5 Things / Ageist
This year I learned that I’m ageist. I learned this by showing up at “drop-in pickleball" at the rec center around the corner, having never played. The other players were patient with me, lent me a paddle, and taught me to play. I felt cautiously confident that I could pick this up easily, especially since many players were older than me. And then I had my a$$ kicked by folks 15-20 years my senior.
5 Things / Connection First
This week I met with a keynote client that found, when they issued return to office mandates last year, that productivity was higher when people worked remotely. As a result, they backtracked on the mandates and now the vast majority of employees work at home.
5 Things / Visibility
My partner Heather Vickery and I spent Wednesday (Lesbian Visibility Day!) in Springfield for LGBTQ Advocacy Day at the Illinois State Capitol. It was my first time attending this annual event organized by Equality Illinois. The goal is to meet with legislators and share our perspectives on LGBTQ-related bills.
5 Things / Micro Inclusion
This week I was a panelist at an internal event hosted by one of my clients. I arrived early and caught the previous fireside chat with the CEO, during which one of the employees in the audience encouraged everyone in the room to say something to every single person they make eye contact with on a daily basis.
5 Things / Not Yet
This week I was in a series of meetings with a client, leading them through our Inclusive 360 assessment process. Our assessment is extremely granular, breaking down DEI into a series of small tactics, across all functions. As part of the process, we put employees in small group meetings and go through the assessment questions.