Today is International Women’s Day! As we commemorate women's social, economic, cultural and political achievements, I can’t help but reflect on a recent conversation earlier this week with a new Inclusion First® client.
Welcome back, DEI change-makers! It’s been some time since my last blog, and I’m so delighted to be back at it. I’m looking forward to continuing this journey of learning and reflection with you.
On the eve of Canada's first-ever National Day of Truth & Reconciliation, I can't help but think: it's been a long time coming – perhaps too long.
Let me start by positioning myself. Before establishing Boldly Inclusive, I have worked in various sectors and industries, but the non-profit sector was what I called home for a considerable portion of my career. One of my last in-house roles was in the child welfare sector, working in diversity, equity and inclusion and community engagement functions. Since the start of the pandemic, incidents of anti-Asian hate have been increasing in frequency and severity. Violent acts of racism and xenophobia on the bus, while grocery shopping, while walking down the street, while sitting in a walker, and recently and devastatingly while working have become almost commonplace. Sadly, their public nature demonstrates the vulnerability of our brothers and sisters in the Asian community to harm and trauma – and we know this is especially true for women and seniors.
Years ago, back when I was job hunting, I had a set response to questions about my weaknesses: I was a "recovering perfectionist." Risky, I know (I could sense the suppressed eye-rolls), but it was the truth. Until then, it was absolutely crucial that everything I touched was delivered with exceptional quality, inspiring trust and leading to strong relationships. If I felt I was at risk of under-delivering, I would do everything necessary to reverse that, to exceed expectations and ensure the satisfaction of my clients and my supervisors. It was a huge weight to take on, and the pressure was immense. Ultimately, it slowed me down, and the result was that I was less agile. Recognizing this allowed me to search for approaches such as the 80/20 Rule, which allowed me to better manage my time without compromising outcomes. What I always kept to myself was the reason why I’d unquestioningly taken on this burden. Just as many Black parents have to educate their sons about how to safely interact with authorities, many Black mothers have parallel conversations with the daughters about the societal perceptions of their race and gender. As a Black girl, we had to be three times as good to be considered equal. Mediocrity was not an option; exceptionality was survival. |