to prevent bias from impacting decision-making processes. This is likely to increase employee commitment to goals and objectives set forth in the unconscious bias training, thus increasing the overall effectiveness of the training. </p><p>Overall, unconscious bias training has the potential to transform workplaces and impact corporate DEI efforts. Including job-related scenarios in the training session will increase training effectiveness. One important factor to consider: More often than not, unconscious bias training fails to address the structural and systemic issues that are plaguing an organization. Unconscious bias training should be accompanied by policy and practice change.</p><p>It's also important to hold managers accountable for culture change. Manager buy-in will solidify the employee committee to culture change.</p>

I'm a diversity and inclusion expert who admits that 'unconscious bias' trainings don't really work. Here are 3 ways companies can ensure they're not a waste of time.

<div type="image" title="jane fraser citi" height="2206" width="2942" msid="78128245" hostid="261"></div><p>Last week <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/citigroup-ceo-michael-corbat-to-retire-jane-fraser-president-replacement-2020-9">Citigroup announced</a> that <keyword id="1680080" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Jane-Fraser">Jane Fraser</keyword> would succeed Mike Corbat as CEO when he retires in February 2021.</p><p>Fraser will be the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/citigroup-jane-fraser-first-woman-ceo-major-us-bank-diversity-2020-9">first woman</a> to lead a major US bank.</p><p>Her promotion is a symbolic step up for <keyword id="624" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Women">women</keyword> across industries, and not only in finance. Just 6% of CEOs at S&amp;P 500 companies <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-women-almost-never-become-ceo-2016-9">are women</a>, according to the research and <keyword id="6363690" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Strategy">strategy</keyword> development <a href="https://www.catalyst.org/research/women-ceos-of-the-sp-500/">nonprofit Catalyst</a>.</p><p>There's no single, direct path to shattering the proverbial glass ceiling. But one thing's for sure: Women won't wind up in the C-suite by chance. Organizations need to be deliberate about addressing the systemic <keyword id="6358360" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="gender">gender</keyword> biases that preclude women from advancing in their careers.</p><h2><strong>Welcome to </strong><a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/4np/gender-at-work&amp;hash=a0ddc3deacecce666f50b7f5e87aa230a230"><strong>Gender at Work</strong></a><strong>.</strong></h2><p>This is a twice-monthly newsletter that takes an expansive look at how your gender identity informs your career. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gender-at-work-bipoc-women-coronavirus-pandemic-economic-success-challenges-2020-8">Last week</a> we explored the unique challenges that BIPOC women have faced during the pandemic. This week we're talking about ways to cultivate gender diversity in <keyword id="34454" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="leadership">leadership</keyword> roles.</p><p>We won't promise to cover every single strategy. But we've outlined some of the most pressing below.</p><h2>Direct women to jobs where they manage profit-and-loss</h2><p>Among Fraser's previous roles at <keyword id="44473" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Citigroup">Citigroup</keyword>: running the bank's strategy division during the financial crisis and steering the bank's Latin America division through several crises.</p><p>It's crucial for women leaders to gain experience that involves managing a business' profit-and-loss. Earlier this year, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-so-few-ceos-are-women-you-can-have-a-seat-at-the-table-and-not-be-a-player-11581003276">The Wall Street Journal</a> published an analysis of executives at the biggest public companies and found that men were more likely than women to get these jobs, which directly affect the bottom line. The people who hold these positions are better positioned to eventually be CEO.</p><p>The Journal analysis found that women often get funneled into different tracks, like human resources and legal. These functions are important to a business' performance, but typically don't lead to the CEO job.</p><h2>Be aware of implicit biases</h2><p>Implicit biases are the unconscious stereotypes or assumptions that people can hold about others. For example, "an effective senior banker is (wrongly) imagined to be aggressive, dominating, transactional," Astrid Jaekel and Elizabeth St-Onge, partners at management consulting firm Oliver Wyman, wrote in <a href="https://hbr.org/2016/10/why-women-arent-making-it-to-the-top-of-financial-services-firms">The Harvard Business Review</a> in 2016. These characteristics "are stereotypically masculine," they add.