Erika Irish Brown, Chief Diversity Officer, Goldman Sachs

Erika Irish Brown“Be Bold and Take Risks to Be an Agent of Change”

“If you expose people who are smart and hard working to opportunities – and provide them with an access point to begin a career – success follows,” says Goldman Sachs’ Erika Irish Brown.

As Goldman’s new Chief Diversity Officer, Brown is responsible for driving inclusive culture initiatives and efforts related to the firm’s recruitment, retention and advancement of diverse professionals.

She notes she is genuinely passionate about promoting diversity and inclusion in the financial services industry. “The sense of purpose I have for my work drives me every day.”

A Beneficiary and Proponent of Diversity and Inclusion

Brown’s first introduction to financial services came via a year-long internship as a college student, which was offered specifically to students from underrepresented minority groups by a state-run bond agency. She describes the internship as a huge win given her alma mater – the State University of New York at Albany – did not send a high volume of graduates to Wall Street at that time.

This internship helped her land an analyst role at Lehman Brothers, which she says was a life-changing opportunity. “Very often, people ask me, why am I so committed to diversity and inclusion?” says Brown. “One reason is because I got my start on Wall Street as a beneficiary of what we now call a diversity and inclusion program.”

After working in investment banking at Lehman, Brown went on to issue bonds for the City of New York and served as a Presidential appointee at the US Treasury in the Clinton administration, ultimately earning her MBA from Columbia University and serving in roles at Morgan Stanley and Black Entertainment Television. She enjoyed the financial markets, the fast-paced nature of her work and the variety of people she was able to work with, but added: “It was a different time – gender, ethnic diversity was low.”

Brown took an interest in the diversity and inclusion (D&I) space, serving as a recruiting liaison for both on-campus and experienced hires – on top of her day job as a banker.

Prior to the financial crisis, Brown began her first ‘official’ diversity-focused role, once again, at Lehman, where her team focused on enhancing diversity at the vice president level and above. Post-crisis – and a brief stint on the Obama administration’s Treasury transition team – Brown joined Bank of America, where she built a team focused on executive diversity recruiting. From there, she went on to serve as Bloomberg’s chief diversity officer, building the company’s D&I platform from the ground up.

“Being considered a subject matter expert on diversity globally has made me very proud,” says Brown. “This is not easy work, it is not easily measured and you have to be bold and take risks in order to be an agent of change.” This risk-taking has led Brown to Goldman Sachs, where she has a large, global platform to influence diversity.

Evaluating and Developing New Approaches at Goldman Sachs

“It was important for me to come in and listen, learn and talk to people,” says Brown of her approach to her new role at the firm last year. “I wanted my expertise to be informed by the culture here.”

After connecting with stakeholders across regions and divisions and gaining a global perspective, she now feels well informed to have opinions, make assessments and execute on the best practices and strategies that will work for Goldman Sachs.

Brown outlines some of the many opportunities in the D&I space she hopes to focus on in the coming months:

  • Enhance the Goldman Sachs brand as an employer of choice in diverse communities;
  • Embed D&I practices into all aspects of the Talent process;
  • Advance the firm’s inclusive culture and work environment; and
  • Ensure accountability for furthering D&I at every level

Her team has the support from CEO David Solomon and the firm’s Global Diversity Committee. Brown notes that it is crucial to have senior leadership setting the tone – particularly when diversity impacts each and every area of a company, from business performance to client engagement.

“Today, no topics are off the table in the workplace, and people expect to bring their authentic selves to work,” says Brown. “I’ve seen firsthand that this approach has been adopted at Goldman Sachs as well.”

Recommendations From a Life-Long Learner

Describing her roles at several investment banks and why young women should pursue financial services careers, Brown says, “The skills sets you develop in a short period of time, the amount of responsibility and high bar for expectations, and the seniority of people – both internally and clients – that you engage with is empowering.”

Her advice to women as they progress in their careers is to continuously innovate and be life-long learners.

“Ask yourself – are you pushing the envelope, taking risks and being ambitious,” says Brown. “We should all reflect upon our legacy and ensure we make a difference in our workplace – it can be anything from launching a new product to creating opportunities for others.”

Outside the office, Brown continues to push for change in her community. As vice chair of the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, she works to ensure the Central Brooklyn community has access to housing, education and economic development opportunities, arts and cultural activities and capital for small business owners.

Brown stresses: “giving back is important to me – anything I can do to contribute and give back to others, I’ll do.”

And, a mother to three sons, Brown also keeps busy on the slopes, skiing in the winter with her family and cheering on from the sidelines of elite AAU basketball games. “We’re very active as a family, and our time together is so important and a priority to me,” she says.

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Change Your Mindset To Change the World (and Your World)

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By Nicki Gilmour

As we close out our Black History Month coverage this week, and in a direct follow up to my Op-ed on mental constructs regarding Race and how to talk about racism.

I ask how can you ensure your network is not just full of people like you, who hold the same constructs and therefore everyone can easily have confirmation bias? Bad for business with potential ‘groupthink’ coming into play, and bad for personal growth.

I am going to ask you to check whether you walk the talk on having an inclusive network.

Does your network consist of people who look, think and act like you, in every way? I am here to ask what can you gain by broadening your horizons?

