The diversity class that changed my career
In one of those early times when diversity was becoming a so-called business “imperative,” I was offered to take a class called Efficacy for Minorities. Some of you who identify yourselves in this category might be skeptical like I was. Was this a thinly veiled attempt at a more aptly named Assimilation for Minorities? Or for those of you not in this category, you might be thinking how come there wasn’t an Efficacy for Majorities. If you’re still in the latter camp, there’s much to discuss. Might be the topic of a later blog. For those of you in the former camp, let me tell you, the class delivered in the best of ways.
No, there was nothing about assimilation. Instead, there was a heartfelt acknowledgement of our unique gifts and our unique, often unspoken struggles. Taught by minorities for minorities, the 2-day class was a safe haven to help us see that no, we were not alone, no, we were not imagining things, and yes, we had an uphill battle to climb. But it was also a kick in the rear. I realized:
We can feel hopeless. Like no matter what we do or how well we do it, people with the right relationships, the right words, the right moves, will get ahead of us.
We can be resentful. Like seeing the microaggressions day in and day out, dumbfounded that others don’t see them, and being expected to grin and bear it, or worse, being told it’s all in our heads and we’re overreacting.
We can give up. Like leaving before we break through, or worse, mentally leaving and no longer putting forth the effort because let’s face it, why should we?
Or we can be unstoppable. Truth be told, I’ve felt all of the above. But what I carried with me which kept me in the race for so many years had a lot to do with a powerful exercise and a fortuitous coincidence.
The exercise was: think of a non-work-related pursuit – a dream trip, project, or hobby you’ve done or are doing. Or maybe a wedding or celebration you’re pulling together. Did you face challenges or unexpected turns? How did you pivot, how did you use your resourcefulness to overcome problems? Did you let others’ opinion of you slow you down?
Truth is, the bigger the event, the closer to our hearts, the greater our resourcefulness. We don’t cancel the trip. We don’t turn away from the celebration. We don’t let what others say or do deter us.
I was in the final preparations for a trip to Puerto Vallarta. I had dry cleaning to pick up, dog sitters to confirm, plans to finalize. On the last days before the trip, I skipped lunch to go run errands, woke up hours earlier to finalize preparations, activated plans Bs and Cs when I needed to pivot. I was getting on that plane. No question.
So what if I approached my work goals this way?
I’ve had countless other examples throughout my life. Parties and celebrations where I didn’t mind 3-hour round trips to get the perfect cake (looking at you Spring Fling). Christmas preparations looking for and then DIY-ing a perfect replica of a reindeer hoof print (courtesy of last-minute request from my 6-year old). A trip with multiple last-minute, wee-morning drives 90-minutes away to renew a passport I didn’t know I needed (hello, Canada) and didn’t realize had expired (thank you, Covid). And even recently, finding an MRI appointment that wasn’t 3 weeks out while putting up with a herniated disc. Phone calls to insurance providers, MRI providers, my primary doctor, etc. and 3 hours later, I had an appointment two days later.
Many of us don’t want to be taken advantage of at work. I totally get that. Some have been lucky to have always maintained clear boundaries between work and life. But even with whatever boundaries are crucial to each of us, if we approach work with the resourcefulness and passion we devote to our most prized personal pursuits, if we carry on in the face of microaggressions to deliver the best of us, then we reach true efficacy. And with efficacy comes influence. Influence that can be used to lift others up, to credibly uncover injustice, and to pave the way for the next level of efficacy. Better yet, pave the way for the next generations of us.