Diversity, equity, and inclusion work is often misunderstood—sometimes willfully, sometimes because we haven’t done enough to clarify the why behind it. One of the most common misconceptions I hear is this: “DEI means hiring someone just because they’re [fill in the blank].” “We don’t want to lower the bar.” “That sounds like a quota.” Let’s…
The headlines are loud. The rules keep changing. And leaders are left asking: How do we protect our people? How do we keep our culture strong? How do we adapt—without getting pulled into a polarizing debate? It starts by focusing less on slogans and more on outcomes. Not just what people are talking about—but what…
In today’s evolving work environment, creating an inclusive culture isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s a strategic advantage. According to Harvard Business Review, high-belonging workplace cultures are associated with a 56% increase in job performance, a 50% reduction in turnover risk, and a 75% decrease in sick days. For a company with 10,000 employees,…
As published on Devex.com, July 7, 2014 Cross-cultural collaboration. Why is it so hard? As international development practitioners, we are typically working toward the same well-intentioned goal. If our interests are aligned, then why isn’t it easier? Well, many reasons: funding, deadlines, limited or misdirected resources, language differences … the list goes on. But…
Too often, we leave trust up to chance. We think it will just happen naturally over time. And sometimes that is true. But often this is not the case, especially when working with people who seem very different from ourselves. Here is what I see working with corporate clients: people are assigned to work together…
You are facing a deadline for a big presentation. Time is flying. The content is just not coming together. Your mind races. You sit at your desk and bury your head in your hands. An attentive colleague walks up and says, “You look stressed! You should take a walk or get a massage.” You think,…
[Published March 9, 2020] Yesterday, I stood and stared at two grocery bags in my basement. Four boxes of spaghetti. Two bottles of children’s Tylenol. One large bottle of antibacterial soap. Then I looked back to my phone and re-read the text from my neighbor. The doctors diagnosed her with Stage 4 lung cancer,…
If there is one element that is crucial for positive growth, whether we are talking about personal development, spiritual breakthroughs or business mergers, it is reflection on what has worked and what needs to be refined. The a new year is a perfect time to look back before looking ahead. Here are three questions to…
I have been giving discomfort a lot of thought lately. But that is kind of an issue. Discomfort is not something we need to think about, it is something we need to feel and grow to tolerate if we are going to evolve as a culture. It is kind of like needing to tolerate mosquito…
As published on Devex.com, Feb 9, 2013 As it turns out, fruit dryers were unpopular in a coastal village in Nicaragua where a group of engineers were working. Had they known that “yes” in Nicaragua could sometimes mean “we don’t want to offend you,” they could have provided a different service. In another instance,…
