Respectful Workplace Blog

“Merry Christmas”, “Happy Hanukah” or “Happy Holidays”? It’s a dilemma that’s a sign of the times. I’ve heard more than a few people grumble that their company has gone too far by renaming the traditional Christmas party a holiday party. “How dare they!” seems to be the sentiment.

Others bitterly (but in a low voice) protest the notion that they should have to say, “Happy Holidays” when in fact they personally celebrate Christmas. And a “holiday tree”? You don’t EVEN want to go there! Yet the fact of the matter is that we live in increasingly diverse communities and don’t really know just what some people celebrate.

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With the purpose of creating a community of diverse perspectives and encouraging a fresh dialogue on respect, the Respectful Workplace blog team is pleased to announce a new monthly feature written by a guest blogger. This month our contributor is Ruth Ramos, a Cleveland, Ohio based consultant.

The Beginning of Healing

Probably the most popular topic today is the presidential election, or more specifically, the candidates. As a diversity consultant, it has been amazing to watch the diversity issues that have come up as a result of this election – race, gender and age being the most discussed. I sit and listen to what the media says and what others around the dinner table are discussing and I am amazed that in the 21st century, we still have such strong prejudices and stereotypes about these issues.

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Last week I attended a lecture by Eddie Moore, Jr. at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, titled Inclusion, Equity, Privilege: Is Corporate America Making Progress in the 21st Century and held in conjunction with the current exhibition RACE: Are We So Different?

To begin his discussion, Moore appealed to the audience to find common ground in order to productively discuss race, whether in the workplace or in our personal lives, while acknowledging that each of us had had different life experiences. Moore led us through an exercise to find that starting place as a group.

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Recently, I posted about how we are much more alike than we are different, especially in terms of shared values. But now, science is confirming that even across racial lines, there are more similarities among us than differences.

A new exhibition, RACE: Are We So Different, which opened last week at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, explores the origins of race. Humans, as explained in the exhibition, are all basically the same, once the layers of skin are pulled back. Skin color variants in humans evolved only as protection from the sun’s ultraviolet rays.

If race really is just skin deep then why does the subject stir such heated debates and cause tempers to flare?

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A company’s culture is one of its most important assets. Culture plays a role in helping to attract the best talent and it is absolutely vital to engaging, developing and retaining that talent. And while no single culture is best for all organizations (or even functions within an organization), there is one cultural variable that is universally beneficial.

Respect

An environment of respect provides an emotional safety net that frees people up to do their work without having to expend energy watching their backs and protecting themselves from the potentially harmful words and actions of managers and co-workers.

When people feel emotionally safe, they’re more creative, more focused, more open to new approaches, more supportive of company objectives, and usually more willing to go the extra mile to help get there. There is no downside to a respectful workplace atmosphere.

So how do you get there?

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