How can you ensure you are getting to know perspectives that are different from yours? Equally, how can you explore enough when you are getting to know someone, to find out if that person who do not look like, can actually be very similar? How can you not presume or make assumptions based on stereotypes? It is hard because you brain “goes” there and research from the fields of neuroscience and social science’s “ladder of inference” can be shared with you in one sentence here. Simply put, your brain tricks you into thinking you have seen this before and you know what this is about. Guess what? You don’t know what is coming next, whether it is your brain seeing four red cars and subliminally telling you the next car will be red. Or whether your brain tells you that leaders are always better if they are tall white men even if you don’t know the person himself but in concept only. Or you do know the person and you dismiss their flaws and give unearned credibility to them due to concepts.

My point is, appearances can be deceptive. We are all made up of complex identities, no one is simple or one dimensional and we all have a gender (male is a gender too), ethnicity (maybe we need a new word as it implies white protestant as a benchmark baseline ), orientation (straight is an orientation too), nationality, work position, parent or not parent status, even golfer or not golfer status. Most of us, have had some affiliation to a legacy or current dominant group. We can go through life like that, easily. I had very little perspective for example of what it meant to be a Catholic growing up in Belfast as my class and religion meant I was never really stopped by army or police or had to deal with thugs and gangs and any resemblance of poverty. Bombs yes, they were everywhere and random, but the everyday drag and bias of being in the minority and less powerful group in my society, no. Yet, my mindset was one of scarcity, fear, paranoia and being aware to this day of the so-called “other”. I am not saying I am freed 100% from my sectarian constructs – maybe 99%, but I know that i see parallels in the USA with race and that is why I know for sure that people can take the diversity journey and grow. As Maya Angelou said, “when you know better, you do better.”

So, where do you start?

Step 1: Take the time to understand your values because values are espoused versions of your implicit beliefs. Chances are you are running the same old program that was handed to you in childhood via your direct environment, family structures, institutions such as school and church/temple/mosque, and the overall society you were born into and whatever norms that group had in play.

Step 2: Write out every construct you have been told such as “Trust is earned” or “X, y, z is the way it is”. What do you tell yourself when you are in varying situations as who to hire for the project, who to cut from the project, and who to promote? What do you tell yourself when you are stressed at work and having less than optimal interactions?

Challenge the and every single line by asking yourself simple questions such ‘Do I believe this, truly?’ or an advanced version of this could be ‘How else can I look at this?’ or ‘Is this still working for me now?’ and “how is this actually something that was given to me by my father/mother/granny, and is not actually how i feel at this time?”

If you would like to work with me as a coach on personal and professional growth and renewal, with real insights for you, about behaviors and the context of the operating system you are in. Please book a free exploratory time with me. Life is too short to carry outdated constructs around. Grow! Whether it is individual, or organizational change, it does not happen without awareness as the starting point.

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Voice of Experience: Valerie S. Peters, CTFA®, Senior Vice President and Head of Relationship Services; Abbot Downing

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Valerie Peters_color_lowres
“When I entered the corporate world over 20 years ago, I believed that it was possible to achieve anything with hard work and discipline, and I still believe those are key ingredients to success,” says Valerie Peters, who serves as operations leader for Abbot Downing, a Wells Fargo business serving ultra-high-net-worth clients.

Her career path has proven the value of focusing on a goal….and working to achieve it.

Each Experience Leads One Step Closer to Career Goals

Peters started her career in retail banking as a customer service phone representative and then transferred to the commercial real estate division, where she was selected for the management trainee program. She immediately felt drawn to the wealth management arena during a rotation in the trust area, and with that eventual role in mind, she began looking for opportunities that would help her build the skills she needed.

She took a role managing a team of client service professionals supporting wealth management clients with their banking, investment and fiduciary servicing needs; from there, she moved on to become a manager within a trust center and eventually transferred to the division that served ultra-high-net worth clients. Her time working in client-facing, trust services and operational roles were each stepping stones that helped prepare her for her current position as operations leader for Abbot Downing.

In her quest for continuing education, Peters counts achieving her designation as a CTFA (Certified Trust and Financial Advisor) several years ago as one of her proudest moments. “I had spent several years working in the fiduciary area, and earning the CTFA was a culmination of the time I spent gaining work experience, as well as obtaining knowledge through the various trust school programs I have been fortunate enough to attend,” she says.

Sponsors and Mentors as a Key Ingredient to Success

Along the way, Peters has found that sponsors and mentors are crucial and has appreciated the support they have given. She has also looked externally to find role models to emulate; one of her personal role models is Ursula Burns, who came from modest beginnings to become the first African-American woman to lead a Fortune 500 company. “I have long been inspired by her hard work and dedication,” Peters says, citing her strong work ethic and commitment to learning the ins and outs of business through a variety of roles.

Over the years, Peters has participated in a number of programs geared towards retaining diverse talent, including women, naming the Diverse Leaders Program as one of the most impactful. “The whole time I participated in the program, I felt that I was valued not only for what I do within the organization, but also for who I am and how the perspectives and insights gained through life experience shape my thoughts, ideas and values,” she says.

When Peters is away from work, she values time spent with her family—a favorite escape is spending time at the beach unwinding and enjoying the ocean. “We try and get away as often as possible when the kids are on break from school,” she says.

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Why Relocating Can Boost Your Career—And How to Make It Work For You

Moving-home

By Cathie Ericson

Whether you’re employed at your company’s headquarters and want to find out more about working in a branch office—or vice versa—relocating within your company can boost your career in a myriad of ways.

It shows you’re a team player if you’re moving to fill a necessary role and bolsters your network of champions as you showcase your skills by working with others in various functions, departments and locations.

The reasons for relocation vary: One survey from Impact Group found that while nearly one-quarter relocated for a promotion, more than half said they were doing it for personal career development.
According to a Robert Half poll, 62 percent of respondents would relocate for a job opportunity—and that might be wise, considering that nearly half find they would receive better pay and perks through a move.

Many of those relocaters are women: A Wall Street Journal article reported that women accounted for nearly a quarter of moves by North American employers in 2016—up from 17 percent in 2009, according to surveys of employers by Atlas Van Lines Inc.
Sometimes the relocation is strictly for professional gains, such as your desire to learn new skills or work with new teams, but other times it’s for a personal reason, whether you want to be closer to family or have always wanted to live in other region. Whatever the reason, here are five ways to make the relocation seamless.

1. Explain why it’s in your company’s best interest.

Whether you want to work in a different division or want a change of scenery, it’s important to make your case carefully if it’s a relocation that you’re requesting, as opposed to one that’s been offered to you. Do some clandestine research on how other relocated colleagues have fared elsewhere in the company—did it propel their career or did it put them on the slow track to nowhere? That can help you determine if it’s a wise career move before you even get started.

And then conduct similar research to help you build your case. Find out how your background and skills can be parlayed into helping your division or location of choice achieve their goals and prepare to make a business case to prove your point.

As Erica Perkins, director of human resources business partners at Glassdoor, explains, “Don’t ask for something if you haven’t researched whether or not it’s feasible. Find out what your employer policy is on location transfers and (if international) global mobility programs and assignments/expatriation.”

You’ll also want to make sure you’re not professionally pigeonholing yourself “by taking on a specialist role,” Jennifer Petriglieri, an assistant professor at INSEAD, tells Harvard Business Review.

2. Learn more about the culture of the office and the location.

Ideally the firm will sponsor a trip for you to do some reconnaissance before making your decision, but if not, consider funding the trip yourself—you don’t want to complete all the paperwork and have your family uprooted only to find out that the office is significantly smaller than you had expected, located in a less-desirable area or has a culture that’s far different from your current one.

“Visiting your new office location at least once before you commit, reaching out to new coworkers via email or LinkedIn, or inquiring about the different types of culture-building activities offered to employees (or lack thereof) are just some examples of ways to vet a new opportunity,” recommends Phoebe Licata, an employee engagement consultant.

And utilize the power of social media to find out more about the city in general if you’ve not spent significant time there to make sure that it offers the ambience you prefer, whether that’s for cultural activities, outdoor adventures or a burgeoning restaurant scene.

If you are unable to visit, see how much information you can glean from coworkers—ideally you have a contact in the office who can be candid—or talk to other colleagues who regularly interact with those in the potential location. They might be able to give you important intel that can solidify your decision—or at least ensure you are prepared once you arrive.

3. Negotiate a compelling redo package.

The Robert Half survey found that more than one-third of companies have increased their relocation packages in the past five years, but it’s important to learn who will shoulder the various expenses. Among the aspects to consider are:

  • Funds for a fact-finding trip.
  • Moving expenses.
  • Temporary housing.
  • Housing allowance for a down payment, or a stipulation that the company purchases your existing home if it doesn’t sell.
  • Fees that might be required for new licenses, registration, utilities, etc. Also consider all contracts you have in place you might be breaking.
  • Other assistance, such as finding schools or jobs for your family members.

Also make sure to research the cost of living in the new location; if it’s significantly higher, you might want to ask about a bump in pay or subsidy commensurate with those expected higher expenses.

This is also the time to confirm whether it’s a permanent or temporary assignment and what recourse you have if things don’t go as planned.

4. Consider a “trailing spouse” if you have one.

As Matthew Bidwell, an associate professor at Wharton, explains in the Harvard Business Review article, “It’s not just what does this mean for your career, but what does this mean for our family?” he says.

Companies are realizing the importance of a happy family: The same Atlas survey found that more than 60 percent of employers provided job-hunting aid for spouses or partners in 2017, nearly double the 33 percent who did so in 2007.

And in addition to inquiring about the assistance your employer might offer, think through other networks or opportunities your partner can tap, whether it’s through their current job or LinkedIn connections. See if there are others in your new office who might be families with the industry and have contacts to share.

Making sure your family is on board with the move is a key part of your eventual success.

5. Embrace the adventure.

Whether the relocation was your idea or was something “strongly recommended” by your employer to advance your career, look at it as an incredible opportunity to try something different, meet new people and further enhance your career and your value to your company by bolstering your network and your skill set.

“A career is long; we can all afford a few adventures, and we have plenty of time to experiment and explore,” notes Petriglieri.

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A 10-Step Guide to Adapting Your Resume for Your Next Job

CV / Resume
Most people have a well-crafted resume in their drawer just in case one day they might need it again.

As time passes, the recruiters are more and more selective, so, exceptional resumes are harder and harder to compose.

For instance, today’s most recruiters are using an ATS software for scanning potential candidates, and only if their resume passes the software they will get a chance. Therefore, a decently-written resume won’t do the job today, especially if you’re applying for an executive job post.

The competition between the candidates is very high as well, so there’s another reason why your resume must be perfect. But if you’re fighting for your dream job, I’m sure that you’ll take all the measures necessary to craft a resume that will get you the interview.

In order to help you with your journey towards creating a flawless resume, in today’s post, we’re presenting our 10-step guide to adapting your resume for a CEO-level job.

1. Present Your Credentials at the Top of Your Resume

Presenting your credentials at the very beginning, right below the title, before your contact information, is a great way to begin the resume. This applies regardless to the type of job post you’re applying for.

Of course, the credentials must be related to your job description. This placement is a great choice in order to ensure that the recruiter won’t miss them.

2. Provide Links to Your Social or Professional Accounts

Most employers are checking their employee’s online presence, so of course that they’re going to check yours too. Social media is a great part of many people’s lives nowadays, so it’s a great place to find out more about the candidate.
Therefore, you must be transparent from the very beginning and along with your contact information, leave the links to your LinkedIn profile, to your website, or to your portfolio.

3. List Your Core Skills at the Beginning in a Readable Format

Skills are always important no matter your experience in the field. Nevertheless, recruiters don’t have the time to spot out your skills from never-ending sentences, so the best way to present your core skills is by listing them. As well, list your skills according to their relevance and according to the job description.

4. Present the Achievement Section near the Top

The achievements section does not only have to be placed at the top of your resume, but it also needs to be selective. I mean, you surely have many things to praise with, but not all of them are relevant or that impressive. You are here to become remarkable, so stick only to your greatest achievements that have a strong connection with the job post.

5. Relate Only Your Recent Work Experience

If you apply for executive positions, it means that your experience dates back in time. Therefore, you can spend days filling pages with all your achievements. Unfortunately, recruiters don’t leverage that time, so you’d better stick only to the most recent experience and achievements, no further than 15 years.

6. Focus on Your Achievements

Words are empty. Action, on the other hand, can talk very loudly. Recruiters aren’t interested in reading stories, they want facts. Therefore, they want numbers. Translate all your achievements in numbers. That’s how they know how valuable you really are.

7. One-Page Length is a Myth

Yes! That’s right! The fact that a good resume should be at tops one-page length is a myth and nothing more. Haven’t you ever wonder how someone with 30 years’ experience is supposed to write all his skills and achievements in just one page?
Two pages aren’t too long, for some may even be too short. Anyway, it is enough space to sum up all your work-related experience and history. But if you encounter any trouble with fitting all your relevant information in two pages, you can seek for guidance at Career Booster or other similar sites.

8. Leave the Education Section at the End

The education section is indeed important, especially if you have recently graduated and your skills list is limited. But in our case, education is barely relevant comparing to your achievements from the past years.

Therefore, while adapting your resume, make sure that you leave the education section at the end. Otherwise, if you let any other section which is more important, the recruiters may skip it as they rarely read a resume until the end.

9. Adapt Your Resume for AST

First of all, what is an ATS? ATS is a software, specially programmed to tailor a resume according to a job description. Thanks to this tool, recruiters can save a lot of time while the software sorts out the “bad” resumes.

You see, throughout the job descriptions, there are certain key-words that must be included in your resume. If you fail to do so, the ATS software will automatically consider your resume “bad.” Simple as that. Therefore, it’s crucial to tailor your resume if you want any recruiter to actually read your paper.

10. Proofread

You’re almost done! Even if proofreading is the last step of the process, you must take it very seriously because the devil is in the details.

You can’t afford to present a resume with simple grammar issues and misspelled words. You’re applying for an executive position, so mistakes aren’t acceptable, especially when the expectations are so high.

Even after you proofread a few times, you can still expect mistakes. That’s why you should ask someone to take a look over your resume too. As well, you can always seek help online.

For example, you can find many experts ready to help you at Superior Papers and Resumes Planet. This way you can sleep well at night knowing that an expert revised and approved your resume.

Conclusion

An executive job post requires an outstanding resume that is able to make a lasting impression in any recruiter’s eyes. If you already have a resume that only needs to be adjusted, well, you’d better think twice.

Adapting a resume is just as hard as composing a new one, so you must take this process very seriously, of course, if you want any recruiter to take your resume into consideration. But that’s why we created this 10-step guide – to help you turn your old resume into an interview-winning resume.

About the author

Guinevere Coulis is a passionate writer, journalist, and traveler. Currently, she is working for Brill Assignment. Occasionally, she writes essay papers for A-writer.com as she wants to help students all over the world. Traveling is a part of her life as she’s always working from different parts of the world where she enjoys connecting with people and experiencing new things.

This is a guest contribution. Guest views are their own and theglasshammer does not endorse guest views, or have any affiliation with any services promoted or offered.

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Mover and Shaker: Jeanelle Johnson, Director, Deals – Valuations, PwC US

Jeanelle JohnsonFor PwC’s Jeanelle Johnson, it’s the experiences gained from taking on new challenges and living overseas which have made her career path so rewarding.

Having the right people around her was key to making it happen.

“Finding your people is extremely important in feeling like you belong, and sometimes you have to be strategic to find them,” she explains. For her, finding sponsors has been pivotal in helping her advance, both to understand the professional landscape and the unwritten rules.

Creating a Career on Her Own Terms

Johnson started in a different career path than most of her counterparts in the consulting world; she began at a family-owned business in the financial services industry where she examined trading by company executives and wrote articles for mutual fund companies. She decided to earn her MBA—working full-time, while pursuing classwork part-time on the evenings and weekends.

While participating in on-campus recruiting, she interviewed with an investment firm in Baltimore for an investment banking role and started as an Associate, only to find out a month later the group was being sold. Johnson was getting married at the time so she took a pause to reflect on what she wanted in her future career.

