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To achieve a positive outcome, organisations must take a considered, structured and compassionate approach, as outlined below, which lays out the key considerations and options to explore when approaching how to have conversations about race in the workplace.
Nov 29, 2020 · 1. Build Relationships. When talking about race, those involved will bring their fears, negative past experiences, and resistance. This first step is essential, yet can be the most...
- Overview
- On this page
- Catalyst for change
- Purpose of guide
- Understanding the terminology
- Preparing for a conversation
- Starting a conversation
- BRAVE framework
- Closing a conversation
- Footnotes
Racism and discrimination still manifests in our workplaces through bias, privilege, policies and power dynamics. The Defence Team must put compassionate effort into practice to actively become an anti-racist organization. We all have to do the work in shifting mindsets and promoting an inclusive workplace and acknowledge that together, we're different.
Use this guide to hold conversations on racism and discrimination that are considerate of all participants, whether or not they belong to a racialized group. It can be consulted to prepare for an initial conversation or ongoing conversations. Committing to a series of conversations from the outset will allow for the time and space to develop a meaningful understanding of issues and concerns.
Download or print a PDF of the tip sheet:
Guide to Courageous Conversations on Racism and Discrimination. [PDF - 446 KB]
In January 2021, the Clerk of the Privy Council Office issued a Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity, and Inclusion which made clear to all federal government departments and agencies that anti-racism is now a public service priority. The time to act to advance anti-racism, equity and inclusion in our organization is now.
So, now what? We need to talk, but not just talk. The time is now for us to have the difficult conversations, talk about the issues, listen to those with lived experiences about what is working and what has not worked. We are in a critical time and this is a business imperative to ensure continued success of our people and our organization.
This resource is meant to increase self-awareness and situational awareness in order to raise and address difficult/uncomfortable issues, and can be used to:
•become more aware of the diversity around you
•create a positive and respectful work environment
•examine your beliefs and experiences related to systemic racism and racial discrimination
This guide offers the Defence Team opportunities to take small steps in creating open dialogue and turning them into meaningful action.
•Listen: hold spaces for colleagues to share their experiences
Even the most frequently used words in any discussion on race can easily cause confusion, which can lead to controversy and hostility. It is essential to achieve some degree of shared understanding, particularly when using the most common terms. In this way, the quality of dialogue on race can be enhanced.
Below is a list of some commonly used terms to get started with.
Before you begin, consider the following factors before embarking on initial discussions or conversations.
•What is my level of readiness to hold space for this type of discussion?
•Have I taken the time to assess my own biases, prejudices and privilege?
•Have I taken the mandatory training and other training available?
•Am I aware of the past and present history of racism and racial discrimination in the organization? In this country?
•What is the goal of this conversation?
Engaging in dialogue is the first step to understanding one another. The goal of these conversations is to raise awareness and consciousness with hopes that a deeper understanding and empathy will lead to a commitment to shift mindsets and behaviours.
Steps to consider when engaging in discussion on racism and discrimination:
•Be clear and open about the purpose of the conversation before inviting people and during the conversation
•Set ground rules for respectful conversation
•Active listening is a must
•Remain open, with curiosity modeled by responding with questions before responding with your own interpretation or explanation of impact in regards to someone else’s comments
Creating change through meaningful conversations and choosing to be honest, open and transparent can provide a path forward to building trust and understanding. To help facilitate workplace conversations, this guide will discuss the BRAVE Framework developed by Dr. Enrica N. Rugg and Dr. Derek Avery as an approach to framing conversations about racism and racial discrimination.
BRAVE is an acronym for Build, Respect, Acknowledge, Validate and Emphasize. The BRAVE Framework is a useful tool that guides methods, processes and strategies when having courageous conversations with management and employees at all levels of an organization.
Before you open the conversation, establish why these types of conversations are in everybody's best interest and the importance of assessing/acknowledging where things stand within the workplace.
For example, you could say, "I didn't realize how much I didn't know about race" or "I would like to engage you in a conversation about race in a real and honest way." These kinds of opening statements can set the stage for the kind of dialogue you want to have with your team.Footnote 3
As you reach a point where you feel it is time to close the conversationFootnote 6, consider doing any of the following:
•Extend gratitude to everyone for their courage and willingness to participate
•As the host, share how the experience impacted you and offer space for others to as well. It can be as simple as sharing one word to summarize their feelings about the experience
•Encourage group members to follow up with training and potential mental health resources for self-care
•Some people on the team may be interested in continuing the dialogue one on one outside the scheduled/facilitated discussion: be sure to emphasize, prior to the close of the meeting, that there is a time and place for these conversations and unplanned discussions may not be welcome by team members. It is necessary to ask permission before engaging in these conversations in order to give people an option; this gives everyone, but specifically racialized team members, time to mentally and emotionally prepare as the discussion can be traumatic
•Ask people to share what they learned about themselves or what is their one takeaway from the conversation
Footnote 1
https://www.utoledo.edu/education/programs/documents/social-philosophical-foundations-education/2020-8-10-Baker-Critical-self-reflection.pdf.
Return to footnote 1 referrer
Footnote 2
https://caringacross.org/blog/talking-about-race
Return to footnote 2 referrer
This toolkit is a product of CCDI’s 2018 Spring Community of Practice events, titled ‘Navigating race in the Canadian workplace’. Community of Practice events are two-hour roundtable learning events hosted in 18 cities across Canada, open to anyone.
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Dec 16, 2020 · Make these three social agreements: Listen to be changed, call in don’t call out, and question your first assumptions.
- Meredith Somers
Jun 15, 2020 · Creating practical tools and skill-based frameworks is important for helping employees feel that including race in conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion is do-able.
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May 26, 2021 · Measure equity and inclusion in your workplace. For more information or help on your DEIB journey, contact us about how to measure and improve racial equity and inclusion in your workplace with our survey and analysis tool, Emprising™.
