There are some great lessons to be learned from the recent disgraceful racial profiling and arrest of two black men experienced in Philadelphia at a Starbucks coffee shop. I believe the solution rests with the call to action I have been advancing for years, which is forcing dialogue.
While this incident focuses on race, this important dialogue can and should also apply to other issues such as harassment, abuse, equity and fairness. This article highlights what has not worked including ineffective training programs, the primary motivation being to provide organizations with a legal shield against discrimination.
In this Washington Post article on leadership by Jena McGregor, we can clearly see that “just sending a message is not enough”. Corporate America is beginning to wake up to the notion that conversing with one another is critical to the process of bringing inclusivity and diversity into the 21st century.
My foundation is working on an important initiative with the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence called ‘Emotion Revolution in the Workplace’. One of the cornerstones of this project is to encourage people to have debates and difficult discussions about the serious issues that continue to plague our society.