Earlier in her career, Johnson had been exposed to Big 4 firms, which she was surprised to learn did more than just accounting—but also valuations and M&A transactions, which is what she had enjoyed most when she worked in investment banking. She had also been intrigued by their reputation among her peers and in the media, such as in Working Mother magazine, as a place where she could enjoy a challenging work environment, but also be able to carve out the time she needed to start a family.

Johnson joined a Big 4 firm in 2006 and worked there until August 2015, appreciating the flexibility they offered her—first working remotely from California while her husband completed a graduate degree; then working from home most of the week when her first child was born; and finally offering her a transfer to the London office to accompany her husband who had been offered an opportunity there—a stint that was supposed to be a year and ended up being more than five.

When they moved back, she and her husband decided it was best for the family to focus on her career, and he became the primary parent. Johnson was looking for a firm that was supportive of developing people like her into partners, and the recruiter who had hired her at her prior firm was then at PwC so she pursued an offer there. “I was offered a position that started in March, but I told them that I could not start until August, and they were willing to wait,” Johnson says, which confirmed she had found the right place. They moved to New York for two years and then returned to Washington D.C. in July 2017, which she says has been wonderful both personally and professionally.

And, she says, that’s the professional achievement she is most proud of so far…the ability to pivot to whatever opportunities she was offered, rather than just following a straight line.

Finding Role Models—And Acting as One

Johnson says she admires people who demonstrate grit and resilience, and who don’t let anyone see them sweat—even when they are. “Maintaining that calm, level head imbues confidence to everyone, while also being open and approachable—those are qualities I try to emulate,” she says.

As one of the senior women in her practice group, she is proud to take part in diversity and inclusion initiatives that help promote the idea that it is possible to have both a successful career and family, especially as an underrepresented, minority woman. “Much of the corporate world was not designed by us or for us, so being visible allows younger people to see what they can accomplish,” she says.

Recently, Johnson joined the board of directors for a charter school in D.C. as another way to share her professional acumen.

With two children ages six and 10, she appreciates the opportunities that were presented by living overseas. “It provides you with such an interesting frame of reference; we traveled extensively, and my daughter has visited 18 countries…she’s drummed on the streets of Istanbul and been in a backpack in Marrakech markets.”

“Traveling gives you a broader view of the world, and I am passionate about instilling that in my children. If you stick to what you know, you may never see what is possible.”

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Op- Ed: How To Have the Hard Conversations About Casual Racism

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casual racism

By Nicki Gilmour
It is Black History Month. Beyond the celebration of African heritage, it is also a time to have the hard conversations.

Hard conversations around race, ethnicity, racist behaviors and what makes someone or something racist are uncomfortable for many people and it takes bravery, an open and developed mind and good intentions to embark on them. If you are a white person you have to face that you might have some white privilege going on, and it is easier said than done. If you are a person of color reading this, know that i am terrified to dissect this, but want to in service of advancing the subject and hope I can provide a way for everyone to think differently. Casual racism and casual sexism have a lot in common, it is like a 2.0 version where it is not exactly explicit but has enough intoned for us to know on the receiving end of it, that there is something implied to ‘keep us in our place’, the place before we were here. The sunken place in the fabulous satire Get Out explains race in America better than most articles I have seen.

It is a fragile yet perfect time for conversations about social identity and specifically race and ethnicity with different voices calling out Gucci and Katy Perry’s products saying they evoke Blackface depictions this week. Liam Neeson disclosed information about an incident that could have ended in a vengeance murder of an innocent black person 40 years ago in the UK. So, If not now, when would we talk about racism, casual and otherwise?

Racist? I am not a racist! 

In case you missed the whole disclosure from Liam Neeson, this VOX editorial piece is the best round up of opinion and links I have read about the topic. But, what is striking about this whole incident to me is that he seems oblivious to the obvious conclusions that most of us have around his language today describing the incident in the past. His reaction of surprise of being called a racist for his admission, is casual racism and white privilege, as it is afforded only to people who have the luxury of not understanding what it means to be black, or in other circumstances of casual -isms, a woman or LGBT in this world.

I grew up in the sectarian violence of Northern Ireland so I understand firsthand what he is saying about pitting entire groups against each other based on identity and affiliation by default to a two group system to brutalize the brutalizer or one on their “side” in a vicious cycle of perceived wins. So, his context is what we call in Northern Ireland “tit for tat murder” and I think while it might be hard for people to fully understand what he is saying about his programming, it is relevant here. Not in any way an excuse, but if we apply how one’s lens or worldview shapes us we can start to understand why people will differ in their opinion of what constitutes racism and why that is.

The ‘socialized mind’ is one that does what is expected of it, according to Kegan (Harvard developmental psychologist) who suggests that between 58% -75% of the population can only view incidents subjectively. Simply put, situations only makes sense to them according to how they directly experience events and data filtered through the lens of lifelong cultural and familiar constructs.

