BEHAVE

"Folks might be talking as though there has been no history before this moment. And so we say, you're really late to the party, but super glad that you're here."

On this first ever live recording of BEHAVE, Trina & Alfonso welcome their first ever guest, Beth Zemsky. Trina, Alfonso, & Beth talk about how workplaces support movement work, how movements are made, & why talking about identity & values is always necessary.

Trina shares a three question framework Team Dynamics often asks of clients; What do you want to do more of? What do you want to do less of? What do you want to do differently?

This episode of BEHAVE was part of Pollen Live and was recorded at Mia in Minneapolis on February 11, 2020

"What about working on this team is comfortable for you & could you imagine that comfort looks different for other people."

Trina & Alfonso uncover some of the ways barriers & resistance show up when workplaces are in the process of capacity building & equitable transformation. They talk about where that resistance might come from, how to right size it, & what to do.

Alfonso shares strategies for determining the difference between loud voices & essential authorizers. & Trina talks about what's behind the fear & anger that sometimes comes out.

"We cannot read one another's mind. It's impossible."

Alfonso & Trina talk about why boundaries can feel so hard and they share reasons becoming more practiced at creating, noticing, naming, and navigating boundaries is vital to a healthy workplace. Trina and Alfonso also each share some of their own boundaries along with the whys and hows of getting to those boundaries.

They end the episode with steps for starting your own work on setting and talking about boundaries

"It's only weird or hard because we haven't done it."

Trina & Alfonso dig into their experiences of thinking & teaching a lot about gender while both being cis-gendered people running a company. They break down some basic concepts & terminology around gender identity & spend time reflecting on roles, restrooms, & recruitment.

"All of our work is goal directed or else we're just wandering."

Alfonso & Trina unpack the thing Team Dynamics asks our clients about the most, goals! They talk about the importance & process of setting equity, inclusion, & diversity goals at an organization. Alfonso talks about why goal setting can feel overwhelming & how that can be worked through. And the end by sharing some of their own goals & how they approach them.

"No amount of information or data about or proximity to a demographic group or an issue can change the way you think or behave related to that group or issue until..."

Trina asks Alfonso to explain what Team Dynamics means when we say we use a "developmental approach" to trainings and why we train topics in the sequence in which we do. Alfonso breaks down the IDI developmental continuum that informs the work. They also talk about the power and deep importance of always starting with self-awareness work before doing anything else.

"We've never had to be responsible for just having this much access to information."

Trina & Alfonso dig into how they behave online as managers as business owners, they talk about how much internet snooping is happening & how it impacts hiring & management, & they share some applicable suggestions. Also, Trina shares why she doesn't share everything online & Alfonso talks about how he learned to accept nearly any request to connect online.

"I have never once & I never will put on a job application a question about former felony convictions. It doesn't make anybody any safer."

Trina & Alfonso walk through statistics, real life impacts, & lived experiences connected to how employers are currently interacting with folks who have been touched by the criminal justice system. They break down the difference between thinking that there are criminals or there are felonies & thinking that there are people who have former felony convictions. This episode is really about addressing how often organizations & individuals are deciding that a specific behavior or action means something about a whole person.

"I think what's most important for me is that we told the truth."

Alfonso and Trina share the Team Dynamics approach to being in a room of people talking about race and gender in America while at work and trying to determine if the training is a success. They break down the company's framework for excellence. And Trina and Alfonso talk about undoing the lies and half-truths folks are taught throughout our lives.

"We're adults, we are capable of handling fuller truths."

Alfonso and Trina really dig into and look at how days-off and default holidays are handled in the workplace. They share important questions managers and leaders should be asking themselves about the goals and purpose of shared time off separate time off. Trina gives some specific tips on how organizations and individuals can think differently about Jewish High Holy days and the messages sent by how they are treated by employers.