Talking through tough issues at work can help initiate change and influence others by presenting different perspectives and approaches to solving problems. When we engage in healthy debate and work through conflict, our team is much closer to realizing its next innovative idea, product, or service.

Yet when we engage in challenging conversations, they have the potential of straining our professional relationships. They can also erode our health and well-being. As a result, many of us are conflict-avoidant, and there are good evolutionary reasons we exercise caution when conflict arises.

Our brains are wired to keep us safe from harm. When conflict arises, internal alarm bells ring loud, and we cling to what feels most comfortable. Tension arises, and psychological safety deteriorates. Specifically, we may fear negative consequences should we engage in a challenging conversation where we are uncertain of the outcome.

So how do we build the stamina required to talk through tough issues that arise at work when our instinct is to run in the opposite direction? Meaningful dialogue in any form requires two key ingredients: 1) risk, and 2) vulnerability. Risk arises because we are uncertain of the outcome, and vulnerability is necessary to maintain our presence as the dialogue continues to unfold.

Fortunately, this episode’s featured thought leader, Dr. Elisa Glick, will offer suggestions based on her deep experience about how to create and maintain the conditions required to skillfully talk through tough issues at work.

Dr. Glick is a DEIB consultant, thought leader, and inclusive teaching expert. She is the first openly gay faculty member specializing in queer studies to be tenured at the University of Missouri, where she is Associate Professor Emerita. As the Founder and President of Elisa Glick Consulting, Elisa helps leaders and teams to have courageous conversations, overcome barriers to connection, and foster trust and collaboration.

This conversation is specifically designed to support executive leaders, DEIB practitioners, HR professionals, and other people leaders seeking everyday actions they can take to tame the tension that often arises when dialogue around tough issues is required. Together, we will explore:

---Strategies on how to override the brain’s instinct to avoid conflict at all costs.

---Actions required to frame the conversation and establish community agreements.

---Behaviors that promote a shared sense of trust among participants in the dialogue.

---Ways to repair the environment if the trust they have created is eventually tested.

https://elisaglick.com/blogtest

https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisa-glick-phd

Savor this insightful talk, and if you’re looking for more ways to connect with inspiring leaders like Dr. Elisa Glick, be sure to join the Belonging Membership Community – a community of leaders committed to advancing their DEIB goals while practicing community care. Members have the unique opportunity to engage with our featured thought leaders 1:1 after our podcast recordings where they can participate in a private laser coaching session with our guests.

To learn more about the Belonging Membership Community, please visit: www.belongingmembershipcommunity.com.

Are you concerned about the #InclusiveLeadership skills gap in today's workforce? Are you curious about how to change this reality? You're not alone.

In this year’s State of the Union, President Biden mentioned a recent meeting he had with nearly all Fortune 500 CEOs. He asked them what they needed most.

They unequivocally said, "a better-educated workforce." Yet many of these same CEOs resist making investments in their L&D programs, with 51% saying they are:

"A waste of time."

Past learning workshops my company delivered have enumerated the significant ROI gained from these programs, including higher engagement and retention rates. We’ve also discussed the C-Suite's responsibility in up-skilling their workforce.

Yet, to what degree of responsibility does the U.S. education system also have when it comes to equipping the next generation with inclusive leadership skills?

To answer this BIG question, Rhodes had a thought-provoking discussion with Rebecca Kling to explore the roles both businesses and the education system play in building a future-ready workforce.

Rebecca is the co-author of The Advocate Educator's Handbook, and is the co-founder of A Better World Collaborative. In this episode, you'll discover:

1) The surprising truth behind why CEOs might see learning programs as a "waste of time."

2) How recent legislative attacks on critical race theory (CRT), LGBTQ+ inclusive and book bans harm future leaders.

3) The alarming rise in school bullying and its impact on students' social-emotional skills (3).

4) Practical strategies for equipping younger generations with the leadership skills needed to thrive in a diverse workplace.

The conversation is a value-add for C-suite executives, DEIB professionals, social justice champions, and anyone passionate about building belonging at work.

Don't miss your chance to connect with a nationally renowned expert on this latest episode of the podcast.