I think Liam is still very much unconsciously but not consciously having a reflection around masculinity and its role in the patriarchy. He is now fully starting to challenge his childhood constructs and that review is a good step.But, I have not seen him have any glint of awareness that he is not extending the same review he gave to his constructs around vengeance of the other group to his worldview on race and ethnicity. He has not gotten to a place where he can also see that by asking the second or third question to his friend who was raped consisting of ‘what colour was he?’ was only a deductive question to get an answer he wanted. It was a new form of in-group and out-group category process that remained in his framework from Northern Ireland’s two group system of “Us or them”. So, he did (and does) have bias against people of color and predisposed stereotypical notions, but he had no clue until now and possibly continues to not see it. So, having seen this play out in all aspects of diversity, my question always becomes one of why do the rest of us have to suffer as a default group affiliated member (person of color, woman etc) while the straight white guy has a mere inkling that fish do not know they are swimming in water and wants a prize for admission of a bad behavior? My conclusion is always, ‘better late than never and keep going.’ because what other choices do we have for progress?

What are the best ways to prepare for a hard conversation around ethnicity and race?

A discussion around race is ripe or any other hot topic involving identity and legacy power, whether in this piece or at a dinner party, only if the people reading this or eating dinner with you are not beholden to making meaning of experiences only via the usual cultural sources given to them over a lifetime, processed exclusively through that worldview.

Race, politics, sexism, and the gold or blue dress challenge all boils down to what your brain thinks it knows to be true. According to Kegan and Lahey, developmentally if you can only look through your lens without being able to look at the lens itself, you are beholden to that socialized mindset of tribal, go with their crowd thoughts trapping you forever in subjectively. Sound familiar? The problem is we get nowhere as people name call and soundbite at each other on social media and family dinners and it shuts down an actually productive conversation that is needed to resolve tough topics. Hence, the masses scream on twitter and some people will say they are right in naming racists as racists and others will say that they do not believe that person or product is racist and that is an over reaction and just cannot see what you are talking about or come to their defense based on personal frameworks versus wider systemic thought frameworks, or objective review.

The adult developmental level beyond the socialized mind is the self authoring mind and then the self transforming mind. In this situation and in casual racism, we have to go beyond our beliefs and experiences to understand other people’s experience in their context, not just ours. What Michelle Rodriguez missed in her defense of Liam was not lost on Shonda Rhimes or so many others.

In our socialized mind we can argue all day whether he is a racist or not a racist, and we will both feel vindicated. In our self authoring mind, we can apply frameworks that help us understand systemic matters such as societal bias, stereotyping and legacy historical power issues. Then, we can understand why Black Lives Matters for example, is not negating that all lives matter and by saying it is, is a denial of inequity and a microaggression.

Equipping yourself with the capacity to enjoy ambiguity while developing mental complexity and having competing ideas without having to throw one out to streamline or prevent cognitive dissonance, is a growth strategy for you in your career and life.

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The Legacy Mindset – Why It Matters (Part 2)

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Image via Shutterstock

Last week, we featured part 1 of a guest contribution around having a legacy mindset for success. Enjoy part 2.

What can stop us from having a legacy mindset? What we forget in the 24-7 race that consumes our lives these days is a reminder of what is truly important in life. We want more than just to earn and consume. We want to matter in our lives. And in the lives of others. We want to make an impact on the world, not just make an income. And to do so, we need to change the definition of what it means to be successful.

Business people often think only of the bottom line but adopting a legacy-driven mindset puts you in a position to make that quantum leap forward, which will drive and sustain relentless development for future generations.

The Magic of the Arts to Shift Paradigms

A prime example of legacy-driven mindset resulted in one of the great paradigm shifting moments in business and culture. Business decry the lack of people who can write well and communicate in new ways. But in our short-term drive to believe that technology will solve all problems, people ballyhoo the arts as not really needed in our new digital world. Yet the magic of the arts is that they allow people to think and communicate differently—which if you’re a business, is exactly the edge you are looking for. Look at Steve Jobs who loved typography—and how form followed function in such a beautiful and timeless way—that he almost became a type designer. But instead his enduring love of beautiful and functional design manifested itself in the I-phone. He never lost sight of what drove his inspiration.

To Be Lucky or Be Prepared—That is the Question

What makes adopting a “legacy-driven” mindset so compelling is that you are always prepared. And in the capricious world of business and life, being so steadfastly prepared makes you constantly able to meet luck as if it’s an everyday occurrence. “Luck Is what happens when preparation meets opportunity” is the timeless quote of Roman philosopher, Seneca. You hear people say all the time talking about someone becoming an “overnight success” or reaping a windfall. Was Steve Jobs just lucky or was he always prepared?

A legacy-driven mindset is the basis for all profound changes in people’s lives. Though many of us will not change the world like Steve Jobs, we still deeply desire to touch those around us and to leave a lasting impression. Yes, we want to make an income but we desire to make an impact.

Leave Your Legacy Inside People

You want to change the world? Then leave your legacy inside of people. Inspire them with how you walk your talk. When leaders adopt a legacy-driven mindset, they leave something in people—and not just for people. Want to change the world? Inspire people to inspire themselves. That is truly living your legacy, which then is constantly renewed in others. Leaving people with things or information is not enough. Leave people with inspiration.

Why People “Undo” Their Legacy

I’m always amazed when a business or a person decides to “undo” their legacy for the short-sighted pursuit of an immediate gain versus the long-term success of a legacy-driven philosophy. It’s the candy-in-front-of-the-kid syndrome. “I want it now because I can have it now.” That’s how children think. Think of Wells Fargo or Volkswagen. Or Google or Facebook. What was Google’s mantra? Do no wrong—where did that go? But we excuse their behavior by saying, “They are big corporations with a bottom line and shareholders to satisfy.” But what really happened? They forgot who they were and why they were. A legacy-driven bottom line is much different than a ledger-driven bottom line. Which do you think will endure for a hundred years? Any enterprise that is led by people will possess the same characteristics that can be undone by people.

