The Power of Deep Listening
‘One needs to look carefully at the fabric of workplace dynamics to understand how racism manifests in any given company – and the invitation to talk and be listened to provides this’
How can we listen to what the people in our organisations want to tell us about race?
The first anniversary of the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matters protests has been a time of deep reflection. I remember the visceral impact this tragic act had across the world, and it was clear that here in the UK, the fair and equitable Britain that some envisaged was not the same lived experience for every one – and this mass awakening was both hurtful and welcomed in equal measures.
I believe that the full consequence of this collective moment has yet to be experienced in the workplace because remote working during the pandemic has acted as a buffer. When we are back together in workplaces, our ability (or not) to navigate this newly race-aware world will be more fully seen. Meanwhile, people of all ethnicities are forming ideas and points of view on what feels personally acceptable to them – so this is an important moment to stay connected to what people are truly feeling.
Why do organisations need to listen deeply?
Organisations are constantly improving how they listen to their people, whether through questionnaires, pulse surveys or employee engagement apps which can all help to stay connected to indicators of high and low employee engagement. However, when it comes to matters of diversity and inclusion, these existing listening tools are ill equipped for getting under the skin and addressing the real issues that employees face because we’re not yet comfortable talking about ethnicity at work. In a recent survey1 by Right Track Training Provider, an alarming 55% felt they lacked the confidence or competence to confidently talk about matters of diversity or inclusivity in the workplace.
This same survey highlights some concerning perceptions that surround diversity and inclusivity (D&I) efforts, with more than half of those surveyed seeing them as little more than political correctness. With such negative perceptions about D&I, why would a staff member who had experienced racism at work feel confident about mentioning or reporting it? How could this not potentially limit a member of staff’s willingness to raise concerns or flag up personal experiences related to race at work? It’s a hypothesis that gains weight when we look at the in-depth report published by the CIPD, ‘Talking about voice: employee experience’,2 which highlights the challenge of employees raising more sensitive issues at work, with a quarter of people choosing to not speak up even when they have something to say, and 14% believing that, ‘no-one would want to help me’. It seems there’s still a lot to do if organisations want to create the psychological safety that is needed to help people speak up.
What is deep listening?
Increasingly, I’m invited into organisations to provide a deep listening exercise as part of my role working with leadership teams to tackle anti-racism and build an inclusive culture. I offer a safe space for staff to courageously share experiences of how their racial identity impacts their experience of work in order that the findings will be heard by the leadership which can inform real change – it’s a powerful tool.
Usually, it starts with a call from a leader who knows there are things that need to be aired and better understood in their teams. They may not have been able to have open conversations about race at work because of the pandemic and they know that silence is not healthy or helpful, especially for team members who may be experiencing racism. Or it may be that an issue has emerged, such as a resignation, with a suggestion that the reason was connected to a lack of inclusivity, or disappointment at the organisation’s response to BLM. It takes courage for leaders to be this vulnerable in opening up access to an external consultant, to ask them to listen intently to an organisation’s thoughts and feelings. Trust grows by establishing the relationship as a supportive collaboration and empowering the leadership to find their role in the process.
Listening so people will talk
‘What is the point? Who am I going to talk to and what are they going to actually do? I’ve raised things before, and it hasn’t worked out well for me’
Scepticism like this from employees is not uncommon – but there are some key ingredients to encourage engagement. Clarity on why the organisation is doing this, how it will happen and what will happen with the insights are the foundations of a good start. The tone of the communications from the leadership also needs to be handled sensitively, to be delivered in a way that demonstrates care. Employees need to feel reassured of their anonymity and to be encouraged to see their perspective, whatever it is, as valid and useful to the exercise. With these foundations, people usually feel confident to step forward and participate.
When employees find a supportive, non-judgmental space, free-flowing conversation can unfold quickly. That said, the effectiveness of this depends on the degree of trust felt in the leadership. If it is lacking, additional reassurance about the impact of their contribution to making change in the workplace can really help people see the value in participating. It can feel like a leap of faith for team members in this moment, but I’ve also seen the impact when employees see their leadership team acting on their insights.
Uncomfortable truths
Racism manifests in many forms and it is not always easy to label it as such. Many find it challenging to define, even when on the receiving end of racism, and there can be resistance to wanting to name it. Outside of the realm of overt discrimination, instances of everyday or systemic racism feel more subtle, living in the small moments rather than grand gestures, easier to dismiss or brush off as nothing. One needs to look carefully at the fabric of workplace dynamics to understand how racism manifests in any given company – and the invitation to talk and be listened to provides this, as I’m often told: ‘It was when you said that nothing was too minor to mention that I thought it was worth coming and having a chat. I made a list of things I wanted to share with you. I’m not sure what I’d call them, but they don’t feel right to me.
Working remotely, it’s been illuminating to see how it’s been relatively easy for team members to identify ways in which work cultures or relationships continue to have inappropriate racist tones, but they are now observed from the safety of one’s own home. Whether that’s through a lack of consideration of the exponentially more significant impact of COVID-19 on the lives of staff members of colour, or having to work alongside people in the team who are ignorant about race and inclusivity issues, they serve as daily reminders of the differences and inequalities that can exist within teams. One of the shifts since last summer is a greater awareness of what racism looks like in the workplace and a different expectation of what is and isn’t acceptable.
Staff of all ethnicities are asking questions about their own inclusive behaviours and practices, and often with a growing desire to be part of the solution. It’s important to tune in to everyone’s experience. Doing so, I’ve uncovered staff insights that are vital to wellbeing in the organisation, including deep levels of frustration at the slow pace of change, concern that an individual employee may personally lack the skills to be inclusive, and a deepening of ‘us’ and ‘them’ because company behaviours indicate misaligned values on this topic, reflected in comments like this: ‘Someone said “all lives matter” in a meeting and no-one said anything. I just don’t feel that is OK in 2021. It really made me question what that says about us as a company.’
When leaders listen
The right moment for a deep listening exercise is when leaders are ready to listen and respond. In reality, this means being present, ready to learn, prepared to admit failings and being serious about working together to find solutions. It usually comes when we have started out on an anti-racism training journey, and we get to a point of realisation that we lack real, tangible insight into how our team are doing.
Without this intimate understanding of how racism is both experienced and perceived, it’s challenging to develop an anti-racism strategy that will make a difference. This moment can also arrive when organisations have had a wake-up call, such as attempting to listen to people’s experiences of racism/discrimination which, for whatever reason, did not go well. Making the first step towards meaningful change can be a powerful signal of a fresh commitment to listening and responding in a more supportive way in the future when it comes to conversations about race.
A big part of the success of a deep listening process is knowing that what has been shared will be heard by the senior leadership team and there is a commitment to act on what is shared. After I’ve conducted a deep listening session in their workplace, people often say, ‘thank you’. Those two words are heartfelt and an expression of appreciation for validating their experiences and for being able to speak previously unspoken thoughts. But what strikes me most, is the gratitude employees feel towards their leaders, for creating a vehicle to hear truths and being willing to act upon what has been heard.
References:
2. https://www.cipd.co.uk/Images/talking-about-voice_employees-experiences_tcm18-54482.pdf
