“I thought we were doing everything right,” James told me. “Now I’m afraid I won’t be able to get another job because...
Lesson Learned the Hard Way
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Latest News from Empowering Partners
Talking Turkey
The phrase “talking turkey” usually refers to speaking frankly, discussing hard facts, or getting down to business....
How to Hire People on the Spectrum
A CEO asked me, “What do my employees and I need to know to hire and retain people who are on the spectrum?” He has a...
A Case of Sexual Harassment
The Women in Safety & Health (WISH) organization held a panel discussion on “Avoiding, Combatting & Overcoming...
How Middle Managers Can Make a Difference
“When I was first hired as Production Manager, I got a pretty negative impression of one of my Leads,” said José, even...
How to Connect with Your Kid About Tricky Topics
“I don’t know if I did it right,“ Louisa told me. She said she’d overheard her son calling it the “Chinese virus” to a...
Five Ways Whites Can Effectively Respond in Cross-cultural Conversation
When someone is in crisis or the whole world is exploding in pandemics and protests what do you do? Studies show most...
There’s a Better Question
Why is Covid-19 hitting some communities harder than others? Who exactly has been hit the hardest? These are the...
What’s In a Name
The other day, my friend James stopped in at the gas station he frequents. He overheard another customer say, “I can’t...
What’s the Point of Impact?
“Should I have taken down my Confederate flag?” Bob asked. It was the question Bob, a mid-level retail manager, asked...
What’s in Your Blindspot?
Russ: “Can I tell you what happened?” I nodded so he pulled me aside and said, “I’m only telling you because I know...
Hear Me Now?
After facilitating an introductory workshop on cultural intelligence, one of the CEO’s had a question for me. She told...
Epic Remedies for a Cultural Fail
“So, does this mean you don’t report people who are breaking the rules?” a CEO asked. The question was prompted by an...
WoManifesto: The Backstory
"Should I make myself Director of Design on the robotics team? Am I qualified?" asked my youngest daughter who is in...
WoManifesto in the Workplace
Meryl Streep, in her 2010 commencement address to the graduating class of Barnard College, explained that in high...
The Value Proposition
The best leadership in an organization recognizes that conflict and other behaviors that put a temporary drag on...
There’s Nothing Common About Vocabulary
“It’s taken me 45 trips around the sun, but for the first time in my life I know what it feels like to have a...
Shift Happens
“I love my company, but I’m afraid to go back to work. I’ll see her in the hall and won’t know how to act. If I’m this...
How to Maximize Group Participation
“I want to facilitate a discussion where everyone feels included and we all learn from one another. But instead of...
Five Steps for Solving “Wicked” Problems
The lady initially repulsed me. Her clothes and hair unkempt, eyes bugged out and head was misshapen. For just a...
What’s a Guy to Do?
One manager lamented, “I can’t even compliment a woman on how she looks anymore.” What he hadn’t realized is that...
Disagree, Don’t Suck It Up
“I just want to be able to talk with my sister again.” said the Chief Marketing Officer. I had asked why he’d signed...
Civil, Right?
“There are no such things as micro-aggressions.” Charles Bryson said in his talk. It was a curious statement from the...
How to Diversify Your Talent Pool Pipeline
“There’s nothing I can do about those people if they don’t want to show up for work,” a Chief Executive Officer...