February 19, 2020

Intent Versus Impact, with Sara Taylor

Episode 33:

Sara Taylor earned a master’s degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.

Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, “Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World,” that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

  • Why the Superbowl LIV football game featuring the Kansas City Chiefs sparked controversy over the team using the name “Chiefs”
  • How the Kansas City Chiefs organization defended the use of their name as well as cultural icons such as traditional Native American headdress and face paint
  • How a recent article defending the use of the name “Chiefs” made the case that the name can’t be offensive because the intent is to convey strength
  • Why intention doesn’t equal impact, and why personal experiences determine how we take in and feel about information
  • Why listening to others, acknowledging their differing experiences, and being sensitive to their reactions is the key to understanding

Additional resources: