Reflections on the Road to Respect

It is five years since this post came out in February 2010 and in that time, the “speak up” piece of the Respect Business continued to expand and grow. It became the most popular and requested of my presentations. In 2012 we released the Road to Respect Speak Up eGuide with tips and tools to empower you to speak up respectfully.The ability to speak up respectfully, the willingness to step into our power, to be our own advocate is the ultimate answer to ending workplace disrespect. A simple solution. Alas, as I have learned over the past 15 years, also something the majority of us are often unwilling to risk doing. Fear of confrontation is mighty powerful.

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This post first appeared in Nov 2011. The message is even more relevant today as the explosion of social media platforms, texting and selfies continues to push the boundaries and re-establish “socially acceptable behaviour.”In my experience, the bar is getting lower, not higher, making the requirement for a proactive conversation about what constitutes “respectful, professional behaviour” in your workplace more critical than ever.

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Given that Ms. Clinton announced on April 12th that she will be seeking the Democratic nomination for President of the United States, I thought it would be fitting to share this post from 2013.In June I had the opportunity to present at the annual SHRM Conference in Chicago. One of the highlights Iof that experience was being in the audience for the opening keynote delivered by former US Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton.If you’re a regular reader/listener, you will know that the topic of Women, Position & Power is one that I have been increasingly focused on over the last couple of years. I’ve been sharing interviews I have been conducting with local women in the C-suite. Our October post will feature Sue Paisch, former managing partner of Fasken DuMoullin, now CEO of Lifelabs.Forbes magazine recently ranked Ms. Clinton 5th on their 100 most powerful women list. The magazine selects women who “go beyond the traditional taxonomy of the power elite (political and economic might). These change-agents are actually shifting our very idea of clout and authority and, in the process, transforming the world in fresh and exhilarating ways.”

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March 8 was International Women’s Day, first celebrated in 1911. It seems only fitting, then, that this month’s "Best of "article features the first interview for Are We There Yet? Women, Position & Power done in February 2012. The introduction to the interview highlighted the sad reality that the answer to the question Are We There Yet? was a resounding NO in 2012. I wish I could say something has shifted in the last 3 years, but the fact is that it hasn’t. Unless something radical happens, my 18 year old daughter will not enjoy pay equity, or equality of opportunity in her lifetime, nor will any daughters she may have. The International Women’s Day theme this year is Make it Happen. The good news in this story is that since I started this series, this conversation has gained a lot of momentum. Let’s keep the momentum going, and use our collective energy, power and will to Make Equality Happen for women and girls in our world community in our lifetime.

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This is the full interview with Anne Kinvig

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I was prompted to write this article in June 2007 when Jim Chu became the first non-white chief of police to be hired in Canada. In January 2015 Chief Chu announced he will be retiring in the spring, after 36 years as a member of the Vancouver Police Force. Oh, and if you’re curious as to who are the front runners for his position, they are 3 white guys. Plus ca change…

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In July 2007, my 11 year old daughter Abee and I went to San Diego where I attended a National Speakers Association event while my daughter took part in a Youth Leadership Conference. At the end of each day, my daughter was bubbling over with news about the exciting speakers she had heard.One of these presenters, Canadian motivational speaker Alvin Law, had made a huge impression on Abee. Born without arms in the early 1960’s, Alvin was one of the unfortunate group of “Thalidomide” babies. Doctors advised his birth parents that Alvin, being so severely deformed, was doomed to a life of hardship and limitation. Alvin was given up for adoption. Happily for him, his first foster family took a different perspective on Alvin’s potential. They chose to focus on the “ability” in disability - long before that concept became mainstream. Alvin’s foster parents encouraged him to use his feet as hands. That first night, my daughter couldn’t wait to recount all the amazing things Alvin can do that we can’t.

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One of the most gratifying things for me, and the main reason I continue to write these monthly articles, is that I always receive comments from you, my readers and listeners. A Christmukah Story, first posted in December 2007, generated a flood of feedback. We reposted it in 2009 and 2012 and again got loads of comments. The article has also been picked up and reprinted in numerous online publications. It remains my most popular post to date.As you many of you are new subscribers to Reflections on the Road to Respect, I have decided to share this article again this year. I am so grateful to each and every one of you that has chosen to become a member of the Road to Respect community. It has been my joy to get to know you, to work with you, and to serve you. You inspire me to continue working to ignite the respect conversation.Wishing you and those you cherish, respect, love, good health andpeace for the holiday season and the New Year.

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Yesterday I spent a good deal of my day struggling with an article for this edition of Reflections on the Road to Respect. I had what I thought was a good idea. However, as sometimes happens, the more I wrote, the less I progressed. By about 4 pm I was feeling quite frustrated and discouraged. The fact that I burned the roof of my mouth a few days ago and have not been able to eat, something I normally quite enjoy doing, did not help my mood any.

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Let’s Talk About Sex – Popular Fashion and Respectful Workplace CultureI am not a prude. Those that know me would laugh at the suggestion. However, lately I find myself on the far right when it comes to the topic of appropriate attire in the workplace. I am, in fact, now advising all of my clients to adopt and enforce a Dress Code.How come? Well, quite honestly, I often find myself in a difficult position these days. More than once, I have arrived at the corporate offices of a client with whom I am working to promote respectful workplace culture (the cornerstone of which is a workplace free from discrimination and harassment), and the first thing I see is … cleavage.

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