What's The Difference?

Sara Taylor earned a master's degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.

Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, "Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World," that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.

What you'll learn about in this episode:

• How the insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 highlights deep racial inequities, especially when compared to the Black Lives Matter protests
• How the national outcry over the nonviolent protest of NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick and other players further illustrates racial inequity compared to the storming of the Capitol
• How the treatment of the rioters at the Capitol demonstrates how the almost exclusively white crowd were treated very differently from protestors of color
• How the "blue lives matter" slogan was never really about law and order and was instead designed to depower the slogan "Black Lives Matter"
• Why most of the rioters who were arrested were middle or upper-middle class and weren't acting out of economic anxiety but out of fear of losing their privileged status
• Why race and economic caste are inherently connected in the United States, and how caste plays a major role in racial inequity
• How many people who looked like the 9/11 terrorists experienced attacks based on appearance, and how the same hasn't been true for people who look like the insurrectionists
• Why white people are typically viewed as individuals, and why people of color are often viewed as part of a group
• How to begin conversations in the workplace to begin addressing fear and moving out of polarization

Additional resources:

• Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson: https://amzn.to/35QPnsf
• Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com
• Twitter: @deepseesara

Sara Taylor earned a master's degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.

Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, "Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World," that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.

What you'll learn about in this episode:

• Why we often feel discomfort discussing differences that make a difference, and why opening dialog is necessary even if it is uncomfortable
• How our subconscious minds take in 11 million pieces of information per second, but our conscious minds are only aware of 40 at most
• What "stereotype threat" is and how it causes us to second-guess our subconscious thoughts, and how it impacts our behaviors
• How our worries caused by stereotype threat cause us to act differently when navigating challenging situations
• How our concern about inadvertently stereotyping others can affect our interactions across differences
• How "racial anxiety" is a specific type of stereotype threat that happens when interacting across racial differences
• Sara provides examples of stereotype threat and racial anxiety from her own professional experiences
• What strategies we can employ to reduce racial anxiety, and why it is important to recognize and acknowledge it when it is happening
• Why more frequent exposure to people who are different from us can help alleviate stereotype threat and racial anxiety
• Why developing cultural competence can help improve our ability to interact with difference and reduce polarization

Additional resources:

• Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com
• Twitter: @deepseesara

Kjirsten Mickesh is Co-Founder and CEO of ConnectHuman. She has been a student of human and organizational behavior for over two decades, having led all aspects of Human Resources at global companies in multiple industries. Kjirsten is an ICF certified coach with specialized training in social and emotional intelligence.

Kjirsten is known for her courageous leadership and ability to address complex opportunities with focus and alignment to achieve differential results. Her approach to building relationships allows her to create boundaryless partnerships and collaboration.

In Kjirsten's own words:

"I have experienced a life-long journey with anxiety AND have also experienced great success in life and work. But I traveled most of my journey alone because I was ashamed and afraid. It makes me sad to think about how alone and scared I often felt, and that I never asked the people in my life who loved me and were there to support me for help. But I can't go back. So, as I look back, I choose to focus on the gifts I discovered in my fear and all that I have learned along the way. So many people suffer alone, and they don't have to. Now I hope my story can inspire others to ask for the support they need or be the person others can come to for support."

What you'll learn about in this episode:

• How Kjirsten has found a balance between her lifelong experiences of anxiety with her successful career
• How a fear of being seen as weak led Kjirsten to hiding her anxiety, from others and from herself
• How Kjirsten's fear and anxiety impacted Kjirsten's behaviors in her workplace, and how she realized her anxiety was affecting her work
• How giving herself permission to feel and to cry helped Kjirsten manage her feelings in a healthier way
• How the global pandemic, the election, the murder of George Floyd, and other societal issues have amplified our anxiety and depression
• Why the pandemic and social distancing is forcing many mental health facilities to close, causing even more strain on our support systems
• What steps we can take to improve our mental health fitness each day, and why self-awareness is key
• Why our feelings often come in layers, for example feeling anxiety on the surface but with a layer of fear underneath the anxiety
• Why being aware of mental health issues and creating a workplace space for employees to feel safe in expressing what they are feeling is critically important
• How to encourage team members to share their feelings, and how to be receptive and responsive to those feelings

Additional resources:

• Website: https://connecthuman.net/
• Website: https://connectionzoo.com/
• Blog: https://connecthuman.net/blog/
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kjirstenmickesh/
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/connecthuman/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kjir @Kjir

In this unique episode of What's The Difference, you'll hear audio from Sara Taylor's recent guest appearance on the Undeclared podcast. Undeclared is a higher education marketing podcast hosted by Allison Lanier and Scott Fogleman from Up&Up, a branding and marketing agency focused exclusively on the unique challenges and needs of colleges and universities.

