Black Lives Matter, but what can you do to be the change?
Black Lives Matter. You can take a knee, but meaningful change takes meaningful action, and the work starts with you. What will you do to be the change?
If you are struggling to answer that question, this blog will help.
Today is a product of all the decisions we as a society have taken to date. We can now either put our energy into fighting the past, or embrace the moment and realise that what we do next creates our future.
The events of the last few weeks have brought people to talk about the need for something better. However, for significant behavioural change to happen, we need less talk, more action, and everyone demonstrating a willingness to make a small difference. The cumulative effect is a better state than what went before.
Black Lives Matter, and, having lived in the United States for ten years and experienced bias and limitations imposed on a large section of society first hand, it is heartening to see the power of global social change. However, I am sad that it has come at the cost of yet more lives.
The Black Lives Matter campaign is a start, but it is not enough. Why limit your field of view, because the right to equitable opportunity should be a global human right regardless of sex, age, nationality, culture, creed or colour?
Black Lives Matter: what you can do
To do your part, you can embrace today's opportunity to reflect and understand the past while avoiding the negativity of resentment through regret.
As unsettling as it might be, start by questioning your basic assumptions - beliefs, attitudes, knowledge, experiences; by engaging and actively listen to the views of others to clarify your views and the future you wish to create.
Practice applied empathy - our resources below can certainly help:
How to use Applied Emotional Intelligence to improve trust & influence
Applied Emotional Intelligence: are you aware of EI or do you apply it?
Be the change: rejection & the FBI Stairway to Behavioural Change
The Johari Window: what powerful insights are you yet to discover about yourself?
Put yourself under the spotlight and explore your unconscious bias - the Harvard University Project Implicit website is a great place to start.
Ask yourself: what could I do, what do I want to do, and what will I do to bring about positive change?
If talk without action is willful ignorance, then you need to ask whether you want to be labelled willfully ignorant?
If the answer is no, what version of society do you want to meet in the future, and what will you do to get there?
Insights: be aware of the opportuities created by your limitations
As a leader or manager, you need to be aware of the skills you need to motivate and develop a high-performing team.
To help, we have designed an Insight Space to help discover and develop opportunities in your skillset.
We also show you how to use awareness and understanding of who you are, and how you respond to change, to improve engagement, productivity, engagement, wellbeing and creativity as part of our Good Workshops programme. Get in touch if you would like to know more.
