The sundial seems like a very fitting image for how I think about time, collaboration, and inclusion right now.
It gives a pretty accurate reading based on the location of the sun, but the edge of the shadow is fuzzy. There is a bit of a buffer if you will… one way or another. It could be a few minutes as people login and their audio connects to Zoom. It can be the process of adaptation as different partners take their next step into the virtual realm and your collaboration evolves. And, the space needed for understanding how team members are finding harmony in the chaos, as we move forward together toward a shared goal.
In a recent conversation hosted by the
CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion
network – a group of over 900 CEO signatories dedicated to diversity and inclusion that I joined earlier this year as the 9th CEO from Kentucky, Mary Fairchild, Global Director of Diversity & Inclusion for F5 Networks, Inc. said, “how do we understand that each person is experiencing this differently (working in the middle of a crisis) based on their own situation and circumstances. To add on top of that, how do we continue to push for inclusivity and continue to slow down our decision making just long enough to consider other perspectives, but not too slow that we’re not head of the curve – ahead of what we’re facing here.”
During the same conversation, Sheri Crosby Wheeler, VP of Corporate Responsibility for Mr. Cooper Group acknowledged that it “has been a little bit of a challenge, just making sure that amidst all that’s going on, that we can still have some of that focus… on connections… on belonging… on learning.”
Their responses really resonate for me.
The reminder that we have to slow-down just enough to take the macro view into account, while not losing sight of what is immediately in front of us, and the role of connection, belonging, and learning as part of the process and a factor that can impact our health and wellbeing.
As COVID-19 started to impact our work, causing workshops and speaking engagements we had scheduled with corporations that focus on uncovering and inclusion to be canceled, we adapted to virtual, seeing the vital role that creative approaches can play in continuing to support teams and leaders from across sectors as part of our work toward a more just, healthy, and hopeful society.
Just yesterday while talking to a reporter in Zoom, a pet hopped up onto their lap. I’ve had a conference call while a team member gardened, planting vegetables in their backyard. And, had to push a call by 15-minutes because someone’s virtual tele-health appointment was running late. Adaptation, being flexible, and seeking to understand these different circumstances all contribute to how we move forward and show up authentically.
Jean Dolan of Nike participated in our first virtual Showing up 100 workshop in early April. She said, "Not only does the Showing Up 100 Workshop provide an accessible means for self-discovery, it also creates a safe and non-threatening space to learn about and empathize with the experiences of others.
No matter what groups we identify with, we all experience the impacts of covering certain aspects of ourselves. The more we take time to listen and be curious - about ourselves and those around us - the more we can support each other to live authentically!
"
Today, Jean is our featured guest on IDEAS xLab’s
Uncovering: Connection & Inclusion
video podcast. I hope you’ll tune in at Noon via LinkedIn Live to learn more about her journey as part of our ongoing series of conversations grounded in curiosity and courage.
With gratitude,
Josh Miller
Photo by Josh Miller, runJMrun May 14, 2020