Scott and Allison speak with Sara about the importance of diverse, equitable and inclusive marketing in the higher education space, and how it plays a key role in creating a welcoming and safe environment for students of all backgrounds.

Allison Lanier's Bio: As a Business Development Manager for Up&Up, Allison Lanier brings her experience in sales leadership and execution from past employers such as Verizon Wireless and PepsiCo. At Up&Up, she uses her passion for people to create a positive, effective, and rewarding campaign experience for the West Sales Region.

Allison is our resident mud lover and spends most of her free time at obstacle course races with her husband, David. They also enjoy various outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, geocaching, and Pokemon hunting.

Scott Fogleman's Bio: Scott Fogleman is The Director of Business Development for Up&Up and he brings together his passions for the creative world and the impact education has on students.

After graduating from Clemson University, he began his career in advertising sales at The Wall Street Journal, followed most recently by a successful sales career with SYNNEX Corporation managing the Google Brand inclusive of Chrome Education.

Scott's passion for higher education began during his time with Clemson's Undergraduate Student Government and as a member of the President's Cabinet. At Up&Up, he leads the East Sales Region with a mission to impact change by bringing strong, positive, executable campaigns to his clients and their constituents.

Outside of work, Scott takes full advantage of the wonders of the outdoors ranging from hiking, water sports, snow skiing, photography, concerts, as well as lawn care (yes, he actually loves to cut grass)! Scott also enjoys spending time with his wife, Kate, their cat George, and friends and family.

Sara Taylor's Bio: Sara Taylor earned a master's degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.

Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, "Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World," that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.

What you'll learn about in this episode:

• Why Sara and her team at deepSEE Consulting define diversity as "differences that make a difference"
• What unconscious bias is and how, of the millions of pieces of information we take in every second, we are only conscious of around 40 of them
• Why bias isn't just about negative feelings toward marginalized groups but also includes positive feelings toward dominant groups
• What the five stages of cultural competence are and how each stage affects our ability to navigate difference
• How Sara helps people overcome feelings of self-consciousness over their unconscious biases and move forward
• How diversity can be included in marketing in an authentic and effective way, and what organizations should avoid doing
• Why diversity alone isn't enough to improve productivity, and why a team's cultural competence makes a big difference
• Why developing cultural competence is a process that starts with your own subconscious bias first
• How to best deal with situations in which people push back against diversity and inclusion work, and why commonality is the key
• Why equality isn't the same as equity, and how doing the work can impact all aspects of an organization

Resources:

• Website: www.theundeclaredpodcast.com
• Website: www.upandup.agency
• Email: [email protected]
• Scott Fogleman's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/foglemanscott
• Allison Lanier's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/allison-lanier
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/upandupagency
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/upandupagency @upandupagency

Additional resources:

• Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com
• Twitter: @deepseesara

Sara Taylor earned a master's degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.

Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, "Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World," that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.

• How the individual traumas we experience differ from our collective, societal traumas such as the murder of George Floyd
• How the murders of unarmed Black men by police officers have continued unabated, even since George Floyd's murder
• Why the staggering number of reported murders of unarmed Black men only speaks to part of the story and represents only part of the true tragedy
• Why the desensitization of these tragic experiences causes us as a society to keep going under the status quo
• Why organizations need to create resources to support people directly or indirectly affected by these societal traumas
• Why it is important for diversity, equity and inclusion practitioners to take the time for self-care
• Why Sara considers conducting focus groups to be the most draining and difficult part of her work in the DEI space
• Why the number one challenge that marginalized people in organizations face is feeling the need to operate at 150% just to be perceived as working at 80%
• How diversity, equity and inclusion practitioners are positioned to stop the downward spiral in organizations, but only if they take care of themselves

• Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com
• Twitter: @deepseesara

Sara Taylor earned a master's degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.

Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, "Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World," that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.

• Why equality and equity are very different concepts, and why working toward equality rarely creates equal results
• Why equality doesn't take into account of individual bias, structural bias, systemic bias, and lack of cultural competence
• How individual bias can begin to create patterns that impact different social groups in profound ways
• How the two types of individual bias (stereotypical and preferential) are magnified when we come together in groups
• How Sara believes structural bias and systemic bias differ, and how both are challenging to recognize
• How systemic bias is impacting the world of education, and how the global pandemic is amplifying this bias and its impact on students and teachers
• How systemic bias touches almost every aspect of our lives and our society, from economics to healthcare to criminal justice
• How the five stages of cultural competence interact with the dynamic of equality versus equity
• Why we only focus on equality within the first three stages of cultural competence, and why it is only in the last two stages that we can shift our focus to equity
• Why we must begin recognizing and addressing disparities now, and how deepSEE Consulting's Equity Framework can help

• Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com
• Twitter: @deepseesara

Kristen Anderson is currently the Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer for Barilla and has been a member of the D&I Board since its formation in 2013. Kristen reports to the CEO of Barilla and leads a 12-member D&I Board, comprised of internal members from eight key countries and two external advisors. Previously, Kristen was VP of R&D for the Asia, Africa and Australia region for Barilla, based in Singapore. She joined Barilla in 2010 as VP of Research, and she is now based at the Barilla Headquarters in Parma, Italy.

