5 Things In 15 Minutes: Good Vibes in DEI

5 Things in 15 Minutes / Always Empathy

Episode Summary

Lee Rubin, Corporate Diversity Consultant at Lee Rubin Consulting LLP, and I recap the latest 5 Things (good vibes in DEI) in just 15 minutes. This week our conversation is about L'oréal's motorized lipstick device for people with disabilities, removing the stigma of working with mental health support and coverage at work, and more!

Episode Notes

This week I delivered a keynote and I had a question from a manager who was struggling with an employee who was disrupting the team with negativity and hate.

I believe it always comes back to empathy, in this case, the manager having empathy for that employee. Whether we’re talking about conversations about politics or race, or whatever, inclusion always comes back to empathy. After all, I only know my lived experience, and it’s been full of privilege.

My mom used to say, “You can't understand someone until you've walked a mile in their shoes” – and I think that message is still accurate.

What I believe is that each of us was born a pure kind soul, and then life happened. Maybe we felt left out from our older siblings or cousins. Maybe someone at school called us a name, and that was the first time we knew we were different. Maybe there was addiction in the family. Maybe grandma was the parental figure because the actual parent was in prison due to mass incarceration. Any of the above. And worse. We’re all walking around with our baggage, our Traumas big and little. It’s been said that hurt people hurt people. Just trying to protect ourselves.

It can be incredibly hard to be empathetic, especially if we find ourselves in fight or flight mode. That’s where mindfulness comes in. Breathe, breathe, breathe. I’m working on this myself. Always a work in progress.

From that empathetic space, we can become more curious about what’s going on, and then lead with compassion. That’s how people change behavior.

Here are the good vibes I found this week:

  1. How the MCA Chicago Transformed Its Collection at Unprecedented Speed to Better Reflect Its Audience
  2. Reviving Sales at Kay and Zales: How Signet CEO Gina Drosos Pulled America’s Biggest Jeweler Out of a Long Slump
  3. Vancity Employees Will Receive $10K in Mental Health Coverage Starting July 1, 2023
  4. Publicis Groupe’s CEO Has Launched an Initiative to Remove the Stigma of Working with Cancer
  5. L'oréal Made A Handheld, Motorized Device That Helps People With Disabilities Apply Lipstick. It's Meant To Give Users Independence

Read the full blog here: https://www.theequalityinstitute.com/equality-insights-blog/5-things-always-empathy

To learn more about Lee Rubin, visit: https://www.leerubin.org/