Justice, as we often discuss, goes beyond mere equity. It involves recognizing and actively dismantling barriers that hinder certain groups of people. These barriers, deeply rooted in various forms of oppression like racism and sexism, demand our attention. They exist not only within our organizations but also in the broader community. In this week’s episode,…
Leadership is a dynamic concept that constantly evolves to meet the changing needs of organizations and society. While John C. Maxwell’s “5 Levels of Leadership” model has been a valuable guide for many aspiring leaders, the world increasingly recognizes the importance of inclusivity, psychological safety, and emotional intelligence in leadership. In this blog post, we will explore why shifting from Maxwell’s model to a new, inclusive leadership model is crucial.
If I haven’t said it recently, I’m going to say it now… DEI work is hard. It’s tough on the mind, body, and spirit. It is inherently infused with emotions – from the fervent passion that drives advocates to the raw pain of those marginalized and discriminated against. Acknowledging and dissecting these emotions is the…
For the past three years, I’ve worked with leaders to help them understand the psychological safety of their organizations. Through that work, I realized that I had the unique opportunity to not just talk about psychological safety but to coach leaders on how emotional intelligence is the key to creating those more inclusive and psychologically…
In today’s rapidly changing and diverse workplaces, fostering an environment that centers on inclusion is more important than ever. When employees feel connected, they are happier, more productive, and contribute to a positive and innovative work culture. According to a recent Qualtrics study, 78% of people who feel connected to their organization rate their well-being…
One of the key gaps in managing inclusion efforts is the need to give people a compelling reason to change. People often only change when the pain of staying where they are becomes more painful than the pain of change. This is a common phenomenon in change management, yet DEI initiatives are often managed separately…
Over the last year or two, I’ve intentionally shifted how I work with clients. You rarely hear me talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion. Instead, I have focused my efforts on empowering leaders to create inclusive workplaces. Research shows that employees from different backgrounds bring unique perspectives, which, when harnessed effectively, can lead to increased…
Anyone who has worked with me knows I live by the mantra, “Let’s stir it up a bit.” That’s my way of pushing against the status quo and challenging systems, policies, and authorities on how we operate. That’s what this week’s episode is all about. Good trouble means pushing boundaries. It means standing up for…
Leadership has been an integral part of my learning journey throughout my life. From leading church youth groups as a teen to serving as the leadership development chair for my sorority, I never shy away from opportunities to lead and develop the skills of others. Even now, as I work with leaders and executives through The…
Community cultural wealth assets. In this week’s podcast, Dr. Hayley Haywood discusses the concept of community cultural wealth. Community cultural wealth is a call to action to complicate and expand how we think about capital in our society. It challenges us to value and celebrate the various gifts and attributes that communities of color can…
Grow professionally through mentorship. Mentorship is an invaluable tool for professional growth and can be crucial to advancing in any career. Mentorship can take many forms. From peer-to-peer relationships to more formalized arrangements with a mentor, mentorship can provide an invaluable source of guidance, support, and advice. Sandra Hunter, the founder of Wild Women Leaders…
It’s deja-vu all over again… It has been a few weeks since I wrote a blog post and I thought this was the perfect topic to explain why. I’m tired, and my self-care has been slacking. The last few weeks have been a bit more challenging than most as I’ve been juggling more of the…
A war is happening across the United States, and very few people know. Politicians and conservative academics are working towards dismantling DEI… and it’s setting a dangerous precedent. A recent Inside Higher Ed article, entitled ‘DeSantis debuts a new conservative playbook for ending DEI” states: “The new model legislation has four stated proposals: to abolish…
If you know me, you know how I feel about placing DEI in the organization’s Human Resources function. It is short-sighted and limits the impact of diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of the business – from employees to customers to the community. Over the last two years, many organizations have noticed those limitations.…
I love talking to other DEI practitioners about this work. Not just the day-to-day tactical aspects but what it takes to do this work. I clearly remember when several people would say they wanted to go into DEI because they were ‘passionate’. I quickly realized that equated to social events or elevating issues that were…
DEI – It’s like riding a bike. I often I tell people that I do this work so that I ultimately don’t have a job. It often elicits looks of confusion or nervous smiles, but I’m serious. Any ‘good’ DEI professional knows their job is to empower others to do the work of DEI without…
