Each week, Karen Catlin shares five simple actions to create a more inclusive workplace and be a better ally. — 1. Stop protecting “good guys” When discussing an incident of harassment, sexism, or another non-inclusive behavior, perhaps you’ve heard someone say, “Oh, he didn’t mean anything by that. He’s a good guy.” Or, “Don’t take it personally. Cut him some slack. I know he didn’t mean it. He’s a good guy.”

Each week, Karen Catlin shares five simple actions to create a more inclusive workplace and be a better ally. — 1. Share interview questions ahead of time Earlier this week, I listened to a keynote at the Cal State Tech Connect Conference by Eugene Whitlock JD, the chief people & culture officer at UC Berkeley. In his talk, he explored the benefits of diverse teams and how to hire them. Here’s just one idea Whitlock shared: Share…

Each week, Karen Catlin shares five simple actions to create a more inclusive workplace and be a better ally. — 1. Commit to a first step I recently read DO THE WORK: An Antiracist Activity Book by W. Kamau Bell and Kate Schatz. I love this new book, which is packed with activities, games, illustrations, comics, and eye-opening conversations. Each challenges us to think critically and take action to address racial injustice.

Each week, Karen Catlin shares five simple actions to create a more inclusive workplace and be a better ally. — 1. Endorse colleagues in meetings Earlier this week, Tim Banks tweeted: “White folks: If you have BIPOC or otherwise marginalized co-workers who are always the outspoken one in meetings, and you agree with what they’re saying but don’t speak up also, you can’t call yourself an ally, full stop

Each week, Karen Catlin shares five simple actions to create a more inclusive workplace and be a better ally. — 1. Avoid performative allyship Last Friday, people in the U.S. lost the constitutional right to abortion. When the news broke, I was in between client meetings. As a wave of emotion hit me, I forced myself to compartmentalize my feelings. “Put this aside for now, Karen. Focus on your work. …

Each week, Karen Catlin shares five simple actions to create a more inclusive workplace and be a better ally. — 1. Give actionable feedback Textio, a company that creates tools to analyze and augment writing for inclusion, conducted a large cross-industry survey to gain insight into job performance feedback. They coupled it with an analysis of actual performance documents given to more than 25,000 people. Perhaps not surprisingly, they found that different groups of…

Each week, Karen Catlin shares five simple actions to create a more inclusive workplace and be a better ally. — 1. Mitigate proximity bias In Think Working From Home Won’t Hurt Your Career? Don’t Be So Sure, Wall Street Journal columnist Callum Borchers wrote about proximity bias, defining it as: 1. A tendency to favor people in close proximity to you 2. Human nature and the way things have worked in business since forever

Each week, Karen Catlin shares five simple actions to create a more inclusive workplace and be a better ally. — 1. Speak up, but not over On Twitter, I spotted a post from She Leads For Legacy about ways to improve your allyship. One of the actions? Speak up, but not over. I love the simplicity of this powerful message. Speak up when you see inequities or harassment. …

Each week, Karen Catlin shares five simple actions to create a more inclusive workplace and be a better ally. — In today’s newsletter, I’m focusing on Michelle MiJung Kim’s fantastic book, The Wake Up: Closing the Gap Between Good Intentions and Real Change. I’m a fan of Kim, and long-time subscribers know I quote her guidance frequently. I’m excited to share more of her wisdom with you today. Each of…