</p><p>People who hold these assumptions might feel that a woman isn't "management material," simply because they feel more comfortable with the image of a man in charge.</p><p>"Firms are more willing to take risks on men. With a woman, she has to prove it first," one senior woman in finance told The <a href="https://hbr.org/2016/10/why-women-arent-making-it-to-the-top-of-financial-services-firms">Harvard Business Review</a>.</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-poc-white-women-twist-themselves-white-male-corporate-america-2020-7">Our colleague Marguerite Ward reported</a> that women and BIPOC often feel the need to change the way they look, act, and speak in order to fit in with the existing workplace culture.</p><p>So it's critical for managers to be aware of how those biases can show up. Leadership might provide training sessions on what to look out for and how to establish inclusive hiring and promotion practices. Professional-services firm PwC, for example, is using <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/using-virtual-reality-for-diversity-and-inclusion-trainings-2020-7">virtual reality</a> to simulate office scenarios in which employees have to decide who to hire and promote, Business Insider previously reported.</p><p>Any company that offers unconscious bias training should hold managers accountable for meeting certain DEI standards, Dr. Janice Gassam Asare <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-improve-your-companys-dei-unconscious-bias-training-2020-7">wrote for Business Insider</a>. </p><h2>Hold organizations accountable</h2><p>Ideally, companies would be intrinsically motivated to develop inclusive hiring and promotion practices. But they aren't always. So it helps to have a little external pressure.</p><p>Fraser's promotion to her current role — president of Citigroup and CEO of Global Consumer Banking — happened shortly after the head honchos on Wall Street were called out for their (white) boys' club culture.</p><p>At a <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/bank-ceos-dont-think-female-or-person-of-color-likely-to-succeed-2019-4-1028105382#">congressional hearing</a> in April 2019, Democratic Rep. Al Green asked the CEOs of some of the largest banks, including Citigroup, whether they believed that their likely successor would be a woman or a person of color. No one raised their hand.</p><p>JPMorgan also took action, promoting <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jpmorgan-promotes-117-to-managing-director-2019-4">a record number of women</a> to managing director in April 2019 (26% of the group, or 30 executives, were women).</p><h2>Focus on the first promotion gap</h2><p>According to a <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/financial-services/our-insights/closing-the-gap-leadership-perspectives-on-promoting-women-in-financial-services">2018 McKinsey study</a>, 8% of women in early-tenure jobs are promoted, while 10% of men are. </p><p>But that first promotion gap leads to a <a href="https://fortune.com/longform/banking-finance-women-ceos-wall-street/">smaller talent pool</a> of candidates for executive leadership later on. Researchers refer to the lack of promotion opportunities for women, and especially BIPOC women, as the "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sheryl-sandberg-mckinsey-research-on-broken-rung-for-black-women-2020-8">broken rung</a>." </p><p>Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg said that diversity and inclusion efforts can't be effective if promotion efforts are concentrated at the top. </p><p>"A lot of companies' programs and a lot of diversity efforts are focused at the top — how do we develop senior leaders? And that's super-important. But what we also have to focus on is what we call 'the broken rung,' that first broken rung from employee to manager," Sandberg <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sheryl-sandberg-mckinsey-research-on-broken-rung-for-black-women-2020-8">previously told </a>Ward.</p><p>Bridging the gender gap that first promotion is a key way to help women reach the C-suite. </p><h2>Change needs to happen at home, too</h2><p>We should note: These are all structural changes organizations can make in order to promote gender diversity in leadership. But women need support networks at home, too, in order to advance professionally. </p><p><a href="https://www.axios.com/how-citis-new-ceo-managed-her-worklife-balance-bc69a92c-2d0f-455c-a8ec-3279ab97ed8b.html">Axios' Felix Salmon and Erica Pandey reported</a> that Fraser's husband left his job as head of global banking at European bank Dresdner Kleinwort in order to help Fraser advance in her career.</p><p>Still, managing work and family was hardly a breeze. Axios reported that Fraser worked part-time at McKinsey while her two kids were young. She'd often do her work in the kitchen at 3 a.m.</p>

