Learning from our judgments in a diverse workplace
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March 8, 2024 Dear Reader, This new edition, on March 8th, offers us the opportunity to celebrate International Women’s Day in 2024 under the theme ‘Invest in women: Accelerate progress. ‘ This edition is also the second part of our series on judgment in a diverse workplace. Our judgments reveal much about ourselves, reflecting our beliefs, biases, and cultural conditioning. We will explore how our three cornerstones - self-awareness, augmented leadership skills, and Emotional and Cultural Agility - can help us answer the question posed last Monday: Self-AwarenessIn the Wednesday video, I referred to Carl Jung’s famous quote, “Everything that irritates us about others leads us to a better understanding of ourselves.” This quote is a powerful reminder that our judgments can reveal deeper insights into our beliefs, biases, and cultural conditioning. When we encounter Diversity in our workplace, these judgments may surface, offering us an opportunity for self-reflection. By acknowledging and examining our judgments, we gain a deeper understanding of ourselves. You might want to revisit last week’s self-awareness inquiry or take a moment to answer those new questions:
What are you learning? Augmented Leadership SkillsNavigating differences effectively in a diverse workplace requires heightened leadership skills. Our judgments can serve as valuable feedback, highlighting areas where we need to enhance our communication, compassion, and conflict-resolution skills. Self-leadershipTo suspend judgment and learn from it, one must possess good self-control. You can gradually improve these skills by following these steps: Step 1: Reflect on a situation at the end of each workday in which you had to make a judgment call. Step 2: Before a meeting with colleagues from different cultures and backgrounds, anticipate where you might be judgmental and identify which biases, emotions, and values might be challenged. Step 3: During intercultural interactions, pay attention to moments when you feel judgmental and consciously try to counteract this reaction by showing curiosity towards the other person. Leading a diverse teamCreate an environment where judgments are considered as signals that misunderstandings and a lack of collaboration might occur. Therefore, judgments are not judged (!) but taken as a chance to understand the situation better. I could recommend suppressing judgment. Let’s face it: it’s just not how we, humans, interact! Leading by exampleInstead, demonstrate self-leadership by saying, “Oh, I catch myself being judgmental here regarding the “rigidity” of this partner. What value matters to him that I might be missing?” This approach will promote a sense of self-awareness and sound curiosity among team members. Leading diverse teams with integrity and courageTactly interrupt a team member who demonstrates judgment by raising their awareness and developing their curiosity about their biases, emotions, and values. This will help the team members learn from their often unconscious judgment and build a more collaborative and respectful environment. Emotional and Cultural AgilityOur judgments can trigger emotional reactions and tensions within teams, highlighting the importance of managing emotions effectively and fostering a culture of psychological safety. We can cultivate compassion, understanding, and trust within our teams by developing emotional intelligence and Cultural Agility. Embracing the lessons learned from our judgments allows us to cultivate a workplace culture where diversity is celebrated, differences are respected, and everyone feels valued and included. As Inclusive Leaders, let us embrace the lessons learned from our judgments in a diverse workplace and create inclusive environments where everyone thrives. Until next time, Catherine __________________________ 🗣️ Remember, Inclusive Leadership is not a destination; it's a continuous evolution. Let's create Constructive Frictions where Diversity delivers!
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