Savor this insightful talk, and if you’re looking for more ways to connect with inspiring leaders like Rebecca, be sure to join the Belonging Membership Community – a community of inclusive leaders committed to advancing their DEIB goals while practicing community care. Members have the unique opportunity to engage with our guests 1:1 after our podcast recordings where they can participate in a private Q&A session with our guest.

To learn more about the Belonging Membership Community, please visit: www.belongingmembershipcommunity.com.

To connect with Rebecca Kling please visit: www.rebeccakling.com.

The Advocate Educator website, Better World Collaborative

Many listen to this podcast to gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence to build a workplace where we feel seen, connected, supported, and have a sense of pride on the job – these elements are what it takes to build belonging. To achieve this emotional outcome of belonging, we must be willing to explore and appreciate other people’s worldviews. This exploration includes getting curious about the worldviews of others who may be opposed to our own – especially the values we hold closest to our hearts.

Learning about another person’s worldview encourages us to practice sonder, the realization that each random person you pass is living a life as vivid and complex as your own. Sonder reminds us that each person’s world is filled with their ambitions, friends, fears, routines, joys, beliefs, and behaviors, and until we engage in a respectful dialogue…this rich inner world is 100% invisible to us.

Now in our Belonging Membership Community, we have the opportunity to practice the art of sonder. When we practice sonder, it aligns with our community’s shared value of seeing the humanity in another person, even when we don’t agree with their worldviews. Practicing sonder helps us hone one of the peacebuilding skills many DEIB leaders have, which is the ability to understand human behavior…as unpredictable as it may be…

And today, we have the pleasure of learning from Diana Cutaia, Founder of Coaching Peace Consulting, who will share what it takes to build peace at work and beyond. She will share why these skills are so critical considering the current cultural and political environment we are living through. Diana founded her practice in 2012, with the goal of creating positive and safe cultures that empower its members to lead with empathy and understanding.

Together, our conversation supports DEIB professionals, along with other executives, and those on their way to joining us, by sharing her coaching philosophy and why peacebuilding skills are necessary for current and future workplace leaders. Topics explored during this episode include:

--Diana’s calling to explore the meaning of peace earlier in her life.

--The power of play and connection to cultivate cultures of peace.

--Tactical strategies build cultures that feel like they were designed for you.

Savor this insightful talk, and if you’re looking for more ways to connect with inspiring leaders like Dr. Carter, be sure to join the Belonging Membership Community – a community of leaders committed to advancing their DEIB goals while practicing community care. Members have the unique opportunity to engage with our guests 1:1 after our podcast recordings where they can participate in a private Q&A session with our guest.

Website: https://coachingpeace.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/coachingpeacelive/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianacutaia/

To learn more about the Belonging Membership Community, please visit: www.belongingmembershipcommunity.com.

In 2020, current US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy authored a powerful treatise on the impact of loneliness and the benefits of human connection. Drawing on rich science, compelling personal stories, and beautiful prose, it explores the high costs of loneliness and considers how individuals, societies, and governments can tackle the problem by promoting human connection by building a belonging society.

The book discovered one of the most common underlying themes of ill health was loneliness, without exemption by wealth, education, or accomplishments. The Surgeon General labeled this as an epidemic and said, “Loneliness and isolation have been an underappreciated public health crisis that has harmed individual and societal health.” He went on to say that human relationships – connection and belonging – are the medicine that can allow us to heal and live healthier, more fulfilled, and productive lives.

Now in our Belonging Membership Community, we recognize that one important ingredient to building this belonging society is the role of the workplace. Sadly, building belonging cultures at work has yet to take root – it’s a stretch for some of us to even permit ourselves to imagine what a belonging workplace can look and feel like on a full sensory level. As George Washington Carver once said, without vision, there can be no hope.

Fortunately, today we are joined by Cordell Carter, the Aspen Institute’s Founding Director, who will us imagine what a belonging society can be, and we’ll explore how the workplace can play a key role in activating this vision. Cordell is a transformative leader in championing democracy, DEIB, and promoting the greater good. His career journey is as diverse as it is impressive, spanning roles at the White House, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and IBM.