You Already Have the Answer—You’re Just too Busy to Hear It

How do you begin thinking in this “Legacy-Driven mindset?” Decide in your life what is important. You don’t have to do it overnight. But ponder it a bit. Make a list if you need to. When I ask people if they could do any three things in the world right now, what would they be? And they’re always surprised they have an answer. You’ve already prioritized things in your heart but your mind just doesn’t know it. Sometimes you have to cut through all the myriad noise and malarkey in your busy mind to find the truth that’s been there all along. Many times we’ve already made the priority in our hearts, but our minds just can’t—or won’t hear it.

The 4-Ps’s of Creating the “Legacy-Driven” Mindset

Another simple but effective way to help you think about the “Legacy-Driven” mindset is to use what I call the 4 P’s! These are: Passion, Pursuit, People, and Peace.

Passion is what makes you smile. What brightens your eyes when you think about doing it. This passion is the heart of living a “Legacy-Driven” life.

Pursuit is making this passion a reality.

People are real. Communicate with them. Be with them. Put away the electronic barriers that make real communication a false reality. Dance with people you really want to dance with. And don’t be afraid to dance both backwards and forwards. When people believe in your passion, they make the pursuit of it so much more worthwhile.

Peace is finding or creating peacefulness inside of you—one of the most difficult actions to attain in our brutally busy lives. It’s the being mindful of being human—and truly aware of being alive. Do this small step at the end of everyday—it’s a lovely way to put yourself to sleep. Ask yourself did you do a small act of kindness that day? Did you stare at the clouds for a moment? Do you put really listen to someone? Did you just stop and quit thinking for a moment? And if you did any or all these things—smile to yourself that you lived well that day. And if you didn’t, then go to sleep saying you’ll try again tomorrow.

A legacy doesn’t mean the end, but the beginning of a new phase in your life or the next chapter. In order to succeed, you should identify and evaluate your legacy at each stage in your life, whether it’s career oriented or personal. In your quest to make an impact upon yourself and others, you will discover how well this “Legacy-Driven” mindset creates a much deeper sense of a life well lived, while you’re actually living it.

Bio:

Carew Papritz is the 5-Time award-winning author of the inspirational book, The Legacy Letters, which was featured last month in INC.: 5 Gifts That Will Do Good Long After You Buy Them

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Voice Of Experience: Kenya Scott Woodruff, Partner, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP

Kenya Woodruff“Don’t stress out” over your career, Kenya Scott Woodruff tells women who are entering the workforce.

“It really does all work out. Your career path might not be as you predicted, but if you are willing to work hard; you are open; and you say ‘yes’ to things that others don’t, you are going to end up with great opportunities to advance.”

Finding Her Passion in Healthcare

Kenya began her career at a large law firm in Dallas as a commercial litigator, but she discovered the healthcare practice area as a second-year associate and immediately loved the complexity of the space.

She found a mentor who was a client. He managed litigation for a large health system and helped Kenya develop a steady stream of healthcare litigation work. She later went to a firm where she handled government investigations, before transitioning to an in-house position with the Dallas hospital district, Parkland Health and Hospital System, where she handled investigations, litigation, regulatory and transactional work.

After four years, Kenya returned to private practice, focusing on mergers, acquisitions and joint venture strategic partnerships in the healthcare sector and advising administrators and medical providers on compliance and other business issues. In October, she came to the newly-opened Dallas office of Katten as part of a respected trio – Cheryl Camin Murray, Lisa Genecov and Kenya. They were the first three women partners in the new office and were hired to grow the firm’s healthcare practice in the Texas region.

While Kenya is looking forward to what the team will accomplish, one of her top career highlights is a project she took on when she returned to private practice, working with five physicians and a technology investor to help them build a healthcare company. Together, they formed an independent Accountable Care Organization (ACO), Premier Patient Healthcare, and the company has since expanded to more than 400 physicians and created savings for Medicare and private payor programs each year they have existed.

Kenya found it exciting to watch their growth and especially to realize that there are rural, unaffiliated physicians who now have the technology that delivers recent visit and admission data about patients to the physicians’ desktops and enables them to care for their patients with an understanding of their recent medical encounters. “We’ve been through a lot together since 2012, and it’s amazing to see the wonderful work they have done,” she says. “It is awesome to see the role they are playing in advancing efficient care and to be able to play a part in that advancement.”

In fact, in this era of constantly searching for high-quality, cost-effective care, Kenya is finding that collaborative arrangements are emerging as an important answer. “We are working to help healthcare professionals and organizations figure out how they can take care of patients across the continuum of care in an efficient and effective way,” she said.

Career Advice For Creating a Successful Path

The healthcare industry is largely a welcoming place for women. While there are still advances to be made, Kenya says companies are increasingly amenable to women progressing into executive leadership roles. But in the legal industry, she recognizes there is still a real issue with retention of female attorneys at law firms, even though most firms are very close to 50/50 in gender division when hiring.

Kenya believes one of the best ways to combat attrition in the legal profession is to make sure that women have mentors early in their careers. Often times women may be on par with their male counterparts when it comes to the skills needed to succeed, but they are less likely to have mentors who show them how to navigate the politics of the firm, as well as the business of law, specifically how to develop a practice that is sustainable and financially successful.

