The Generational View

In this solo episode of The Generational View, we talk about Generationally Defining Moments, and how these Generationally Defining Moments, or GDM’s, impact how we show up in our lives.  In my Inclusive Leadership presentation, I talk about bias-- both conscious and unconscious-- because bias can really get in the way of leading inclusively and creating environments where people feel truly valued, accepted, appreciated and as if they belong. It can be the Achilles Heel of a leader.

What you’ll hear in this episode

• What bias is and where it comes from (00:05:21)
• How generational experiences can impact bias (00:07:46)
• How growing up during the period of the War on Drugs impacted racial bias (00:12:53)
• What you can do today to increase your awareness and combat bias (00:15:33)

Additional Resources

Harvard Implicit Association Test

Just in case you’re new around here, we are currently in Season 1 of The Generational View podcast, specifically focused on exploring the intersection of generations and race/ racial equity. 

You’re listening to the second installation of our Working While Black series where we have a series of conversations with Black professionals from each of the 4 primary generations in the U.S. workforce. 

Our Gen X guests spoke about the need to take calculated risks, being the beneficiaries of great sacrifice and progress, yet understanding they have a responsibility to pioneer change for Millennials, Gen z, Gen Alpha and beyond. 

Our Guests

Rod Garvin is an economic and workforce development strategist with a global professional services firm and an established leader and advisor on equity, diversity, and inclusion. Rod has a Bachelors of Arts in Communication Studies and double Masters in Theological Studies and Human Resources Development. Jada Grandy-Mock is a Senior Vice President and Chief Corporate Community & Economic Development Officer of a bank. Her guidance has empowered others to lead with courage, authenticity, and influence to get results.

What you’ll hear in this episode

In this episode, Rod, Jada and I talk about the generational nuances influencing their experience Working While Black as Gen Xers. We talk about:

• How being the sandwiched generations presents a unique challenge in how they fight racial inequity at work (00:14:58)
• Their response to claims from Millennials and Gen Zers that perhaps they are not bold enough in the fight for racial equity in the workplaces where they’ve now amassed a  degree of influence and power. (00:22:18)
• What they need from Millennials, Gen Z and Baby Boomers to effectively fight for racial equity and inclusion (00:30:48)

In Episode 4, we started a series entitled Working While Black. The aim of this series is to explore the reality many Black professionals face in having to come to work and function amidst all the racial trauma in the news. We continue this series in Episode 7 and 8 with a two-part conversation featuring impactful perspectives from GenXers that truly bridge the generational gap between those that come before and after them.

Our Guests

Rod Garvin is an economic and workforce development strategist with a global professional services firm and an established leader and advisor on equity, diversity, and inclusion. Rod has a Bachelors of Arts in Communication Studies and double Masters in Theological Studies and Human Resources Development. Jada Grandy-Mock is a Senior Vice President and Chief Corporate Community & Economic Development Officer of a bank. Her guidance has empowered others to lead with courage, authenticity, and influence to get results.

What you’ll hear in this episode

• What it is like working while Black (00:01:54)
• What they expect from the companies/ institutions they work for regarding the fight for racial equity and Black lives (00:24:01)
• What they request of their non-Black colleague, friends, and peers regarding the same (00:35:04)
• Responsibility of Black leaders to step up (00:42:30)

Since our goal is to increase empathy and boost cultural awareness, allyship is completely aligned with our vision at The Generational View. 

To develop understanding and awareness that equips us to ally effectively, we have to have these crucial conversations that lead to learning and empathy. 

So I thought I’d share with you some key takeaways from my allyship training. You can also learn more about developing empathy here in my expert interview with Workplace Empathy Consultant Liesel Mindrebo Mertes. 

We offer allyship training to organizations as well.  If your organization could benefit from it, email us at [email protected]. 

What you’ll hear in this episode

• Definition of Allyship (00:03:50)
• Things to consider when asking those in a marginalized community about their experience with racism (00:05:30)
• The realisms of allyship (00:09:26)
• Emotional bank accounts (00:11:30)

Additional Resources

Medium.com

Blavity 

Next Shark

Native America Calling

Given that a huge part of our mission here on The Generational View is to increase empathy across differences, particularly generational differences, I thought it’d be more than fitting to have an expert come on and share with us, what empathy is, why it’s important (particularly in the middle of a public health pandemic and a racial pandemic) and what being empathetic looks like in practice for us all.

Our Guest

Liesel Mindrebo Mertes (Lee-Sil mertes) is an acclaimed speaker, writer, Workplace Empathy Consultant with Handle with Care Consulting, and host of the Handle with Care: Empathy at Work podcast.

What you’ll hear in this episode

• Hijacking narratives and conversations and how to avoid doing that (00:05:00)
• Being empathetic across generations and racial identities (00:18:30)
• Liesel’s work as a Workplace Empathy Consultant (00:55:32)

Additional Resources

Handle with Care Consulting

The first season of The Generational View is all about exploring the intersection of generations and race/ racial equity, and we continue this topic with our second panel style episode -  this extremely important conversation with a group of Black Millennial professionals about Working While Black amidst the racial trauma in the current news. 

We wanted to provide a window into the reality of having to carry the trauma of consistently seeing Black bodies slain on television and the internet.to work everyday, with a few emotionally available Black professionals.

Our guests today

Deitrick Franklin is a Programs Manager of Early Talent Programs with a Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering. Maria Wright is a Senior Consultant with a top consulting firm with a MBA in Marketing from Clark Atlanta University, and a MA in Christian Ministries from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. Kristerpher Smith is Vice President of Middle Market at a bank and Director of Development at The Kappa Alpha Psi Foundation.

In this episode, our guests will tell us:

• What it is like working while Black in a traumatic week in the news (00:02:43)
• What they expect from the companies/ institutions they work for regarding the fight for racial equity and Black lives (00:41:43)
• What they request of their non-Black colleague, friends, and peers regarding the same (00:48:48)
• What they need and desire from older generations of Black professionals (00:55:04)
• Advice they would give other Black Millennials on coping with racial trauma (01:09:40)

We see, empathize with, and support our Asian & Pacific Islander brothers, sisters, and non-binary friends. We each shoulder the responsibility as human beings to collectively stand against hate in any community, just for existing.  

For this reason, we wanted to have a very timely conversation with the Asian American Pacific Islander Community across all generational groups about their feelings, their thoughts, and their experiences concerning the current violence being inflicted upon Asian Americans in the United States.

Our guests today

Claire Tse is a Senior Principal Consultant with Jennifer Brown Consulting, Owner and Founder and Racial Justice, DEI Innovator with Tse Solutions. Bonnie Sussman is a Certified Public Accountant and a Partner at EisnerAmper. Tommey Liang is a Career Services Program Manager at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University with a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership, and Andrew Wang is a writer and journalist living in New York City and a current research analyst to Atlantic writer Vann Newkirk.

In this episode, you’ll hear a Chinese American Boomer, Gen Xer, Millennial and Gen Zer talk about: 

• How they and their families and friends are processing and coping during this time
• Being “othered” and essentially after thought
• The cultural norms passed down from generation to generation
• They advice for API Gen Z and Millennials on navigating important conversations with their elders about the need to vocalize and 'stand up'
• Share some advice on what allying and advocating for the API community could look like right now

Additional Resources Mentioned:

Hollaback! Together We Have the Power to End Harassment (ihollaback.org)

#HATEISAVIRUS

Given that this podcast is all about generational diversity, it’s important to take a little time to lay a foundation of understanding on what generations actually are and how they come to be. We all know and understand generational differences exist but perhaps we are unsure as to why. 

Instead of just talking to you about these things, a recent virtual presentation with a dear client of ours came to mind to share with you.  The presentation was titled Generations and Racial Equity: Where and Why Generations and Racial Equity Intersect to Move Us Forward. 

You will hear what generations are and how they ‘come to be’ and why generational differences are absolutely real.  

The purpose of The Generational View is to provide a space where you can have access to different generational perspectives if you don’t already have them in your own life. And if you do, The Generational View is a starting point for beginning these types of discussions with the people in your life.  

Your host, Raven Solomon, is an international Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion keynote speaker, author, researcher and strategist whose mission is to help organizations prepare for the diversity of their future workplace and marketplace through keynote presentations and workshops at every level of the organization and strategic advisory at the highest level. 

What Can You Expect

In terms of format:

• Panel discussion of folks either of the same generation OR different generations 
• One-on-one interviews with experts pertaining to topics that are relevant to the work I’m dedicated to doing in the DE&I space
• Solo episodes from yours truly

In terms of content, you can expect: 

• Real conversation with real people about real matters that are impacting us all
• Matters that impact society, culture the workplace
• Not boring
• Diversity

The cool thing about this podcast is there is a space for anyone. You don’t have to be an expert, you don’t have to be a celebrity, you simply have to be a part of a generation, as we all are, and you have to have a view.