Race in the Workplace: Resources for Leaders that Want to Build More Inclusive Work Cultures

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Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

Events that have unfolded over the past week in the United States have reopened a lot of conversations about racism in our country.

Like many others, I have been reflecting on my whiteness and what role someone like me can play in working to dismantle racism. One thing I kept going back to is how to combat it in the workplace.

As a leader, there are steps you can take to combat racism and better support current and future colleagues of color. These steps will help you create a more inclusive workplace with happier employees and, ultimately, stronger customer relationships.

Keep in mind that I am white, and in this post I am hoping to bring certain issues to light to my fellow white professionals. If you’re also white, I would encourage you to do some additional reading of articles and books by people of color to better understand their perspective and solutions. I have some links to these resources later in the post.

Racism at work still exists in 2020.

Although workplace discrimination is illegal in our country, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) receives hundreds of thousands of complaints each year. Granted, these complaints range from all types of discrimination other than race, such as gender, sexuality, religion, and more. Vox reported in 2018 that of these over 100,000 closed cases, only 18% of workers receive some sort of assistance, such as financial compensation or a change in work conditions. Additionally, race claims are the most commonly filed complaints and have the lowest success rate at just 15%. This is due to the lack of funding and resources available to the EEOC for properly investigating claims. 

Keep in mind that these complaints aren’t always overt threats or racial slurs; workplace discrimination can manifest in more subtle ways as well. Differences in compensation, certain work assignments, or performance reviews can sometimes be examples of discrimination. 

Racial bias exists in terms of what many in our country view as “professional” standards as well. As a white person, what comes to mind when you think of “professional” dress code or speech?

Traditional Western views of professional attire are often built around white appearances: straight, “neat” hair and suits, which excludes minorities with natural hair or dreadlocks, or people that wear hijabs or saris. These implicit biases have deep roots in the history of the American workforce, and cannot be conquered overnight. However, addressing these biases and being more inclusive in dress codes and other workplace policies can be a great start.

Build an inclusive workplace.

I will be honest: creating a workplace that is more inclusive and that celebrates diversity can take some time, and it definitely takes buy-in from multiple leaders and stakeholders of your company. 

Unfortunately I don’t have a simple six-step process for transforming your company’s culture to be more inclusive. I do, however, recommend starting with your company policies, as stated above. Are there any words or phrases that exclude minorities? Even something as simple as making a certain phrase more inclusive will go a long way in making people from more diverse backgrounds feel more welcome in your workplace.

Diversity training with your employees will also help you get on the right track. Look for companies in your area that specialize in this. This will make for a fun and engaging experience for your staff. Plus, it will make them feel more bought-in to you as their employer working to improve the culture of your workplace.

Be open to discussion and—most importantly—listening.

As white people, it’s important now more than ever to sit down with people of color and listen to their stories. Just be mindful that not all people of color will inherently be open to discourse, especially during a traumatic time like this.

However, if you find yourself in a discussion with a person of color, make sure to listen. Don’t feel like you need to respond to every single thing they say with your own experiences. Listening to their stories will help you better understand why building an inclusive and diverse work culture is so important.

Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

Be open to this type of discourse in the workplace as well. Understand that it’s so much easier for white people to ignore or tune out what is happening in the world than it is for a person of color. Make it clear to your colleagues that you are available to lend an open ear and open mind if they want to talk about what has been happening, but don’t single anyone out either.

Do some reading.

Take advantage of any spare time you have to do some research on racism, particularly from black writers and other content creators. Here is a very brief list of things you can dive right into to learn more:

Books

• White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo

• So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo

• We Can’t Talk About That at Work! by Mary-Frances Winters

• The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander

Articles

• The Bias of ‘Professionalism’ Standards by Aysa Gray (June 4, 2019)

• Who Gets to be Afraid in America? by Dr. Ibram X Kendi (May 12, 2020)

Podcasts

• Code Switch by NPR

• 1619 by The New York Times

• No Bad News by Dom Davis

• Strong Black Lead by Tracy Clayton and Netflix

Films/Documentaries

• When They See Us (Available to watch on Netflix)

• Kingdom Men Rising (Available to watch for free on IMDb)

• The Hate U Give (Available to watch on Hulu)

Understand that you may never understand.

Many of the struggles that American people of color face on a daily basis are struggles that we as white people will never experience. This isn’t anything that we should feel guilty about, but that we should acknowledge and accept. 

