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Hello {{ first name | friends}},
I love having the chance to have a deep discussion with my sister and The Introvert Sisters podcast co-founder, Lisa. This topic was very much related to what I talk about in this newsletter, so I’m sharing a few excerpts here. We had so much to say that we did another episode on the topic, so look out for that soon. In this episode, we discuss microaggressions, exclusion, inequity and survival strategies.
On Pay Inequity and Exclusion
"When I was working in the UK, a couple of things happened in pretty close succession. The first was when I got a promotion at work that came with a certain pay rise and they made an excuse not to offer me the full amount. My white colleagues who got the promotion got the full amount, but somehow I was only getting half of it. They had some spuriously plausible reason for it. That was one of the first things.
The second thing was when I started looking for a job because, you know, why stay where you are not valued, right? A colleague and I applied for the same job...we compared CVs and so on and she said, 'Honestly, I don't even know why I'm applying because you are definitely the more qualified.' I went in, I saw the double take and at that point, it was already all over. But I still did a great interview. We compared notes on the train back...she said, 'Man, I really made a mess of that interview.' But do you know who got the job offer? Well, it wasn't me.
It's so wearing—all the little signs that you can’t be yourself, that you’re not valued. Why are you telling me that I am valued less? Why are you showing me that I am valued less? Why are you doing that in big and small ways every day?"
On Redefining Professionalism
"We probably need to redefine professionalism. The things deemed most professional are all bound up with white supremacy culture. What matters is: can you do the job that you were hired for? Do you have good ideas? Can you contribute—in whatever way is authentic to you, not in forced ways. The things often concentrated on—like hair, head wraps, performing femininity, wearing heels and makeup—don't affect your ability to do the job. Are you forcing people to put on a performance in the name of professionalism? If so, your notion of professionalism needs to change. In a workplace, what matters is your ability to do the job, contribute, but not at the expense of your health or dignity. Not staying late, coming in early, not working yourself to the bone. Not being on a plantation. Professionalism should mean treating people with respect and doing the job; not doing harm to your colleagues."