Take this moment…without knowing the answers
My work is to be honest. My work is to try to think clearly, then have the courage to make sure that what I say is the truth. Maya Angelou
The protests and reactions of the last 10 days have been both heartbreaking and uplifting. Heartbreaking are the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery and that they represent the horrific tip of centuries of systemic racism and oppression. Heartbreaking is the fear and sometimes hate-fueled reactions of too many. But uplifting is that so many have come out in protest. Especially during a pandemic. Uplifting are the police who have marched or taken knees with the protestors. Could this be the start of real change?
Organizations have an opportunity to create change within. For there to be change, we need to continue the reflection, turn it into conversation and into action. And we need to start that now, in this open window of opportunity. But racism and oppression are systemic, baked so deep into our culture that they can be hard to see. We are unable to see ourselves reinforcing this system without conscious and usually uncomfortable effort.
Several months ago, we developed the grid below as a way for organizations to reflect on their mindset both in strategic planning and succession planning. The examples below can be used to start a discussion. You may disagree with these examples and we welcome learning about that from you. You can create a blank or different format for self-reflection. You can work through it as a group, or have people reflect on it individually and later compare perceptions. You can seek an impartial facilitator to help with this discussion or pull from your board, staff or volunteers.
As facilitators, we’ve helped many organizations with uncomfortable and difficult discussions. This discussion will be one of the hardest. If you would like to talk through how you might take this moment – no cost, no strings attached – please get in touch. We are committed to a more just and equitable world and hope to play a small part in getting there.
Laurie & Julia