We also need to recognize that just because we don’t see or feel the pain that they feel, that doesn’t mean that it isn’t valid. In times like this, it’s so important and helpful for all of us to come together to enact change—the type of change that every single one of us can benefit from. 

By creating a workplace that is more culturally diverse and welcoming to people of color, you are doing your part in creating a more level playing field for all Americans. These changes will not happen overnight, but will help make the American workplace leaps and bounds better than it was yesterday, which is progress to be celebrated.

Special thanks to my friend Dom Davis of the No Bad News podcast for reviewing this post for accuracy.

Why You Should Hire Employees That Have a Side Hustle (And How to Support Them)

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Photo by Trevor Brown on Unsplash

I have been freelancing on and off ever since I graduated college in 2013. It has helped me make some extra cash, follow my passion, and also has held me over between full-time jobs.

Not to mention, the things I have learned while freelancing have helped me become a better employee for my full-time employers.

I’m a millennial, and it’s no surprise that us millennials are known as the “side hustle generation”. A 2019 survey by Bankrate showed that 48% of millennials make extra money on the side, outside of their regular job. 

This survey also showed that out of the total US workforce, almost half (45%) say they have a side gig.

If you’re a business owner or manager, how would you react if you found out that one of your employees had a side hustle? More traditionally, employers have frowned upon this action—also known as “moonlighting”—out of concern that it would distract from that employee’s regular duties or that the employee would make their side hustle a full-time responsibility and leave.

I’m here today to tell you why that is wrong; truthfully, the best employees I have ever managed were freelancers on nights and weekends. They were ambitious, entrepreneurial, and taught me a lot. Below are some other reasons why you should encourage your employees to have side hustles.

They are self-starters.

Side hustlers make the best employees because as freelancers, they will run into problems that they will need to solve on their own. These employees are more likely to tackle issues at work in a creative way, without throwing their hands up in defeat so easily. Also, if their side hustle is a solo gig, they will flourish in a collaborative environment where they can work on projects and solve problems through discussion.

They’re improving their craft outside of work.

Employees with side gigs are constantly learning and improving, and they’re doing this both on and off the clock. Freelancers and other side hustlers are gaining new skills that will help them be better at what they’re doing for you, on the clock. Think of it like sending them to a conference to improve their skills and develop their professional life. (That’s not to say you don’t need to send these employees to professional development conferences to help empower them, because you should still make that investment too.)

You can learn from them.

In my opinion, the worst leaders are ones that don’t believe there is something to learn from every single one of their employees. If you’re someone that falls into this category, take this as a wake-up call. As a leader, you should always be willing to learn new things from anyone you meet—especially the people you employ. 

I learned every single day from the people on my team that had a side hustle. They taught me how they approached interacting with clients, maintaining work life balance, and managing multiple projects. These were things that we were also able to implement to improve our team’s workflow because we knew that it worked well for them already.

They are extremely disciplined.

If you’re not a side hustler, think about what it might feel like to work a full, mentally draining day, go home, and keep working on more projects. Having a side gig along with a full-time job is super tough, so you know that if someone is juggling both things at once—and successfully so—they practice a level of discipline and balance that you’re probably already looking for in a strong employee.

Photo by Bonnie Kittle on Unsplash

Supporting your side hustlers.

If you have someone on your team that freelances, you will benefit from supporting them and their side gig. Not only will they become more empowered, they will trust you as their leader much more and understand that you’re more interested in their professional success than having them work for you forever.

Here are some ways to support your side hustlers.

• Show you genuinely care by asking how their projects outside of work are going. Actually pay attention and follow up as a way of holding them accountable to keep pursuing this passion of theirs.

• Ask them if they have learned any new skills or processes that can be implemented at work to make their job easier or more fulfilling. 

• Make it clear that you expect them to move up or leave someday for something better. Don’t say this in a threatening way, though! This is just so they understand that you’re dedicated to their success.

• Allow them to have “Professional Development” time during their day to break things up and learn new skills. This is especially beneficial for creative employees, and can be anything from 1-5 hours each week.

Avoiding conflicts of interest.

If there are any side gigs or freelance work that would be a conflict of interest, it’s important for you as the employer to clearly define those boundaries. For example, if I started working full-time for a web design firm, I would probably be asked to discontinue my web design services that I offer my freelance clients, since this would be in direct competition with my employer.

