Happy Monday:
Harvard Business Review published a terrific article on the real-world benefits and lessons on improving diversity from the example set by Pinterest. Bottom line? Like any change, the staff had to get comfortable with being uncomfortable while the plan was implemented, but the financial results were well worth the effort. The full article can be found here.
HBR also explored the flaws in the VC culture that made sexual harassment a prevalent issue in that industry. It seems that when you confuse the pursuit of money with the pursuit of masculinity, hitting on women is just “another way to keep score.” The author notes that while the industry is turning to sexual harassment training as a solution, the real issue lies in changing men’s attitudes toward themselves as men. To eliminate sexual harassment, the industry needs to stop placing value on being a ‘real man’ and insist that people behave as respectful decent human beings. The full article can be found here.
On the topic of being a decent and respectful human being, a new study shows that when black employees cannot speak out about their life experiences with discrimination, they are more vulnerable to feelings of isolation and alienation. We know the economic benefits of having diverse teams, and building better understanding and trust between team members is a critical step in building a strong one. The full article can be found here.
And finally, we have all been in a position where we have disagreed with our superiors. The question is, is it better to speak up or shy away from the conversation? It seems there is a (powerful) right way to have this conversation with concrete steps you can follow. Read on – the full article can be found here.
We have some terrific events lined up for you this year and look forward to seeing you all at an event in 2017! To learn more about our 2017 events, please visit www.txwsw.com
Kind regards
Christine