Don’t you just hate it? That unsettling feeling, being stunned and speechless while witnessing an offensive and racist interaction.
Too often, we don’t react the way we think we should. We carry on the guilt for abandoning the transgressed and worry about supporting precedents for persistent racism.
You’re not alone in these thoughts; all leaders encounter feelings of inadequacy stemming from racist situations.
I’ve had the opportunity to see courageous leaders step through that discomfort and uncertainty onto a fresh path of integrity, confidence, and truth. While partnering with Tech Guru, it became clear their organization was done being stuck. Consequently, they set forth on their courageous path toward antiracism by taking three significant steps.
Their first step was to ascertain their organizational opportunities, strengths, and potential through NCXT’s human-centered discovery process. Through a series of facilitated engagements with individuals, groups, leaders, also secondary research performed on their industry and customer base, we clarified the potential for organizational development and industry impact.
Making an antiracist impact relies on understanding our racist and antiracist actions. Professional development was the next step in Tech Guru’s antiracist journey. We converted learnings from discovery into actionable training for individuals by segmenting the organization into learning groups. The training increased situational awareness and prepared individuals to “act in the moment,” nimbly moving from noticing the racist action to intervening in a professional, assertive, and human way.
Antiracism is a journey on the path less traveled, and courageous leaders need support on their way to making change. NCXT’s Catalyst Advantage service supports Tech Guru leadership as they continue to blaze trails in their antiracist journey. The service’s curated research and monthly advisory conversation prepare leaders to face challenges head-on, increasing organization competency and preparedness as new antiracist challenges emerge.
Courage is stopping a conversation and raising the discomfort to the surface. Intervening the moment by saying, “Excuse me, I just heard something said that sounded racist, and I don’t think that personifies who we are” is hard to do and is now a shared competency for Tech Guru.
Being an antiracist takes courage to move beyond worry, guilt, and speechlessness. NCXT is eager to assist you in overcoming discomfort, preparing your organization to make antiracist impact as situations arise for you and your team.