As a practitioner, I often find myself caught in the minutia of the daily DEI work. I think about the conversations I have, the programs I’m building or modifying, or analyzing data. But now and then, I think about DEI’s future. With everything happening in the world around us, what is the future of this…
If you follow me, you know that I often talk about psychological safety in the workplace. As a certified 4 Stages of Psychological Safety coach, I provide assessments and coaching to organizations and leaders to increase psych safety within their organizations. This is an essential part of the work at The Equity Equation. But it…
According to Canada’s department of justice, restorative justice is “an approach to justice that seeks to repair harm by providing an opportunity for those harmed and those who take responsibility for the harm to communicate about and address their needs in the aftermath of a crime.” Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministers Responsible for Justice and Public Safety (2018).…
When I first started thinking about my business, The Equity Equation, I knew that the focus of the work had to go beyond marking checkboxes and counting the number of marginalized individuals within the organization. The work needed to be intentional. It had to foster change not just with individuals but through the company ecosystem.…
When I began naming my company, I thought about my conversation with my cousin, Lolita Chandler, on the current state of diversity, equity, and inclusion. (You can check out one of our conversations here). In that discussion, we shared the sentiment that companies were fine in understanding ‘diversity’ and were working towards ‘inclusion.’ Still, they…
How often do you talk about religion at work? It used to be on the list of ‘what not to talk about at work’ or in ‘mixed company’ (I never liked that phase, but I digress…) I like to ask, “In December, what days are your offices closed?” This is a question I often ask…
This week, I sit down with Sunny Myers to discuss what organizations can do to support their employees and indigenous communities throughout the year. We discuss intentional outreach, the importance of partnerships, and explore reparations. Representation of indigenous communities is less than 1% for STEM-related fields. With the increased focus on race over the last…
Sacha speaks to licensed psychotherapist, Erica Reed about trauma and its impact on our lives, understanding how it shows up for DEI practitioners, and what workplace wellness and boundary setting can look like. If you’ve followed me for any time, you know that I often talk about self-care and wellness. One of the reasons I…
Beyond Compliance: The Legal Side of Diversity Equity and Inclusion In this episode, Sacha chats with Brittany Hale on the challenges of operating diversity, equity, and inclusion through a lens of compliance, the opportunities that come with shifting to a growth mindset, and how legal teams can support DEI efforts within their organizations. I…
I met Jim Morris a few years ago and always enjoyed our honest conversations. In a world where cis-gendered, white men of a certain age are seen as the ‘problem,’ Jim is open to discussing some of the most significant challenges facing white men in diversity, equity, and inclusion work. Some feel as if they…
In this episode, Sacha chats with Jennifer Arnau and Dia Harris, two experienced recruiters on the importance of embedding DEI practices in all aspects of recruiting. We discuss the three phases of recruiting – attract, retain, and promote – and how companies can go beyond the check box of Black and Brown faces on marketing…
Now and again, I come across practitioners at the same event that knows the same people or other people that are merging coaching and DEI, and I ask myself – How do I not know this person?! And through some great collision in the cosmos, we connect. That is precisely what happened with Tara Robertson…
This is going to push a few buttons today… and I’m OK with that. What is the relationship between DEI & HR? Should there be one? We need to start having some tough conversations and challenge the way things have operated with minimal results. I’m a firm believer that diversity efforts (DEI, DEIJ, JEDI, and…
In this episode, Sacha and Dr. Janice Gassam Asare discuss the next phase of diversity, equity, and inclusion in organizations and corporations. They discuss the reimagining of professionalism, how tokenism plays out in DEI work, and moving beyond educational workshops. Listen to this episode on a podcast platform of your choosing or click here to…
DEI Through a Personal, Global Lens Counter to the belief of many, issues around diversity, equity, and inclusion are not unique to the United States. This is something that I’ve always known as a person with dual citizenship – DEI looks different depending on where you are in the world. I first saw this in…
About six months before I started The Equity Equation, I spent time doing some internal work and reflecting on what I wanted to get out of this work. I knew I had experienced some of the isms I was fighting in the corporate space. But I wanted things to be different, to operate on my…
“Pay attention when people react with anger and hostility to your boundaries. You have found the edge where their respect for you ends” A friend of mine posted this on IG shortly after my conversation with this week’s guest, Dr. Ayanna Abrams. Since that discussion, I’ve been more intentional with where I draw the line.…
As a DEI practitioner, my role is to work with people to help them move past their biases to build more equitable workplaces. It’s what I do day in and day out. But as I look at who I work with them most as colleagues and confidants in this space, I realized something — I…
