Episode 54:
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 people of all racial and ethnic backgrounds are reluctant to start or join the difficult conversations about race
- How “IVI” (intent, vulnerability, inoculation) can help you overcome your fear in talking about race
- Why signaling your intent to join the conversation can help prepare you and others for the discussion
- Why signaling positive intent is healthy and helps give others perspective on your hopes for the conversation
- Why entering conversations about race requires courage, and why people may be afraid to enter these conversations
- Why we are socialized and conditioned to remain silent about race, and not to talk about difference in a broad sense
- Why leaders, in particular, can build trust with their teams by expressing their own vulnerability
- How inoculation, preempting resistance and acknowledging discomfort from the people you’re speaking with, can help you address potential reactions
- Why these important conversations are the foundation on which our organizations can begin to take action
Additional resources:
- Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com
- Twitter: @deepseesara