Simon Sinek, in his book Leaders Eat Last, writes about how people are social beings. In those pages he explains how we feel stress when we feel that we don’t belong. And how that stress manifests in our bodies and impacts our ability to firm bonds and problem solve - among other things. This …
Connecting with others
COVID-19, Connection, and Community
Yesterday, a friend of mine asked a great question: “Why are we calling it social distancing when we are physically distancing ourselves?” Hmmm.... So I looked it up and here is what I found in an article in The Atlantic. The CDC issued guidelines which include social distancing, which is: “a …
A World without Assumptions and Fear…
I had a powerful conversation yesterday with a colleague – Heather Hansen O’Neill. She was asking me about my thoughts regarding bias, assumptions, fear and how they get in the way. During that conversation she asked me a question that I had to think about. Not because I didn’t have an answer. …
Our Common Humanity
"There will never be a wall tall enough to prevent a parent from looking for a future for their children." – Joanne Liu, President Doctors Without Borders My mom called me yesterday to read me the above quote and tell me about the article. Thanks Mom! I thought it would be a great way to start …
Being Open to Learning – Part 3 of ‘How to be an Ally’
Welcome to week 3! If you missed the last two weeks, you can find them here: - A general overview, but with a focus on Ramadan - The first R in ROAR – Recognize Privilege O = Openness to Learning The whole point of the O is that as allies, there will be many things that you don’t know, don’t …
[Continue reading] Being Open to Learning – Part 3 of ‘How to be an Ally’
Meryl Streep’s Golden Globe Speech
I finally watched Meryl Streep’s acceptance speech for her Lifetime Achievement Award at the Golden Globes. Wow... If you haven’t seen it yet, watch it or read it. It’s powerful. And so important. It's also heartwarming and inspiring to see someone use their position and privilege to make …
Conscious Communication
There is so much room for the insidiously undermining power of assumptions and bias to “take us out” of connection with people – in intimate relationships, in any relationship. Last week I had the pleasure of speaking with Kelly Blaser about this, as part of her Conscious Communication Summit. The …
When it’s just not that funny…
We've all had the experience of making a comment that was intended to be funny, but that didn't land that way. Even among friends who we routinely joke with, sometimes we cross a line we didn't intend to. Sometimes because we didn't know it was there, or because we weren't paying attention, or we …
In the Wake of Nelson Mandela’s Death
There are many things I could write about this week: How the sign language fiasco at Nelson Mandela’s memorial is an example of how bias keeps us from recognizing or acknowledging issues that for some people are so very vital. How the stigma of mental illness keeps it in the shadows, and prevents …
The Similarities and Differences of Diversity
Last week I did a D&I workshop for TAVA (Toronto Association for Volunteer Administrators). The focus was on managing a diverse group of volunteers with an eye to inclusion. It was a great group. One of the participants brought up a point that I hear often - that she focuses on the similarities …
[Continue reading] The Similarities and Differences of Diversity