5 Things / Unique Wisdom
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I’m a lesbian and yesterday was Lesbian Visibility Day. 👋🏻🏳️🌈Despite putting myself out there as a speaker and writer for years now, it took me a long time to figure out how I wanted to be in the world. What gender expression feels authentic? How to find the balance between being open and vulnerable while still protecting myself? But those are things many of us navigate.
What I know is that I have a hell of a lot of resilience and empathy because of my sexuality. It’s made me stronger and amplified my gifts and my messages. It’s given me unique wisdom.
But whatever your story is, whoever you are, gives you unique wisdom. Whatever the stories are of the people on your team, even of the people who annoy you, gives them all unique wisdom as well. It would be cool if we took a moment to be curious about each other’s unique wisdom, and the gifts they have from their experiences. The things they can teach us. It all starts with curiosity. My ARC (Ask-Respect-Connect) Method helps.
Here Are This Week's Good Vibes:
PBS Kids Adds ASL to Six Shows
PBS Kids is enhancing accessibility by adding American Sign Language interpreters to popular shows, benefiting children who are deaf or hard of hearing. With content aimed at ages 2 to 8, many kids may not yet read captions, making ASL crucial. Partnering with Bridge Multimedia, PBS conducted user testing to optimize interpreter placement, ensuring seamless integration. ASL versions of six shows are now available online, with plans to expand.
Delta Continues to Invest in Employees
Delta Airlines is giving a 5% pay raise to over 80,000 ground employees and flight attendants, a 20–25% cumulative increase in comp in 2 years. This rise follows a generous $1.4 billion profit-sharing payment to employees, doubling last year's payout. Delta has a $125 million profit-sharing fund already allocated for next year and has a stable and loyal workforce. Delta’s my favorite airline to follow for this reason…it’s too bad Chicago’s not a hub.
Korean Company Uses Korean Names
Kakao Games distinguishes itself by abandoning its longstanding tradition of using English names for employees, opting instead to embrace their Korean identities. This unique move underscores the company's respect for individuality and is a departure from the common practice in Korean workplaces. By prioritizing authenticity and inclusion, Kakao Games sets a precedent for other organizations to do the same.
Retail/Grocery Employees to Have More Protections
Starting July 2025, retail and grocery workers in unincorporated L.A. County gain more control over their schedules, thanks to a new ordinance mandating employers to provide schedules two weeks in advance, offer compensation for last-minute changes, and space out shifts by 10 hours. This policy, mirroring L.A. city's 2022 ordinance, affects around 200 businesses and up to 6,000 workers. With many workers being people of color, this policy promotes equity, fair treatment, and hopefully stability.
Dell Sees ERG Success
Dell’s Employee resource groups (ERGs) have a 52% participation rate across its 120,000 global employees. They achieved this because CEO Michael Dell mandates that each direct report sponsor an ERG. This leadership buy-in then incentivizes employees to show up! When the leaders are bought-in, great things can happen in DEI. That’s the way it’s done.
This Week’s Call to Action:
Join my next DEI Double Feature: The Belonging Buzzword. I’m hosting it with Michelle Silverthorn on May 8 and you can join right here!