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The fear of doing DEI work

I took a poll recently from my audience about what gets in the way of them doing DEI work and guess what was at the top of the list?

 


  

I took a poll recently from my audience about what gets in the way of them doing DEI work and guess what was at the top of the list?

The fear of showing up especially when you are still new to this work and potentially being harmed by others.

The answers were honest and vulnerable. I could sense a deep desire to do better but the fear overshadowed the desire to do something about it.

And because of the nature of social media… that can have its fair share of negativity, DEI work is not a priority especially if it doesn’t impact you directly.

So how do you still show up and do DEI work?

A lot of the time it will require you to be in a position where you are informed – plugged into a source where you are getting credible information so that you are able to stand your own and feel empowered putting your thoughts across.

But, there are times when you need to just step away and not argue with people who you know you’re not going to get anywhere with. Hashtag “pick your battles” because some people are hellbent on NOT looking at things from an inclusive perspective – they’re dead set in their ways.

Here’s the thing with DEI work, we’re not here to win everybody, we know there are those who have their set ways and this work is not for them.

But it’s so important for you to come from a place where you feel EMPOWERED to show up and do the work. Doing the work requires taking action. Moving from a default position of muted and listening to one of the conversations within your spheres of influence.

You can stand on your own two feet and be able to talk about the things you are learning:

๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿพ What does it mean to prioritise people’s humanity?

๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿพ How can I contribute to the conversation in a positive way?

๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿพ What is the right thing to do here?

If these are questions you’ve been asking on yourself and are wanting to dive into DEI work, but feeling afraid. Please know you are not alone and If you’d like to change that and move from bystander to action taker, know that is possible too.

And it all starts by plugging into the right source for your information.

Head to my โญ๏ธ Lesson 2 story highlight on Instagram to watch this full lesson.

Leave a comment below, or send me an email if this resonates with you and you’d like to move into allied action.

With Love,

Annie

  


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