December 2013 ESSENTIAL Class Day Takeaways

Guest post from ESSENTIAL Class of 2014 participant Leslie Wingo, reflecting on the December class day on Austin's diversity and inclusion. Leslie is a partner with Sanders\Wingo Advertising.
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We define others and ourselves by how we see the world and how we see our place in it.  For as long as I can remember, I have always been "the only" one in the room. Often I feel as though I am the only female, the only African American or the only person who feels singled out. As I learned from our December ESSENTIAL class day, being the only one in the room is not a unique feeling. I learned that others seem to have the same feelings, and this shift in my perception is like jumping into Barton Springs on a hot Texas night—surprising and refreshing.

The day had a lot of great content and reflection. Some of the information was new and unexpected. And some of it was really hard to hear. In my mind, I have been the only one for so long, it was great to get a different perspective from others who where the only one in their demographic or culture.

We each seem to have our own boxes, which shape how we are perceived and how we see the world. Ms. Joyce James explained during our session that this begins at a very early age as we learn to socialize with others. Think back to the last time you filled out the required paperwork for the U.S. Census. The form asks very specific information about what box you see yourself and your household fitting into. Needless to say, I have spent a lifetime of having people (including myself), advertisers, and others putting me into some type of labeled box.

There are over 170 of these types of categories (culture codes), which shape our opinions and beliefs. Culture codes are not monolithic and cannot be applied or assumed to the only people in a particular group, economic background or zip code.

Perceptions and assumptions about groups of people can be changed; however, there are many challenges such as institutionalized thinking, lack of resources, and historical policies and procedures, which prevent change or make it difficult at best.

In order to make positive changes within our community, we need to have honest and difficult conversations regarding race, diversity and inclusion. Stepping out of our own comfort zones and taking the time to listen to others who are different. As the demographic makeup of Central Texas continues to change, diversity and inclusion must work together in creating a cultural competency.

The ESSENTIAL Class of 2014 is comprised of sixty amazing and diverse individuals, who want to continue to make Austin and Central Texas a great place for everyone to live, work and play.

I cannot wait to see what The Best Class Ever will do this year.

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NOTE: The opinions of Leadership Austin alumni, faculty members, and guest bloggers are their own, and do not represent an official position of the organization.

December 2012 ESSENTIAL Class Day Takeaways

Guest post from ESSENTIAL Class of 2013 participant David M. Williams, Ph.D. Dave is Founder and Improvement Advisor at TrueSimple Improvement.
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I moved to Austin in 1998. My sister lived here and made it easy to meet friends. We enjoyed sipping Mexican Martini’s at Cedar Door, watching live music at Liberty Lunch, and talking about our young lives as we were at the beginning of our careers. Everyone was young, educated (mostly UT), and the future was unknown, but bright. It was so Austin, or was it?

Among my friends, I was a little unusual. While they went off to work in non-profit offices, at the Capitol, or at young start ups, I hopped on an ambulance to serve as a paramedic in East Austin. My days and nights meant racing across city streets with lights and sirens, going from house to house, and transporting patients to the hospital. I saw the whole beautiful and sad spectrum of Austin, one person at a time. My experience of Austin was very much like the description a former democratic senator (not to be named) once described so eloquently as “Two Americas."

In September, our ESSENTIAL Class delved into U.S. Census data with City of Austin demographer Ryan Robinson and learned about the transformation of Austin as populations change and shift. It provided color to our own picture of Austin, which is sometimes only partially visible to us from where we live and work. December’s class day continued the discussion with a focus on diversity and inclusion. Here are a few of my impressions from the day.

Silent Beats Video
As part of a discussion led by Ashton Cumberbatch, Jr (ESSENTIAL 2002), VP of Advocacy and Community Relations for the Seton Healthcare Family, we were presented with the Princess Grace Award winning video “Silent Beats” - written and directed by John M. Chu and starring Antoine Grant. Watch the video below or on YouTube.

In this short, 5-minute video we watch a young black teen walking through a convenience store owned by a middle aged Asian man, and there is a white elderly woman customer present as well. As the young man walks through the store, images of stereotypes and biases pop up about the characters. None of which prove true in the end of the film.

For many, it was frustrating to feel or see these themes emerge. For example, the black youth as a person to fear. It also brought into focus how our biases or perspectives are rooted in our own experience, race, upbringing, etc., and how that may differ from the person sitting right next to you. The film and discussion that followed was a reminder of the journey and opportunity still ahead for change.

Building Trust
Sometimes the most powerful statements are those without words. Bobby Garcia (ESSENTIAL 1994), Director of Human Resources at the Seton Healthcare Family, facilitated an exercise that was new to many of us.