Make sure to have this discussion with your employees or potential employees, regardless if you know that they have a side gig or not. That kind of transparency will create more trust on both sides of the table.

Now that you understand what makes side hustlers such strong employees, go hire some, and encourage your current employees to pursue their passion on the side as well.

How to Lead a Team While Working from Home (From Someone Who’s Done it)

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With all of the media coverage of COVID-19 lately, you’ve probably seen a lot of articles about “social distancing” and “self quarantine”. Many states and local governments are enacting temporary bans on large assemblies of people. This means that if you work for a company with 100 or more employees in one space, you may be asked to work from home for the time being.

Working from home sounds very appealing to some. You can sleep a bit longer, roll out of bed, and work in your pajamas. For others, working remotely may seem kind of intimidating, especially for leaders. What if you run into distractions? What if you struggle to stay efficient? What if your team members are hitting roadblocks and you’re not there to help them?

As someone who not only worked from home for three years, but remotely led a team of creatives for two of those years, I’d like to put your mind at ease by sharing some of the strategies that helped me stay focused and motivated, even with distractions at home.

Nothing Works Without Trust

If you’re nervous about your team working from home because you don’t trust them to actually work, I have a legitimate question for you: Why did you even hire them in the first place?

Unless you’re leading a team of middle-schoolers, you should be able to trust them to do their job, no matter where they’re working. If you’re a manager that thinks your team won’t be as productive if they work from home, I have some news for you. A 2019 study showed that 85% of businesses that switched to a more flexible work-from-home policy saw an increase in productivity. Working from home also increases morale and reduces stress in employees. 

Learn to trust your employees. They’re adults, and they will appreciate being trusted to do their job from home.

A Little Structure Goes a Long Way

One thing that employees working from home for the first time might miss is a bit of structure in their schedules. Even if your team doesn’t typically hold many meetings in the office, it might help to schedule a quick conference call a few times a week to catch up on each other’s progress and support each other in your projects.

It might be worth building a habit of tracking your time if you don’t do so already. When I first started working remotely, I used Toggl to track the time I spent on each project and give my supervisors peace of mind regarding my productivity. Now, my whole team uses it to track their time spent on each client. It’s a great habit to build to hold yourself and your team accountable.

Set a Good Example

Another good habit to build when you work from home, aside from working a consistent schedule, is to get up and get ready for “work” the same way you would if you were going to the office. If your morning ritual includes showering, doing your hair and makeup, and getting dressed, it helps to do that even if you’re just going to be working from your couch for the day. 

It may not sound as much fun to work from home if you’re still wearing your office clothes and getting up around the same time, but it will really help you stay focused on work and set a good example for your team. 

People were always amazed to hear that I got up and got ready for work every day during my three years of working from home. Truthfully, it really helped me get in the “working” mindset and stay productive during my workday!

Be Strategic About Distractions

Surprisingly enough, having a distraction might help you be more productive. As Erik Devaney writes for HubSpot:

It's like Newton's law of inertia: If you're in motion, you'll stay in motion. If you're at rest, you'll stay at rest. And busy people are in fast-enough motion that they have the momentum to complete anything that comes across their desk.

If you’re dealing with a distraction, such as a child (or, in my case, a furbaby!), you can use breaks like kids’ naps or loads of laundry to go into ultra-efficiency mode with your work. Just make sure you’re focusing on one “distraction” at a time!

Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash

Think About Your Work Environment

If you’ll be working from home long-term, you’ll benefit greatly from creating a dedicated space to work. No need to invest in office furniture if you don’t have a desk; even just a spot at your dining room table will help you be more productive if you use it as your “working space”. 

However, some creative-types will benefit from switching things up now and again. I will sometimes take meetings off-site or allow the creatives on my team work from home if they’re needing some inspiration. 

If you find that your work environment is getting stale, go to a quiet coffee shop or your local library for a refreshing change. This is especially helpful if you tend to feed off of productive environments, like me.