In addition, she encourages women to fill their toolbox of knowledge and experience and then seek out a niche they enjoy that preferably is not saturated by other experts. “We have to remember that our business, like others, is subject to the financial realities of supply and demand,” she said.

And mentoring shouldn’t stop as women ascend the career ladder. Kenya stresses the importance of continuing to find camaraderie and support from groups, whether internally at a law firm or externally in industry-based organizations.

At Katten, Kenya is active in the Women’s Leadership Forum, which supports the retention and advancement of women attorneys at the firm through mentoring and professional development programs. She finds the forum’s meetings to be helpful because women often share success tips, as well as challenges. “That’s what it takes to help people move forward—honest, straightforward advice,” she said.

Kenya has also been involved with a number of industry groups, such as the Center for Women in Law at the University of Texas at Austin School of Law, which she calls a “powerhouse organization with great women, companies and firms.” Along with the advice and other benefits of female networking groups, she says it’s vital for women to share career opportunities with each other and support other women as they climb their respective ladders.

A Healthy Balance in All Aspects of Life

As the mother of two “strong-willed” girls, ages 9 and 11, Kenya increasingly enjoys watching as they come into their own and hearing the interesting conversations their newfound maturity sparks. With her husband, David being a magistrate judge, it’s a challenge to juggle family, church and work obligations, but she and her husband share the load – they are true life partners. “Our church family is a big part of our lives,” Kenya said, adding that “We are there for each other in good times and bad. My church family is fun, supportive and they even help with emergency childcare needs!”

Kenya sits on the board of directors for what was formerly AIDS Arms, an organization focused on the prevention and treatment of HIV. She was a part of the board when the nonprofit group legally changed its name to Prism Health North Texas to better reflect the comprehensive services it provides. “The name change has been well-received, and we continue to enjoy great community support,” she said. “I always encourage people to find some organization where they can get involved and help their community in a significant way.”

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2019 Workplace Predictions

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diary, predictions

Guest Contribution by Fierce Inc.

An increasing number of fledgling workers are currently being thrust into the spotlight as baby boomers retire and millennials and Gen Z increasingly take over the majority of new jobs.

Many companies are at a loss with how to properly deal with this change and the publicity that comes with it. What makes matters worse, many suffer from a “culture of nice” and have complicated organizational structures, which only perpetuates business problems and proves detrimental to the bottom line. A survey Fierce conducted found that over 40% of leaders felt their organization suffered from “terminal niceness,” valuing politeness over the pursuit of the best ideas and perspectives.

Based on our conversations with current and potential clients — after thousands of hours of conversations and learning about their concerns, unique challenges and goals — we’ve developed the below five trends that we predict will be key to organizations of all sizes in 2019:

Increased accountability for corporate bad behavior. We’ve all seen the news: companies seem to be plagued with worsening scandals, dubious leadership practices and unethical decisions at a near constant rate. Moving forward organizations will internally face these issues head-on, as they happen. No longer will they be swept under the rug or ignored altogether. To get in front of some of these potentially negative stories and to ensure they know what happens within their companies, leaders will work to gain a deeper understanding and connection to the people who make up their organization. This means the popularity of employee training and engagement programs will rise and cover a wide range of topics such as diversity, unconscious bias, ethics, and inclusion.

Fewer organizations will suffer from a “culture of nice.” In these “overly nice” environments, no truly productive feedback is given. People are afraid to disagree or speak up, refuse to address problems and rarely challenge the status quo. A culture of “nice” lends itself to a host of challenges including lack of trust, higher turnover, and lower productivity—none of which are actually “nice.” As organizations continue to improve their conversations skills as it pertains to feedback, and as younger workers vocalize their desire for more frequent feedback, the number of organizations who suffer from this type of culture will decrease in the coming year.

Generation Z will no longer be ignored. An estimated 61 million Gen Zs will apply for jobs in the U.S. next year, many entering the workforce for the first time. However, organizations are only spending 4% of their resources on training those less than 25 years old, according to IBIS. Organizations will be forced to adjust to this new reality in 2019, and in order to be successful, will need to find innovative ways to invest more heavily in their training from the get-go. Fierce believes the New Year will be an area of growth in this regard, as organizations figure out the best way to engage with this new generation. A part of this will no doubt be providing the right resources to this tech-savvy generation to help them succeed both in the short and long term.

Companies will move away from hierarchy and towards more agile teams. Organizations are starting in earnest to understand that strategic alignment is key to their success, and the best way to achieve it is to ensure the company is flexible and responsive at every level. There will be a shift away from teams interacting only at the highest echelons within an organization and towards a more integrated and collaborative approach. With this shift will come an increased need for communication skills, as it will be imperative that managers are well-versed in both delegation and decision making. By empowering teams with greater opportunities for collaboration, 2019 will result in higher productivity and employee engagement.

Progress will be made on digital transformations. While most organizations have been slowly integrating digital components across many areas of their business, 2019 will be the year where real progress is made. Organizations will spend more time focused on truly understanding the needs of the end user—be it employees, clients or customers—and in turn, work with their IT departments to ensure these needs are being met. Innovation is no longer a luxury; without adopting and staying on top of digital trends, organizations will become obsolete.

When we look back a year from now, how successful company leaders are at addressing these themes will come down to a key component — the strength of their conversations. The skills leaders have in addressing issues, assessing concerns and finding solutions all come down to one simple thing: how well an individual can communicate and connect with those around them.

Guest contributions express views of their own and are in no way affiliated or endorsed by theglasshammer.com

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