Bobby took us through an exercise where class members deeply and confidentially shared a series of their own life events that have shaped who they are as individuals, and that may have caused them to be discriminated against, or discriminate against others. We disclosed a great deal about ourselves, and it was powerful to see who shared your own experiences and who did not. Seeing very different people who shared common experiences - people you would have never imagined having been through such things - reminded us of our commonality. There were many emotional moments and big smiles throughout the exercise, and we sat down with a different perspective.

This is only a sample of the day’s activities. In each segment, participants broadened their learning about others, expanded their understanding of themselves, and realized common connections that were not readily apparent at breakfast.

As one man in my group said, “I feel like I know some of you better in this moment then I know some of my best friends.”

The day’s content and experience reminds us that we need to step out of ourselves, our norms, and our neighborhoods and discover all who are fellow Austinites. To realize that there are many differences worth understanding, but more in common worth embracing.

Thanks to the Leadership Austin team and the volunteer facilitators and coaches for a valuable day.

December 2011 Essential Class - A Day for Diversity and Inclusion

Guest post from Essential Class of 2012 participant Ruth Gardner-Loew. The December 2011 class day theme was "Diversity and Inclusion."
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December 14 was the third time since September that the Leadership Austin Essential Class of 2012 met for our monthly, all-day class. Each session had been inspiring and uplifting, but as I sat there and listened and learned and marveled at what was presented throughout the day, I felt deep gratitude and joy to be a part of it.

We were just a few weeks past Thanksgiving, and still a few weeks away from Christmas and the New Year - the perfect time for introspection and “next step” planning. This “Diversity and Inclusion” class day offered lessons that obliged each of us to take serious, personal stock of the meaning of those ideas. Ultimately, we saw that no matter how liberal and open minded we are, we still form stereotypes about people – especially those different from ourselves – and we observed how we interact with those who are “different” than us and our friends. The goal was to structure what we observed and learned into strengths that help us become better leaders.

Dr. Jean Latting and Stephanie Foy of Leading Consciously lead a workshop that helped us reflect on our personal leadership style and its effectiveness (or lack thereof), and gave concrete examples of how to bridge communication gaps. They helped us recognize how Dominance Dynamics work in society, and personalized it by separating the class into Dominants and Non-Dominants based on obvious characteristics like race, gender and religion. The differences between the experiences of Dominants and Non-Dominants becomes pretty obvious when you own being a part of a particular group, and when you own how you operate as a leader depending on whether your decisions are based on Dominate or Non-Dominate experiences. To be clear, most of us belong to many different groups and experience both roles, depending on the situation.

The exercise that intrigued me the most was “Perceptions of Power & Privilege.” Think about it:

• Dominants are presumed to be competent – Non-Dominants have to prove themselves again and again
• Dominants are more likely to find doors open to them – Non-Dominants are denied regular access to the opportunities Dominants take for granted
• Dominants assume their opinions and perspectives will be treated as normal, general and universally true – Non-Dominants have their opinions and perspectives labeled as “special interest

Even more intriguing was that Dominants are typically unaware of Dominance Dynamics, while Non-Dominants are acutely aware of Dominance Dynamics. Leading consciously, facilitating good communication between vastly different groups, and getting us out of our comfort zones to become stronger leaders was high on the agenda.

Classes are structured to provide food for the brain and for the body, and a day of learning wouldn’t be complete without healthy living guidelines. Paul Carrozza of RunTex gave us his tried-and-proven-successful approach to healthy living balanced with exercise and diet. Before offering expert advice on how to prepare for marathons, he equipped us for training for the Statesman Capitol 10K by offering each class member a pair of custom fitted jogging shoes and a 2012 Leadership Austin team, t-shirt. I love exercising, but I’ve never been a jogger, and Paul’s advice for first time runners or walkers to start out very gradually was welcome news.

H-E-B Dietician Kylie Bentley

Lunch was fun, because not only did H-E-B dietician Kylie Bentley plan the healthy, tasty menu that was presented, she also showed us how to prepare delicious, health-supporting holiday snacks like Tamale Sliders, Dark Chocolate Mint Covered Pretzels, and Berry Cheesecake Bites. Yummmm... now all I need to do is find time to cook!

Finally, communications specialist Barbara Miller showed us how to speak from the heart, and introduced a session in which Essential Class alumni guided small groups on an introspective journey designed to make us aware of how events that took place early in our lives marked us and helped shape who we are today. We were all surprised by how deeply we’ve been influenced by seemingly small, sometimes long forgotten incidents. Well done, and a very fitting close to a day that allowed us to look into the mirror and study ourselves with honesty and impunity, and to continue towards our goal of becoming stronger leaders who know how to bridge communication barriers.

Ruth Gardner-Loew is Executive Director at Atticus Circle and a Certified Feng Shui Consultant with Healthy Homes and Workplaces.