One of the main issues affecting how potential allies can show up for DEI work is the lack of permission to come to the table “messy”.
The desire for perfectionism is at an all time high and quite frankly it is toxic and gets in the way of true DEI work.
So how can you show up to the table messy? (And by messy I mean as you are, with many questions, a long way to go but a willingness to do the work.)
1๏ธโฃ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ, ๐ด๐๐ถ๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ท๐๐ฑ๐ด๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ผ๐ฟ. There’s no room for it at the table. It will get in the way because none of us are perfect.
2๏ธโฃ ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ผ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ. Everyone is coming into this work at a different stage and level of understanding. Allow people grace when they make mistakes so they can grow and do better without fear of what might happen to them when they mess up.
3๏ธโฃ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ. It may take hearing something over and over again for action to be taken so don’t give up on speaking up and don’t give up on the pace at which you are learning. For some they can hit the ground running with this work. For others and in actual fact most, it’s wobbly and sometimes requires baby steps. So pace yourself. We want you here for the long haul.
So tell me friend which one of these 3 areas are you willing to give yourself permission in order to come to the table messy?
Let me know in the comments below ๐๐พ
And if this has been helpful to you, be sure to share this with a friend who will benefit from this too.
With Love,
Annie
