NOVEMBER 21, 2022

How To Stop The Great Stand Up

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Black people gained perspective on our employers and began assessing our current reality…as well as our options.

We asked ourselves who we want to be, what kind of impact we want to have, what kind of people we want to work with, and what kind of organization we want to give our talents and time to.

The global shutdown gave us space and perspective. We assessed our value and our values. We thought about what we bring to the workplace. And we found that things didn’t add up.

This time of observation, introspection, and conversation, gave People of Color an “Aha moment” and we got clear on a few things:

  1. We want to work on things we’re passionate about and make a difference
  2. We have a need to work with people who share the same values, which to many means equity, not equality
  3. We deserve to feel psychologically safe and authentic in the workplace
  4. We want our work to align with our life purpose

All this reflection led to the realization that, for the vast majority of us People of Color, none of these things were being fulfilled, thus the Great Stand Up.

The Impact on Organizations

With so many people leaving their jobs, employers are relying too heavily on middle and junior managers who are untrained and ill-equipped, which just leads to more frustration!

Employers think they can promote junior people to become managers, without investing in their management skills (including DEIB). This never works because these new managers haven’t been trained to support others appropriately.

It’s not their fault.

Organizations need to face the facts. This model is not sustainable. It’s a vicious cycle. We are creating more of the same.

It’s time to think differently about how we’re responding to The Great Stand Up.

How You Can Stop Further Turnover & Damage

Organizations should always be growing and developing their talent, so let’s talk about moving forward.

We advise our clients to deliver adequate training, provide coaching and support, and of course pay people equitably. We often say “you have to invest in people in more ways than one.”

At the core of silencing the voices of People of Color is trauma. Healing takes trust and accountability woven into the daily infrastructure of your workplace.

These are difficult topics, but this is what we do here at OAIB.

If you need help becoming an inclusive and equitable workplace, reach out to us. We’re here to help you become the destination employer you really want to be.