Together, our conversation supports DEIB professionals, along with other executives, and those on their way to joining us, by sharing his belonging society vision. He will also share practical strategies on how our workplaces can play a role into making this vision a reality. Topics explored during this episode include:

--Cordell’s calling to serve as the Founding Director of the Aspen Institute’s Project on Belonging.

--The importance of having a vision, even if that vision feels elusive, and how it can make what feels impossible become a reality.

--The threat of not addressing the global epidemic on exclusion and loneliness, and how building a belonging society and upend it.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cordellcarterii/

https://www.aspeninstitute.org/people/cordell-carter-ii/

https://expectantadvisory.com/#about

https://www.festivalofthediaspora.org/

Savor this insightful talk, and if you’re looking for more ways to connect with inspiring leaders like Cordell, be sure to join the Belonging Membership Community – a community of leaders committed to advancing their DEIB goals while practicing community care. Members have the unique opportunity to engage with our guests 1:1 after our podcast recordings where they can participate in a private Q&A session with our guest.

To learn more about the Belonging Membership Community, please visit: www.belongingmembershipcommunity.com.

And now…let’s jump into today’s conversation…

The different people, cultures, and ideas stitched throughout the fabric of your organization are at the end of the day your most powerful assets. Your workplace has the capacity to embrace all parts of these powerful differences, and the CEOs who recognize this truth will have a competitive advantage moving into the future of work. 

CEOs who sponsor their organization’s DEIB commitments say the need for these programs is stronger than ever given the stubbornly persistent inequities that create challenges to recruit top talent – including younger generations that demand working at organizations committed to building belonging at work.

Over the past 3 years, many workplaces have made significant investments to establish and advance their DEIB commitments. Sadly, some of these efforts have lost momentum, primarily due to politicians, courts, and sometimes customers challenging this work with false claims. These claims overlook over four decades of research and case studies underscoring the significant return on investment DEIB programs deliver to improve a company's profits, employee engagement, and customer loyalty.

The increasing polarization of DEIB interventions spawns new and unexpected challenges, which is why we are hosting this very important conversation with Paolo Gaudiano. Paolo is the Founder and Chief Scientist of Aleria, an impact startup that measures inclusion to help organizations have happier employees and superior financial performance – without guesswork or backlash.  

Together, our conversation supports DEIB professionals, along with other executives, and those on their way to joining us, by offering practical strategies to diffuse today’s backlash. Topics explored during this episode include:

--Paolo’s calling to write his forthcoming book, “Measuring Inclusion: Higher Profits & Happier People, Without Guesswork or Backlash.”

--The power of metrics capable of measuring the impact of DEIB interventions to help diffuse backlash and inform a strategic and beneficial approach that centers the workforce.

--The harms anti-DEIB legislation inflicts upon good business practices and employee morale, and how DEIB professionals can proactively respond to the backlash that left unchecked harms progress.

Savor this insightful talk, and if you’re looking for more ways to connect with inspiring leaders like Paolo, be sure to join the Belonging Membership Community – a community of leaders committed to advancing their DEIB goals while practicing community care. Members have the unique opportunity to engage with our guests 1:1 after our podcast recordings where they can participate in a private Q&A session with our guest.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/pgaudiano

https://www.aleria.tech/

To learn more about the Belonging Membership Community, please visit: www.belongingmembershipcommunity.com.

And now…let’s jump into today’s conversation…

Somatic practices, or body intelligence (BQ), offer an antidote to compassion fatigue and burnout. These practices help us locate and release stress, tension, and trauma by becoming more aware of the felt sensations within our bodies. This inner wisdom also has the potential to help us become more resilient and self-compassionate at a time of massive disruption and break-neck change on a global scale.

Somatic practices can be especially beneficial for those of us at the forefront of social justice movements – particularly for those of us who have lived experiences of racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, and other forms of oppression. These practices can be especially healing for DEIB practitioners like us. They offer support in the following ways:

--Grounding and connecting with our inner strength and body intelligence.

--Developing healthier coping mechanisms for dealing with stress and trauma.

