This episode is the second conversation in their series, Let's Get REAL: Racial Equity for Adaptive Leaders. In it, Dr. Joanna Shoffner Scott talks with longtime colleague Anthony Armstrong about the difference between transactional and transformational leadership. The distinctions between these two leadership styles matter, particularly in building racially equitable organizations. They also discuss their collaborative journey, the frameworks they've developed to help organizations approach racial equity holistically, and the importance of a shared “why” to anchor meaningful change.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Importance of Purpose in Racial Equity Work:

• Joanna and Anthony identify the significance of beginning with a clear "why" when starting racial equity initiatives. Building a foundational understanding helps leaders and organizations align their actions with their mission, vision, and values, making the subsequent steps more impactful and meaningful.
  
  

2. Frameworks for Holistic Change:

• The episode explores the frameworks that Joanna and Anthony use, such as the 6P Racial Equity Framework and the Racial Equity Growth Continuum.
  
  
• These tools help organizations move beyond siloes to embed equity systematically across all aspects of their work. These frameworks can be used to address everyday challenges.
  
  

3. Differentiating Transactional from Transformational Leadership:

• The discussion lifts up the reality that while tools and technical solutions are valuable, they alone do not lead to transformational change.
  
  
• Transformation requires adaptive leadership that considers deeper, often unseen organizational dynamics. Leaders must be willing to step back, assess their organizations from a broader perspective, and address the systemic issues that perpetuate inequities in the ways they work.

Additional Resources:

• Explore the 6P+ Racial Equity Framework to anchor your approach in ways that center your organizational values [created by Joanna and Anthony]
  
  
• Becoming An Adaptive Leader [Based on the work of Ronald Heifetz and Marty Linsky]

To learn more about my work, visit stameystreet.com

In this mini episode, host Joanna Shoffner Scott highlights the significance of systems and processes in creating racially equitable organizations. Drawing from her extensive experience as an organizational development consultant and founder of the Stamey Street Consulting Group, Joanna explains why clear systems and processes are foundational to equity work. She unpacks the often hidden but crucial role systems play in fostering an inclusive workplace. Whether you're a nonprofit leader, executive, or manager, this episode provides valuable insights to help you see the benefits of leveraging your processes to build equity into your everyday work.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Essential Components for Building Racially Equitable Organizations:

• Joanna highlights four critical components for creating equitable organizations: a committed leader, clear values and identity, robust systems and processes, and organizational behaviors aligned with these elements. Systems and processes, in particular, are necessary for sustaining the work of racial equity but are often overlooked and underutilized.
  
  

2. Seven Key Systems for Nonprofits:

• Joanna outlines seven crucial systems every nonprofit organization needs.

3. Equity in Most Felt in Small, Everyday Decisions:

• While many view equity through the lens of grand initiatives and public-facing projects, Joanna emphasizes that equity also resides in the small, day-to-day decisions leaders make. Proper systems and processes help mitigate bias and ensure that organizational history and decision-making are transparent and accessible, promoting a more inclusive environment.

Additional Resources:

• Graphic on structures, systems, processes, tasks, and steps from The Power and Limitations of Racial Equity Audits: How to Uncover Organizational Weaknesses and Address Inequities via stameystreet.com
  
  
• Intentionality Goes A Long Way In Sustaining Your Racial Equity Commitment [BLOG]

To learn more about my work, visit stameystreet.com

In this episode of Race in the Workplace (S3, Ep 4), host Joanna Shoffner Scott explores the necessary components for building a racially equitable organization. From her extensive consulting experience and personal experiences as a Black woman in professional spaces, Joanna identifies and unpacks four foundational elements critical to building and sustaining racial equity within organizations. Whether you're a leader just beginning your journey or navigating ongoing challenges, these insights can inform your efforts to create a truly equitable workplace.

Key Takeaways:

Equity requires...

1. Committed Leadership:
   • Sustainable equity work requires "Big L" (i.e., executive leadership with positional power) and "Small L" (i.e., team and project leaders without positional power but with significant influence) leadership.
     
     
   • A commitment to equity from leaders with positional power is crucial for implementing and maintaining equitable practices within an organization.
     
     
2. Clear Values and Identity:
   • Organizations must work from a shared understanding of their mission, vision, and values to support a cross-cutting approach to equity.
     
     
   • Values should be more than just words on a website; they should be operationalized and revisited regularly to ensure they are still relevant and accurately reflect the organization's identity and commitments.
     
     
3. Systems and Processes:
   • Using systems and documented processes is essential for creating and maintaining equitable organizational practices.
     
     
   • Systematized ways of working enable organizations to evaluate and improve their processes objectively, ensuring efficiency and equity without personal biases interfering.
     
     
4. Aligned organizational behaviors
   • Aligning behaviors with your equity commitment. In short: Are you being equitable in your doing?
     
     
   • It also refers to your internal behaviors (i.e., how you engage with each other) and how your work shows up in the world.

Additional Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Previous Podcast Episode: Creating Your Organizational Equity Why | S1, Ep7
• Upcoming Mini Episode on Systems and Processes (Stay Tuned!)