How did we get here? At the start of 2020, the world began adjusting to functioning as best we could in a pandemic. For many companies, that meant downsizing staff and adjusting to the”new normal’ of working from home. However, by the summer of that year, the world also witnessed the murders of three more…
The timing could not be perfect for this week’s episode of DEI After 5. Over the last few weeks, I have noticed that companies are still clueless when addressing traumatic and sensitive issues that impact marginalized communities, particularly with the shootings in California and New York. Yet, some of these same companies have jumped on…
In this episode, Sacha and guest Tori Dean have an in-depth discussion on the importance of addressing the intersectional gap in the employee lifecycle, the impact of society on the workplace, and how to use your privilege honorably. A few weeks ago, I received an email from a client that said she was approached with…
In this episode, Sacha chats with DEI Consultant Kim Crowder on the need for organizations to support DEI practitioners, the role of all aspects of the business in creating an environment of inclusion, and moving beyond checking the box on diversity in the workplace. — This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way…
Life has a strange way of playing out sometimes. The word ‘liberation’ has been playing in my head for days and I can’t figure out why. As I’m writing this, I am in Seattle about to conduct a 2 part workshop for a team at Amazon on connecting their personal purpose to their work and…
What does it mean to be an authentic ‘you?’ Being authentic means being your true self. We’re not talking about your ego or self-image here; we’re referencing your true identity. The person you are without all the labels, roles, and expectations that you associate with yourself. In this context, authenticity is a process that involves…
Sacha and Adriana Crawford discuss the importance of companies aligning values and actions. We also discuss the limitations of professionalism. I am noticing quite a few social media posts about ‘professionalism’ and what is deemed professional. It’s been fascinating to watch because it’s a word that I’ve grappled with throughout my work life. Who defines…
Everyone can’t be a DEI Practitioner. There. I said it! It is a revelation I came to a few years ago. I noticed an influx of people coming into the profession because it was: an ‘easy’ way to get into a more senior role. (very few organizations to that point had anything more than a…
Jared Karol’s introduction to DEI started with a personal relationship with his father. Over the years, his commitment to this work has evolved. In this conversation, Jared shares his journey to better understand racism and what others can do to take their first steps into DEI. I first connected with Jared Karol in December of…
Guest Writer – Bronwen Nettles Recently “DEI after 5” had the opportunity to speak with Sheri Byrne-Haber, a prominent expert in the fields of disability and accessibility. Byrne-Haber has over 17 years-experience providing inclusion and accessibility consultation for customers and employees in a world primarily designed for the abled. She holds multiple degrees in business,…
I think the first time I crossed paths with Dr. Sam Rae, EdD, MPH. was about a year ago. Not only did I appreciate her approach to DEI strategy, but we also had some of the same interests and ideas (great minds)! As I continued to follow her social media presence, I noticed we were…
Guest Post from Bronwen Nettles A Spectrum of Advocacy, Caregiving, and Self-care DEI professionals are in the belly of the beast: implementing purpose-driven policies, raising consciousness, illuminating internal biases, and creating safety, equity, and opportunity for traditionally marginalized employees. This is a field that bears a unique challenge that many other occupations do not. Kelley…
I followed Diya Khanna’s work for a year or so before we met. I appreciated her clear and concise approach to educating people about DEI topics, especially more complex issues. Then I had the privilege of working with her for a few years before launching our consulting businesses. One of the most valuable aspects of…
Taking care of self is critical in DEI work. In this episode, Sacha chats with therapist Rufus Spann. They discuss the importance of self-care and wellness as practitioners continue to juggle demanding expectations. “Are you continuing patterns that keep you in a perpetual state where it’s not best for your health and wellness?” Or Have…
In this episode, Sacha chats with her mentor and cousin, Lolita Chandler, a 40-year veteran in the DEI industry. They discuss what has changed about this work through the years and what remains the same. If you are just starting your career in diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, justice or any iteration thereof, this is the…
In this episode, Sacha’s guest is the Founder +Principal of Advancing Equity + Inclusion, Katrina Jones. They discuss disconnecting from toxic workplaces and the importance of self-care for DEI professionals. I have been looking forward to this conversation with Katrina Jones for a while. It’s not that we never talk, but it would be an…
In the first episode of DEI After 5, Sacha chats with Farah Harris. This episode talks about the importance of emotional intelligence in doing diversity, equity, and inclusion work. ___ If you have followed me for a while, you have heard me say emotional intelligence is one of the cornerstones of diversity, equity, and inclusion…
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