--Cultivating more compassion and understanding for ourselves and others.

If you are interested in learning more about the power of somatic practices and how they can help you build resiliency as you advance your DEIB goals during these transformative times, then join us on Thursday, October 26 at 10 am Pacific Time for a live podcast recording with Sarah Rimmel, Founder of Slow Integration Coaching, along with members of our Belonging Community. https://youtube.com/live/-pR99Tc7Gz0

As the Founder of Slow Integration Coaching, Sarah is deeply committed to the belonging ingredient of support – ensuring that each person on our team gets what they need so that they can do their best work. As an ICF-certified somatic coach, team coach, facilitator, and intercultural development educator, Sarah supports DEIB professionals and BIPOC people in centering their mental, spiritual, physical, and emotional well-being while doing the external work they are committed to.  https://www.instagram.com/slowintegrationcoaching/

Together, our conversation supports DEIB professionals, along with other inclusive leaders, to become more aware of our bodies’ intelligence and deep wisdom. Topics explored include:

--Sarah’s calling to leave a career in higher education to support DEIB professionals in avoiding and overcoming the harms of burnout, so that they can continue to support others.

--The power of how somatic practices can support us as we seek belonging and healing in our relationship with ourselves and those surrounding us.

--Somatic practices we can use in our personal and professional practice to help us embrace compassion for ourselves and those we interact with daily.

https://linktr.ee/SarahRimmel

https://www.sarahrimmel.com

Savor this insightful talk, and if you’re looking for more ways to connect with inspiring leaders like Sarah, be sure to join the Belonging Membership Community – a community of leaders committed to advancing their DEIB goals while practicing community care. Members have the unique opportunity to engage with our guests 1:1 after our podcast recordings where they can participate in a private Q&A session with our guest.

To learn more about the Belonging Membership Community, please visit: www.belongingmembershipcommunity.com.

Do you struggle with finding a common language that can help bring people together, especially those who often disagree with one another, hold different beliefs, and become defensive when conflicting values arise at work?

Then you’ll want to tune into this episode where you’ll have the chance to learn more about Leah’s Kyaio’s newest book, Between the Bars. Her book offers a powerful foundation to help you successfully engage in meaningful, difficult, and uncomfortable conversations that when done well, can help us move forward.

Leah Kyaio has dedicated the past 25 years of her life supporting business and community leaders successfully engage in challenging conversations like these. She identifies as Two-Skinned, having a Blackfoot Native American mother and an Appalachian white father. These identities inform her work about privilege and oppression and are amplified in much of her work, including this book.

During this episode, Leah and Rhodes discuss the Cage of Oppression Framework featured in Between the Bars to explore critical concepts such as privilege, internalized oppression, and strategies to embrace acts of allyship that will help us consciously recognize and value different perspectives when we gather together at work.

A few key highlights from this conversation include:

--Exploring how Leah’s Two-Skinned identity helps informs the way she connects with audiences when discussing complex topics such as privilege and oppression.

--Identifying why having a shared language when discussing oppression is critical, and also recognizing some of the barriers we are up against when trying to create one at work.

--Naming the skills we need to develop that will help us neutralize the problematic behaviors that arise when challenging conversations arise that spark disagreement, conflict, and defensiveness.

--Underscoring the importance of inclusive behaviors and learning strategies to begin engaging in skill practice to embody them at work (and beyond).

--Recognizing what has gone wrong with most DEI learning programs, and ways to course correct by following the adult learning process.

--Sharing guidance on how leaders can make it safe to make mistakes and learn from them as they engage move from awkward practice to more skill practice.

--Offering strategies on ways DEI professionals can utilize the Cage of Oppression to engage in challenging conversations about power, privilege, and oppression.

Savor this insightful talk, and if you’re looking for ways to connect with inspiring leaders Leah, be sure to check out the Belonging Membership Community – a community of leaders committed to advancing their DEI goals while practicing community care. Members of our community have the opportunity to participate in live podcast recordings and engage in a private Q&A session after the recording is complete. Your membership is appreciated as it helps make this podcast possible.

You can learn more here: www.belongingmembershipcommunity.com.