In 1963, Erving Goffman, an American sociologist, coined the term “covering.” He described it as the efforts people make to keep their stigmatized identities hidden. He indicated that one of the most visible acts of covering was when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt would be seated early at the table prior to a Cabinet Meeting inRead… Read more »
Interdependence American Indian organizations are interdependent. They understand that the success of the organization depends on everyone regardless of their title, role, paycheck or ego. Obligation to Others American Indian organizations realize they are obligated to the success of their members and those they serve. They do not give up on each other no matterRead… Read more »
Can’t Break it To My Heart was a hit song co-written and sung by country music star Tracy Lawrence in 1993. It tells the painful story that most of us have experienced when we fall in love with someone who does not love us back. It is difficult to accept the reality that the relationshipRead… Read more »
On Sunday, February 1st, millions of football fans watched the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks compete in Super Bowl XLIX. At the end of the day, the victorious coach got a Gatorade bath in celebration of winning the most coveted prize in the sports world. Lost amid the action on the field, funny commercials and entertainingRead… Read more »
It is the responsibility of everyone to create safe, healthy and inclusive workplaces by encouraging, expecting, recognizing and embracing differences. Yet here in the real world, inclusion rarely happens. Based on the observations of cultural competency expert, Fernando Ortiz, here are some of the reasons we avoid the difficult work of inclusion. I Didn’t DoRead… Read more »
Can we do away with the following months or at least change the way we commemorate them: Black History, Women’s History, Asian Pacific American Heritage, Hispanic Heritage, National Disability Employment Awareness and Native American Heritage? Why. Rarely do these observances focus on what executive orders, public laws, federal regulations and Presidential proclamations require- the improvementRead… Read more »
On Monday, January 19th, the federal government recognizes the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. with a holiday. During this time, I have a ritual of digging out research papers I did in seminary on Dr. King who at the time was a major influence on my leadership style in the early 80’s.Read… Read more »
Inclusion is a slippery subject. It is why most people avoid it much less comment on it in blog posts. The goal posts for inclusion are constantly changing. Is it something the law requires me to do? Is it the right thing to do? Is it good for my business? Requirement Without a doubt, civilRead… Read more »
I was thumbing through some of my old books from my seminary days and came across Robert Fulghum’s 1989 classic, “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.” As I skimmed the pages, it dawned on me that this book was a tutorial on inclusion. Lesson 1 Share everything-Inclusive workplaces are places whereRead… Read more »
Recently I was listening to a renowned national thought leader give a speech about engagement. The speaker emphasized how engagement scores for USA workers were slightly higher than last year but still much lower than they need to be. Then he made a stunning statement. He indicated disengaged workers must feel low on the totemRead… Read more »