Each week, Karen Catlin shares five simple actions to create a more inclusive workplace and be a better ally. — 1. Train the guys, too In the Harvard Business Review article Where Women’s Leadership Development Programs Fall Short, W. Brad Johnson, David G. Smith, and Heather Christensen point out that, while there are many benefits to providing leadership training for women, there are some downsides. Specifically, they “can signal that women are deficient and need…

Each week, Karen Catlin shares five simple actions to create a more inclusive workplace and be a better ally. — 1. Disrupt Tall Poppy Syndrome New research from Women of Influence+ found that almost 90% of women surveyed globally are belittled and undermined because of their success at work. …

Each week, Karen Catlin shares five simple actions to create a more inclusive workplace and be a better ally. — 1. Disrupt “prove it again” bias To kick off Women’s History Month, I’m sharing a story about a prejudice many women face: “Prove it again” bias. A few years ago, I had a coaching client I’ll refer to as Meena. (Not her real name.) Her manager was about to take a six-month parental leave, and he…

Each week, Karen Catlin shares five simple actions to create a more inclusive workplace and be a better ally. — 1. Revisit what “professional” looks like Last week, Dove and LinkedIn published a study on the hair bias and discrimination Black women experience in the workplace. Their findings include the following: Black women’s hair is 2.5x more likely to be perceived as unprofessional. Black women with coily/textured hair are 2x as likely to experience microaggressions in…

Each week, Karen Catlin shares five simple actions to create a more inclusive workplace and be a better ally. — 1. Shake the table In an interview with the New York Times, Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, who led a key team in creating the vaccine against COVID-19, shared, “I try to make sure that my lab and the people I hire come from diverse backgrounds so that our thoughts and the way that we do…

Each week, Karen Catlin shares five simple actions to create a more inclusive workplace and be a better ally. — 1. Disrupt everyday racism in the workplace I’m grateful (albeit troubled) when people share the everyday racism they face in their workplace. As a white person, I get a tiny sliver of insight into what it’s like being a member of an ethnic minority group at work. Here are some examples:

Each week, Karen Catlin shares five simple actions to create a more inclusive workplace and be a better ally. — 1. Stamp out “strategic incompetence” In an article for Fortune titled, It’s time to talk about male mediocrity at work, journalist Ross McCammon explored “strategic incompetence,” a behavior men can use to avoid responsibilities, especially glue work and other tasks that don’t lead to career growth. …

Each week, Karen Catlin shares five simple actions to create a more inclusive workplace and be a better ally. — 1. Respond to and interrupt racism With Black History Month starting next week, I wanted to revisit something I shared in a previous newsletter: How to respond to racist behavior. Many of us are quick to admit we don’t do enough when we hear racist comments. Perhaps it’s because we don’t have the energy to push…

Each week, Karen Catlin shares five simple actions to create a more inclusive workplace and be a better ally. — 1. Be a door opener, not a gatekeeper In her TEDx talk A Moonshot for Gender Equity, Dr. Shikha Jain reflected on her career, wondering if some of the challenges she had faced weren’t because she wasn’t good enough, but because she was in a system that put barriers in places where they shouldn’t be.