Companies today must embrace diversity in the workplace. As work environments change, employers are implementing programs to ensure all employees feel included and validated. Even more important is the need to discuss diversity and inclusion in group settings to better understand the differences that employees face—both in and outside of the office. Social and political dialogue around race and the diversity of our workforce has become much more prominent lately, and calming fears associated with safety and inclusion is a necessary part of those conversations. How do we respectfully talk about racial barriers in the workplace, and how do we move forward with the information gleaned from these discussions?
How to Talk About It
Maintaining a diverse workforce exposes individuals of all different cultures to each other, but racial prejudice can cause the voices of many to go unheard in the workplace. How do companies then facilitate a discussion that is safe and inclusive of all employees?
The first step is to bring together a range of voices. Understanding the problems employees face and knowing how to be part of the solutions are the two biggest hurdles in the fight for racial equality and inclusion. Honest conversations can lead to finding a direction from which to move forward as a unified group to dismantle racial barriers.
The second step is to center the conversation around the need for respect for all parties involved. Giving employees a specific space to grapple with these subjects outside of their workspace and home life allows for a stable environment in which everyone can voice their thoughts and opinions while continuing to respect the different perspectives of others.
Example of a Successful Discussion
In September 2016, Boston Medical Center (BMC) HealthNet Plan provided an open forum for its diverse workforce of more than 600 employees to discuss the state of community and law enforcement relations in Boston. The event, “This Is Where We Live,” was organized by the company’s Diversity and Inclusion Council to start an ongoing dialogue among employees, and ultimately arrive at a common understanding around race relations. BMC HealthNet Plan’s leadership felt that providing this outlet for its diverse employees was an important step to maintaining a healthy and inclusive work environment. The council is in the process of planning four more panels to occur over the course of the next year.
The discussion featured a panel of speakers that included:
- Boston NAACP president Michael Curry, who provided his point of view as an active member of the civil rights movement and today’s social activism
- Rafael Ruiz, a 30-year veteran of the Boston Police Department, who answered questions about police conflict
- Yolanda Smith, superintendent of Suffolk County House of Correction
- Tonya Platt, assistant district attorney of Suffolk County
- Darnell Williams, CEO of the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts, who shared the perspective of a community leader and president of a nonprofit organization that aims to help residents of color
- Julie Donaghey, a director at BMC HealthNet Plan and former police officer
The forum was moderated by Alberto Vasallo III, president and CEO of El Mundo newspaper. Employees were welcome to participate by submitting questions and topics to the panel for discussion. BMC HealthNet Plan also set up a remote access video feed so off-site employees could participate.
The variety of speakers and addition of a moderator were key factors in discussing important topics some participants may have been hesitant to introduce. The speakers offered varied and enlightening points of view, resulting in a dynamic conversation around community. Attendees discussed how life experiences both in and out of work differ based on race, as well as the challenge police officers recently have faced in balancing community needs with their own safety concerns. The group agreed on the importance of being able to safely communicate with each other and respect different perspectives.
During the open forum, Darnell Williams discussed finding an “intersectionality” of how people talk to one another about racial prejudice. Talking past people to give a personal perspective or thought can be a defensive technique used when someone feels attacked by the subject matter; only when we talk with one another can we deal with the issues. Through awareness of the intersectionality of race in the workplace, we can better understand the differences among co-workers and the impacts racial discrimination and tension can have on employees.
Dismantling Barriers
Subconscious racism can create a divide between co-workers, and these racial barriers can block productivity and add to tensions that negatively impact employees’ lives. Companies and individual employees must be vigilant about seeing and addressing subconscious biases in the workplace. Micro-inequalities based on race are difficult to notice when you haven’t been exposed to them; correctly pronouncing an employee’s name can make an employee feel valued and understood. Subtle changes in body language and tone of voice often are based on prejudice, and can make employees and co-workers feel excluded. Acknowledging these prejudices and barriers is the best way to ensure the workplace culture breeds inclusion.
It is also best to understand that there cannot be just one conversation; this discussion should be open and ongoing in the workplace. The forum held at BMC HealthNet Plan brought to light many employees’ racial concerns and fears; it is critical to remain proactive in positively addressing the topics that emerge from a forum before employees’ concerns become even more debilitating than they currently are. Taking the time to address these problems in the workplace is key toward progress.
Stephen Barrett is vice president of Human Resources & Diversity at Boston Medical Center HealthNet Plan As a member of BMC HealthNet Plan’s senior leadership team, Barrett is responsible for leading both strategic and day-to-day operations of all Human Resource functions. He is the founder and leader of the organization’s Diversity and Inclusion Council, which was developed to champion a culture of inclusion for all.