We need more women in the C-suite. It won't happen on its own.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Dr. Janice Gassam Asare is an author and founder of <a href="http://www.bwgbusinesssolutions.com/">BWG Business Solutions, LLC</a>, a consultancy that helps organizations be more inclusive and sparks important dialogue about workplace equity.</li><li>Asare explains that <keyword id="2913719" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="tone-policing">tone policing</keyword> in the workplace is a racial microaggression most often experienced by Black women being told to "calm down" or say things in "a nicer tone."</li><li>Business leaders and employers have a key role to play in putting a stop to harmful <keyword id="88403" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="stereotypes">stereotypes</keyword> that allow for tone policing to exist, Asare says.</li><li>Include an explanation of tone policing in <keyword id="61889" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Diversity">diversity</keyword> trainings, call it out when it happens, and create a work culture where the expression of anger and other emotions is normalized.</li></ul><p>The <a href="https://ilr.law.uiowa.edu/print/volume-102-issue-5/aggressive-encounters-and-white-fragility-deconstructing-the-trope-of-the-angry-black-woman/">angry black woman trope</a> is a harmful stereotype that allows <keyword id="44060" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Racism">racism</keyword> against Black women to continue. Based on this stereotype, Black women are often painted as aggressive, hostile, and threatening. Black women who share their experiences of racial <keyword id="8366298" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="microaggressions">microaggressions</keyword> and being labeled as "the angry black woman" are often met with advice that their message would be better received, if only they said it in a "nicer tone." </p><h2><strong>This is a phenomenon known as tone policing, and it can be extremely problematic for anti-racism efforts. </strong></h2><p>Tone policing is <a href="https://www.dictionary.com/browse/tone-policing">defined</a> as "a conversational tactic that dismisses the ideas being communicated when they are perceived to be delivered in an angry, frustrated, sad, fearful, or otherwise emotionally charged manner." Managers striving to create a workplace based on equity and inclusion must understand how tone policing silences members of marginalized groups and allows discrimination to persist. </p><h2><strong>I am no stranger to tone policing — I have countless experiences of being tone policed. </strong></h2><p>I've experienced tone policing in every domain of my life, but instances of tone policing are increasingly apparent online. I've received numerous DMs on social media from very well-meaning people sharing with me why a post I wrote or shared was offensive.</p><p>The general consensus with these messages is that if I had only conveyed the message in a different way, I would have done a more effective job at "getting my message across."</p><p>The underlying tone in many of these well-meaning messages is that, even in speaking about my experiences with racism, microaggressions, and discrimination, there is a right way and a wrong way to share. I am told that if I modify my message to be more palatable to the masses, my message will be better received. This demonstrates that people will dismiss your experiences unless it fits in the box of how they want to receive it. </p><h2><strong>Tone policing is used as a tool to silence women — particularly Black women — who express any sort of emotion or passion. </strong></h2><p>Tone policing undermines anti-racism efforts because it can cast doubt on the validity of statements of oppression, racism, and discrimination shared by people of color. It also implies that a message holds no value if is accompanied by emotion.  </p><p>There are a few steps that can be taken to avoid tone policing.</p><h2>1. Recognition is vital.</h2><p>Many are unaware of tone policing, what it is, and how it can manifest in the workplace. Awareness of this issue is critical. Diversity training should include discussions about tone policing and microaggressions in order to increase awareness about this issue. Management should understand what tone policing is and understand what some indicators of tone policing are — such as telling a person to calm down or rephrasing their message for greater palatability. </p><h2><strong>2. Don't invalidate emotions.</strong></h2><p>Refrain from misconstruing a person's emotions as invalid. Regardless of whether you agree with someone or not, their feelings and their opinions are valid. Instead of questioning the other person's stance because it is accompanied by emotion, re-evaluate why you feel the need to denigrate their feelings. Think about whether you are using the tactic of tone policing to divert from your uncomfortability. </p><p>Those in positions of power may find themselves tone policing when their privilege is made apparent. Understand that when you're talking about subjects that are highly charged, there will often be emotions that accompany it.</p><h2>3. Normalize the expression of anger and other emotions.</h2><p>When protests erupted following the killing of George Floyd, there was a <a href="https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2020/05/9844175/tomi-lahren-george-floyd-protests-twitter-backlash">continued narrative</a> that the protesters could get their message across if only they were protesting in "the right way." But in 2017, Colin Kaepernick was <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/redskins/the-nfl-has-effectively-blackballed-colin-kaepernick/2017/03/23/d0b754d6-0fd1-11e7-ab07-07d9f521f6b5_story.html">blackballed</a> from the NFL for peacefully protesting police brutality against people of color.</p><p>His form of protest was simply taking a knee during the national anthem — and it caused a lot of backlash, disdain, and criticism. Kaepernick's taking of the knee was arguably the most peaceful form of protest in recent history; yet he was <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/sep/22/donald-trump-nfl-national-anthem-protests">criticized</a> for it.</p><p>Understandably, there are many people who are tired of what seems to be the constant and unjust killing of Black and brown people. With this fatigue, feelings of anger, sadness, and frustration are likely to emerge as a natural human reaction.</p><p>Emotions are normal and, as a society, we need to accept and normalize that people feel and express these emotions in different ways. If you were a member of a community that seemed to be the constant target of inequitable and unjust treatment, how would you feel? How would you react if you were told that your message would be better received if only you would "calm down" or "say it in a nicer way?" </p><p>To engage in honest dialogue about experiences with discrimination, bias and racism, we must stop tone policing. Organizational leaders can help employees manage their emotions, especially during times of unrest and tragedy, by facilitating conversations around current events. </p><p>Part of the problem is that leadership is often reluctant to have what is perceived as political or highly charged conversations in the workplace — but these subjects are inextricably linked to our everyday lives. In addition, manager check-ins can be a powerful way to provide support during times of crisis and distress. These check-ins, whether in the form of texts, emails, or phone calls, can show employees that company leadership is working to help put an end to tone policing.</p>

You Searched For "janice gassam" and got 5 results

I've worked with places like H&M, Nordstrom, and Yale University to spark dialogue about workplace equity and diversity — here are 5 actions I advise every business leader to take right now

Janice Gassam Asare, PhD

How small-business owners can prioritize DEI in hiring

Shriya Bhattacharya

I'm a diversity and inclusion expert who admits that 'unconscious bias' trainings don't really work. Here are 3 ways companies can ensure they're not a waste of time.

Janice Gassam Asare, PhD

We need more women in the C-suite. It won't happen on its own.

Shana Lebowitz,May Teng

Tone policing is a little-known microaggression that's common in the workplace — here's how to identify it

Janice Gassam Asare, PhD

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