Force Some Social Interaction & Communication Using Technology

The one thing I really missed when I was working remotely was the in-person collaboration that occurs with my team. I had to heavily rely on technology to still be able to communicate effectively with them to brainstorm new ideas, help each other through roadblocks, and really just avoid losing my sanity. Regular phone and video calls, daily emails, and group chat messages helped me navigate this. Here are some of the tools that helped me:

• Google Hangouts for chats and video calls with the team

• Zoom for meetings with outside clients

• Slack for messaging with large groups of people and teams

• Taskworld for assigning and collaborating on specific creative projects

Putting it All Together

The thought of being a leader while working from home shouldn’t feel so daunting, but it also shouldn’t be seen as a vacation. Some people will really thrive as both an employee and as a leader when they are asked to work from home, while others will find they really appreciate working at the office again. As a leader, it’s important to recognize this and to pay attention to which situations work best for your team. After all, providing that flexibility will make you much more valuable as an employer.

[FREE Worksheet] How to Ask for a Raise in Your Annual Performance Review

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According to Harvard Business Review, men and women ask for raises just as frequently as one another. However, women who ask for a raise are successful 15% of the time, while men are successful 20% of the time. This may seem like a minimal difference, but when you think about this occurring every year, the differences can really add up. It’s more important than ever for women to keep asking for that raise each year (or at the conclusion of a successful project) in order to help close the gender pay gap. 

In my personal experience, women feel super uncomfortable with this conversation. At the request of one of my subscribers, I wanted to talk about some best practices for preparing for your annual review, which typically entails asking for a raise. As someone who has been on both sides of the table in this situation, I recommend spending a decent amount of time on preparing for your annual review by answering some questions about what you’ve spent time on since your last review.

Re-evaluate your official responsibilities.

Hopefully you have an official job description that explicitly outlines your responsibilities and metrics for success. How does this description align with what you have been spending time on this past year? Have you been doing more outside of your normal duties? Are there job responsibilities that you should pay more attention to? Don’t be afraid to highlight those as well, as you will want to come out of this review with a clear plan of action and list of goals. Plus, it shows that you’re dedicated to continuous improvement as an employee.

Additionally, take a look at your strong points. What part of your job have you done exceptionally well at? Identify some good characteristics that make you a strong member of the team.

What have you accomplished since your last review?

Take a good look at the major projects you’ve been working on in the past year. Which of these have been completed? What were the results for the organization? How many of these projects did you take a leading role on? Start by listing every project you can think of, then narrowing down the list to 3-5 major accomplishments that you can spend some time discussing.

Many supervisors tend to be data-driven, so highlight the projects that you have successful metrics on. Your managers will be impressed with any data that you’ve collected, especially if it hasn’t already been brought to their attention before. This helps further the case that you deserve a raise.

What goals did you set in your last review? Did you reach them?

If this isn’t your first performance review at your company, you probably have a list of goals that were set in your last review. Which of these goals did you reach? If applicable, you can also talk about how you helped any teammates reach their goals as well.

For the goals that you didn’t reach, why were you unsuccessful? This could be a good opportunity to get some guidance from management. However, there may be circumstances that were outside of your control that prevented you from reaching these goals, which leads us to the next question.

What resources do you need more of to do your job?

Your annual review is as much of a review of your managers’ performance as it is your own. Give honest feedback to your supervisor(s) about what resources or attention you need from them to help you reach your goals for the next year. 
This isn’t a time to be passive aggressive or complain about circumstances outside of the company’s control, however. Be respectful and constructive in your feedback, and you can’t go wrong. Any reasonable manager will appreciate honesty and action items of their own.

Photo by Dylan Gillis on Unsplash

What are some goals you can work on in the next year?

You’ll probably finalize these goals in conjunction with your supervisor(s) in your review, but it’s a good idea to go into it with some ideas. Again, this shows that you’ve put some thought and preparation into this review and that you’re dedicated to success.

Bring it all together and ask for the raise!

All that’s left now is to write down and practice how you will ask for a raise. Check out my free worksheet linked below that will help you work through each of these questions. Then, do some research on average salaries of other professionals in your area with similar roles. Use this to base your asking rate off of (and make sure to cite your sources when asking for the raise in your review).

You don’t want to go into your review without a number in mind. This is the time to be aggressive and confident! Your supervisor(s) will probably come back with a counter-offer, so don’t sell yourself short. 

Although many people find asking for a raise—or talking about money in general—super uncomfortable. The more you practice and take control of the situation, the easier it will become each year. Trust me,  your managers will love when you come into your reviews prepared. It not only helps the meeting run more smoothly, but reminds them why they hired you in the first place!

Free Annual Review Worksheet:

Fill out the form below to grab a free copy of my annual performance review worksheet!