For more ideas, follow or subscribe for Karen’s weekly tips. From diversifying our networks to improving meeting culture, giving equitable feedback and disrupting office housework, there are so many simple actions you can take. We all can make our workplaces a little better. Volunteer yourself (“I’ll bring the left-overs to the kitchen.”) Share the load (“Deepa’s great at mentoring, but it’s the perfect stretch assignment for Nick.”) Set up rotations for administrative tasks Ready to shake things up? Here are some ways to even the playing field:Įveryday Actions to Disrupt Office Housework Prevents colleagues from making killer points during meetings When they’re not someone’s job, these undervalued tasks can take a toll on company culture and personal growth: Making coffee, taking minutes, writing unit tests, training interns…these things need to be done, but they don’t often lead to business impact or career growth. Share the expertise you see in them, and suggest new skills to learn Give direct feedback (don’t ease up to avoid hurt feelings)
#SPARKBOX DIVERSITY HOW TO#
As Karen says, there are a number of reasons we may hesitate to give direct and difficult feedback, but ultimately, we need to help everyone do their best.įocus on business impact, what to keep doing and how to improve Let’s ask her.”)ĭata shows that feedback is not always given equally or equitably, leaving many underrepresented colleagues unclear about how they are doing, what they should keep doing and where they need to improve. Redirect misdirected questions (“Mei’s the expert. Stop interruptions (“I’d like to hear Emma finish her thought.”)Ĭultivate a culture of credit (“I see you agree with the point Willie made earlier.” or “Here’s what I learned from Anna about AWS.”)
How can we help these people show up as their best selves? Here are some ideas Karen offers:Įveryday Actions to Amplify & Advocate for Others We’ve all been in a meeting where someone stumbles a bit, shares a great idea that isn’t well received or doesn’t get the credit for things he or she is responsible for. Introduce yourself to someone who doesn’t look like youĭon’t give unconscious demotions (when meeting someone at a tech event, assume they’re technical)Īttend events for underrepresented groups, to listen, learn and network But there are easy ways to avoid this while also changing up our networks.Įveryday Actions to Diversify Your Network Which means that sometimes, when we encounter people who don’t quite fit our presumption of what an engineer, CEO, VP or so on looks like, we may make embarrassing assumptions-unconscious demotions-that leave people feeling like they just don’t belong. Diversify Your NetworkĪs Karen says, most of our networks consist of people just like us. These everyday actions fall into four areas: diversifying our networks, amplifying and advocating for others, giving effective and equitable feedback and disrupting office housework. Gearing up for Digital Diversity Days at Sparkbox and Karen’s Better Allies workshop, Karen shared 13 simple actions we can take to improve diversity and inclusion. Įxamining Our Networks, Meetings, Feedback & Office Housework Shifting her focus to diversity and inclusion, she created and authored Better Allies: Everyday Actions to Create Inclusive, Engaging Workplaces and Present! A Techie’s Guide to Public Speaking. During her career, she saw a sharp decline in the number of women working in tech, so she decided to do something about it. Karen Catlin, a leadership coach and diversity advocate, offers everyday actions we can take to sponsor, champion, amplify and advocate for all people.Ī Silicon Valley veteran, Karen spent 25 years building software, serving in roles including vice president of engineering at Macromedia and Adobe. One effective way to cultivate diversity and inclusion is through allyship, by becoming a better ally to members of underrepresented groups. Allyship & Becoming a Better Ally for All But looking to others for inspiration, and learning from their success stories and potential missteps, we can each get a little better, whatever that may be on our own journey. Tough, right? It can be difficult to know what to do, or where to start. Try this one: “I will create a diverse and inclusive workplace by _.” From diverse perspectives to improved engagement, better business outcomes, increased innovation, increased profitability and even the simple joy of showing up as your true self, diversity offers many different benefits.īut achieving those end goals-putting the plan in place-is a little trickier. Whatever your reasoning, the answer probably comes pretty easily. Suppose someone asked you to fill in the following sentence: “I want a diverse and inclusive workplace because _.”
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