To fight inequity, we must slow down enough to review and understand the behaviors that contribute to it.
Alli Myatt is the co-founder of The Equity Practice and helps organizations redesign themselves to embody more equitable practices. Throughout her life and her long career in advising organizations, Alli has followed her passion of advocating for more human connection and liberatory principles in the workplace.
Business is inherently about performance, urgency, and moving at a fast pace to meet deadlines and achieve milestones, but many of these structures are deeply ingrained with patterns of oppression. In order to disrupt the behaviors and mindsets that create inequity, we need to slow down and examine these processes and structures so we can deconstruct them and refocus on less oppressive practices.
If we are mindful and willing to unlearn the behaviors and mindsets that create inequity, we can create a workplace where people can build real connections and thrive in a more abundant and human-centered work environment. There is more to life than deadlines and productivity, so slow down and become invested in the connection with others!
Show Notes:
🤩 A different approach to equity work: Alli’s and Ron’s friendship.
00:40👧🏾 Getting through life in unsupportive, predominantly white spaces: Alli’s Mom and Dad taught her to advocate for herself and others.
03:18🤯 How the expectations of a role can differ for some people: not getting into the Gifted and Talented program, even with perfect results.
05:43⚡ The unwritten rules for Black women: the unwritten rule of power.
08:44👮🏾 Being funny but not too funny: policing your body and facial expressions.
10:15😠 Gaslighting in the workplace: Black women don’t get developmental feedback from management.
13:00⚠️ Building new rules in her equity practice: oppression is everywhere in the workplace.
15:13⏸️ How behaviors contribute to inequity issues: slow down to see where you are, see issues, and re-wire.
18:03🦥 The power of urgency and the white supremacy norm: slow down to learn your behaviors.
20:32🎯 Slowing down builds trust: see how others are trying to share.
24:42🙈 Getting out of the shame spiral: how to change your practices to get the space of shame and blame.
26:03☯️ Mindfulness work helped Ron to say grounded: being present is crucial.
28:52🔥 Results are not the most important thing: identity should not be attached to the result.
32:04⭐ What we are doing on this planet: what matters in the end.
35:19😍 Deepening humanity and living the gift we have.
38:11🏃🏾♂️ Urgency is creeping on us in so many different and unhealthy ways.
39:45🫶🏾 The art of business: let’s enjoy what we can make together.
41:39😇 The influence that the service businesses had on Alli: the power of hotels is in caring for the well-being of people.
42:23🏨 Ron’s experience with the Marriott Hotel and Alli’s best experience in a Greek hotel.
46:11👂 Why it is important to slow down in order to hear the equity culture: treating your team abundantly.
50:45💎 Alli’s RONdering: people are resistant to having relationships at work because of vulnerability.
53:02🫱🏾🫲🏻 The RPR triangle and understanding how to build collective energy.
54:54🎇 New projects and experiments Alli is working on.
57:50