On 15 July we attended ‘How to talk about Race at work’ a brilliant online event hosted by Jenny Garrett OBE.
Guest speakers Included award winning Mentor, Coach, Trainer and Author, Claudia Crawley, Executive Wellbeing Business Coach, Marie Loney and Executive Coach, Inclusion Facilitator and former lawyer, Sadia Salam.
The speakers gave very generous insights and guidance, based on their professional knowledge and lived experience, on the importance of opening up conversations around Race in the workplace and the tangible benefits that could be achieved by doing so.
Marie Loney explained how a diverse workplace is richer with a greater range of talent and that a diverse working community helps organisations to better understand their client base [and audience base].
Sadia Salam talked about how conversations about Race could "open up an invisible door, giving people permission to bring their whole selves to work" as well as the importance of "being comfortable with being uncomfortable" when opening up conversations.
Claudia Crawley advised on the importance of being open to learning, being respectful, adopting a Growth Mindset and having a desire to be inclusive.
Overriding advice to leaders was to both align conversations about Race with the aims and objectives of their organisation but also tap into your own values.
The speakers also shared many practical tips and resources for further reading and these can be found alongside the event recording on Jenny Garrett's website.