To learn more about my work, visit stameystreet.com

Let's Get REAL: Introducing Racial Equity for Adaptive Leaders | S3, Ep 3

In this episode of the Race in the Workplace Podcast, host Joanna Shoffner Scott shares a discussion with Anthony Armstrong, founder and lead consultant at Make Communities, to explore the intricacies of adaptive versus technical leadership strategies, especially concerning racial equity and its role in practice transformation in nonprofit organizations. The discussion explores the realities of imperfection, the importance of psychological safety for making mistakes, and the need for continuous growth and adaptation in leadership roles. Together, they discuss how leaders can navigate the complex relationship between personal commitment and practical implementation to foster real, equitable change within their organizations.

Here are three summary points for Episode 3 of the Race in the Workplace Podcast:

1. Personal Growth and Navigating Resistance: The episode underscores the importance of self-reflection, vulnerability, and continual learning in leadership. Leaders must navigate identity issues, manage resistance, and set realistic expectations for transformational change. The discussion also touches on the need for a growth mindset and the acceptance of mistakes as part of the journey toward achieving organizational equity goals.
   
   
2. Generational and Equity Challenges for Leaders: The episode explores how nonprofit leaders grapple with managing cross-generational teams, shifting philanthropic commitments, and equity challenges. Both Joanna and Anthony emphasize the importance of creating psychologically safe environments where admitting "I don't know" is normalized, facilitating personal and organizational growth.
   
   
3. The Role of Boards and Leadership Support: This episode unpacks the ways boards play a crucial role in supporting nonprofit leaders. It highlights the necessity for boards to invest in coaching resources, support equity initiatives, and foster environments that allow leaders to admit gaps in knowledge and experience.

Resources

Learn more about the 6P+ Racial Equity Framework

To learn more about my work, visit stameystreet.com

Episode Summary

In this episode of the Race in the Workplace podcast, host Joanna Shoffner Scott discusses a significant change in her professional journey. She has decided to move away from using the term DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) and instead focus on racial equity as a core organizational practice. Joanna believes this shift better aligns with her principles and brings more clarity and effectiveness to her work in organizational development. Whether you are leading a nonprofit or another type of organization, this episode provides thought-provoking insights and actionable takeaways.


Key Takeaways:

1. Unpacking the Decision to Leave DEI Behind: Joanna shares the journey that led her to stop using the term DEI. She explains that while DEI—as a term—is widely recognized, it has become too broad and sometimes misrepresents the depth of cross-cutting approaches to embed racial equity. By making this move, Joanna aims for greater clarity and alignment in her client work.

2. The Connection Between Organizational Development and Racial Equity: If leaders encounter equity challenges within their organizations, there is a good chance there are also equity concerns. Joanna underscores that her focus on systems and structures is critical in creating equitable workplaces. She explains how organizational structures often support inequities and must be tackled at a foundational level for sustainable change.

3. Communicate Commitments with Clarity: Joanna emphasizes the importance of clarity in how leaders describe their equity commitments. For her, moving away from the DEI terminology is not just about language but about clarity of purpose. She reassures the audience that a clear understanding of their language around equity is critical to a consistent commitment to building equitable organizations that align with their mission, vision, and values.

To learn more about my work, visit stameystreet.com

To learn more about my work, visit stameystreet.com

Welcome to the first episode of Season 3 of the "Race in the Workplace" podcast, where host Joanna Shoffner Scott, an experienced organizational development consultant and founder of the Stamey Street Consulting Group, provides fresh insights and practical strategies for creating equitable workplaces. In this new season, Joanna shifts her focus from DEI leaders to broader organizational leadership, emphasizing the importance of committed leadership, clear values, systematic processes, and aligned organizational behaviors in driving meaningful change. Join us as we delve deeper into what it takes to build equity-centered organizations that work for everyone.

Here is a peak into the evolving focus of the podcast:

• The landscape of DEI work has significantly shifted since the podcast's inception in April 2022.
  
  
• While Seasons 1 and 2 were focused on supporting DEI leaders, Season 3 (and beyond) will target organizational leaders in general.
  
  
• The new direction aims to provide a broader context and practical strategies for leaders at all organizational levels to enact lasting change.

To learn more about my work, visit stameystreet.com

Topics discussed in this episode:

1- Where to hear more about the Changing the Conversation series. [0:01:56]

2- My jagged journey background: the reluctant consultant. [0:02:36]

3- Common communication roadblocks in the workplace. [0:04:45]

4- Why the workplace is a microcosm of our society. [0:06:18]

5- Things to establish before going into a conversation in the workplace. [0:08:46]

6- Defining respect and how it can become a communications roadblock. [0:11:50]

7- Confusing intent with impact and how that can influence our conversations. [0:13:06]

8- Why making mistakes is okay, but doing better is best. [0:15:00]

9- The importance of putting time into building a sufficient level of trust. [0:16:10]

10- Hard conversations: why we need them and how to have them more confidently. [0:19:10]

11- One thing you can do to start making progress in your workplace communication. [0:31:16]

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Changing the Conversation Series [0:01:56]
• ‘Why So Many Organizations Stay White’ by Victory Ray [0:06:20]
  

Guest information:

• Sandra Neuman on LinkedIn
• Sandra Neuman on Instagram
  
  Sandra Neuman is a Human Resource professional with over 20 years of progressive human resources and leadership experience in the public and private sectors. She is skilled in generalist human resource functions with an emphasis on compensation, benefits, and payroll.
  

How to support the podcast:

• If you find value in the podcast, rate us on Apple Podcasts (we LOVE 5 stars!) I aim to help as many people as possible who are working hard to advance racial equity inside their organizations.

To learn more about my work, visit stameystreet.com