Can you See it....

I started my mutual mentoring journey in December 2021 with my wonderful mentor Kelly Vuta. I love a session where there are no dumb questions - but this topic - highlighted with the death of George Floyd, and reinforced through the response that my black colleagues have highlighted in the countless listening sessions and progress sessions that we held during the year - is one where asking questions is hard, having understanding is essential and for real change to happen - we must lean in and ask question as uncomfortable as they may be. Whether it was talking about how black people are represented (or not) in main stream media, leadership roles within our company, or learning more about our own biases - the journey so far has been an incredibly positive experience, where we have shared both our understanding, and our world experiences that have shaped the people that we are today.

When we explored the topic of what is racism - we used a tool to better understand our basis - you can use it too by clicking on this link : Take a Test (harvard.edu). Recognising our biases - we all have them - is one of the easiest ways to understand more about how these biases impact our world view and the assumptions we are likely to bring into our understanding of the world. However, it is in being more observant at the queues that are presented in the world around me that I really began to think about this phrase "if you see it you can be it" more profoundly. We talk about it at work - in bringing in strong senior leaders to help us reflect the communities we work and live it - women, people of colour, ethnic and religious diversity, parents, genders and orientation - so that our teams know that we value that diversity and want to see them develop as future leaders. And as I looked around me - many of those things are happening in that setting - and certainly have been part of my 30 year professional journey; however, I am also saddened that for many - they still look at the world that is represented around them - in media, on the TV, in film, in their immediate teams, and within their political leadership and this representation is still not fully reflective of our communities. I do however see a change since the Black Lives Matter enlightenment - and I am hopeful that that change - the intentional acts that are taking place - will allow my grandchildren to be part of a future where this change is normal, reflective of the world they live in, and we see great leaders come forward through the programmes that are being institutionalised in our work places. It will however take continued commitment and action, because one thing I took away from this first session - is even with great intent - I have bias - and that bias doesn't always allow me to see it. So until I do - I am committing to go through that learning curve - I have passed through unconsciously incompetent - where awareness is leading me to consciously incompetent, and practice is leading me to consciously competent with the help of my mentor. Perhaps one day I will have the privilege of being unconsciously competent - but perhaps there is always more to learn - and so to see it and be it - we must create room for learning all the time.

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