5 Things / Comparisonitis
This week, I spent three days (and joyful evenings) with other thought leaders, each working to bring our new keynotes to life with the brilliant team at Heroic Public Speaking. I had a great week and did some fantastic work, but I started to feel a little down on myself once I left. I didn’t feel like writing this morning. Spending three days with other thought leaders can trigger comparisonitis (comparison syndrome). They have how many LinkedIn followers??!!
Any one of you could go to a conference of peers, or even read 5 Things and think, “That is such a cool thing that company X is doing…my company stinks and isn’t doing anything significant with DEI.” Or worse: ”They’re such a great leader…I stink compared to them…”
Comparisonitis. Comparison has been called the thief of joy – and it causes stagnation. I can’t fulfill my purpose to build a world where people feel safe to be authentically themselves if I let comparison drag me down. What I have to remind myself is that each step I take toward my vision matters.
Screw comparisonitis. There will always be those ahead of you and trust me, there will be many others just starting out. Each step you take towards more significant equity and inclusion matters – as an individual, and as an organization. Even simple things like intentionally connecting with people who are different from you, builds momentum that can be world-changing, and life-changing.
If you find yourself stuck because of comparisonitis or anything else, reply to this email. Seriously. I read every response and I’ll get back to you ASAP. Oh, and as much as I hate to admit it, external validation helps…so if you listen to the 5 Things in 15 Minutes podcast, will you do me a favor, rate, and review?
Here are the good vibes I found this week:
Championing Authenticity and Equity: Inside and Outside of Yelp
Yelp is doing some great, simple, and free things to create an inclusive culture for a fully remote workforce. YelpMates is a cross-department buddy program focused on socialization and fun, with a pair of buddies highlighted in the monthly internal Belonging Newsletter. This program was informally started by one employee, later adopted by the entire company, and now hundreds of employees have participated. That employee is now the company’s inaugural Culture Champion Award winner, which will now be a quarterly award. I love this because it’s a great, replicable model that encourages people to connect across differences, including differences in location and time zone – and employees are rewarded for being inclusive and caring about one another.
Walmart to Cover Fertility Treatments Under Insurance Plan
I have to say that I’m increasingly impressed with Walmart. As of November 1, the company will provide family-building coverage as an employee benefit. Employees on the Walmart health plan (and their spouse, partner, or adult child) even at the retail level, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation, can get coverage up to $20,000 in fertility benefits. Full-time employees can access an additional $20,000 towards surrogacy and adoption processes which can cost tens of thousands of dollars. This matters because family building can be complicated and expensive, and these procedures may be out of reach for front-line and LGBTQ+ employees, in particular.
How Employers Can Set Formerly Incarcerated Workers Up for Success
Formerly incarcerated people can be a vital talent source if cared for and supported by employers. In this Harvard Business Review story, I learned that instead of HR professionals, Nehemiah Manufacturing uses social workers. JBM Manufacturing has a life coach and U.S. Rubber Recycling has a psychiatric rehabilitation counselor available for employees. These programs go above and beyond traditional Employee Assistance Programs and matter, in particular, because BIPOC folks were disproportionately imprisoned during the war on drugs, and are more likely to have criminal records.
The Who Says Gender-Affirming Care Is Essential to Transgender Health
The World Health Organization (WHO) has updated the guidelines for the health of transgender people to establish that gender-affirming care, including self-identification, is fundamental to well-being. These new guidelines intend to ensure access to health resources including hormonal treatments and surgery and stress the importance of access to care. This matters because there are increasing attacks on transgender rights – the conservative movement in the US to legislate away access to gender-affirming care for minors, lack of self-identification in many countries, and even criminalization in some.
CVS Drops Prices on Its Tampons and Will Pay the ‘Pink Tax’
CVS is lowering the prices of its store-brand period products and is paying sales tax on those products in 12 U.S. states that tax those products. There are other states that tax those products but laws prevent CVS from paying those taxes. This is an incredibly equitable thing for CVS to do because period products can get expensive, especially with inflation, and especially for the many folks who have to choose between buying period products and food.