• How Kristen made the transition from working in research and development at Barilla to her role as Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer
• Why a strong commitment and engagement from leadership at Barilla is instrumental to the work Kristen does, and how D&I work at the global scale differs
• How the individual circumstances of countries around the world drive the need to focus on different initiatives at the local level
• What significant achievements, milestones and progress Kristen and her team have made, including how they were able to achieve gender pay equality
• Why Kristen and her team have found strong backing data, a clearly defined process and intentionality crucial for their effort to close the gender pay gap
• How Barilla partnered with Microsoft to develop an app to help team members manage their time working physically in the office and use of common spaces
• How Italy-based Barilla has seen an influx of refugees and has created a refugee program to help refugees enter, integrate and train for new careers
• How Barilla has worked closely with Italian government agencies and local organizations to help place refugees in jobs with the company
• What important lessons Kristen has learned in her work in the diversity, equity and inclusion space, and what advice she has to share with other practitioners

• Website: www.barillagroup.com/en/diversity-inclusion
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kristen-anderson-aaa44a8/
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/barilla_group/
• Twitter: @barillagroup

Dwight Hamilton, J.D. is the Director of the Office of Equity and Access for the Adtalem Global Education Group. Prior to coming to Adtalem, Mr. Hamilton worked at Northwestern University as its Associate Vice President for Equity and Smith College as its Vice President for Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity and was its first Chief Diversity Officer. After practicing law for fifteen years, Mr. Hamilton transitioned into higher education by working at Grand Valley State University as its Associate Vice President for Affirmative Action and Title IX Coordinator.

• How Dwight's background in legal practice transitioned into his career in diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education
• How the Adtalem Global Education Group runs a number of educational institutions in the US and throughout the world
• What impact Dwight recognizes from the global pandemic on diversity, equity and inclusion in the online education space
• Why there are differences between diversity, equity and inclusion work within higher education versus in other settings, and how those differences impact the work itself
• Why faculty play such a crucial role in creating an inclusive learning environment, and why there is an important power dynamic between tenured and non-tenured faculty
• What Dwight believes the diversity, equity and inclusion field can do better, both within and outside higher education
• Why a double standard exists where people sometimes look down on students getting in through Affirmative Action initiatives but not through being legacy students
• Why "food, flags and festivals" are great for engagement but aren't sufficient for creating meaningful change within an organization
• Why greater diversity at higher education institutions benefits all students, and why the Supreme Court agrees that it is a compelling governmental interest
• What advice Dwight would share with people who are just beginning to enter diversity, equity and inclusion work

• Website: www.adtalem.com
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/dwight-hamilton-9571623/
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/adtalemglobaleducation/
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/AdtalemGlobalEducation
• Twitter: @adtalemglobal

Sara Taylor earned a master's degree in Diversity and Organizational Development from the University of Minnesota. She served as a leadership and diversity specialist at the University of Minnesota for five years and as director of diversity and inclusion for Ramsey County, Minnesota for three years.

Sara is the founder and president of deepSEE Consulting and has worked with companies as large as Coca-Cola, General Mills, 3M Company, AARP, and numerous others. She has a new book, "Filter Shift: How Effective People See the World," that explores how our unconscious is actually making choices and decisions for us, all without our knowing — and how to change that.

• How the office of the President of the United States has issued an executive order banning diversity and inclusion training for all federal agencies and employees
• How the census is predicting that the US will be a majority-minority country by the year 2044, and why diversity and inclusion training is more important than ever
• How research shows that homogenous teams have mediocre performance, while diverse teams represent the lowest and highest performing teams
• How cultural competence determines whether diverse teams are in the lowest or highest performing brackets, and why diversity and inclusion training is critical
• Why polarization, the second stage of cultural competence, is based on fear and on a win/lose mentality
• How a pair of segments on FOX News featuring Chrisotopher Rufo and his so-called "critical race theory research" led to this executive order from the President's office
• How Christopher Rufo stoked race-based fear and polarization with his segments, and why turning to solid research is vitally important to make fact-based policy decisions
• How the research that Christopher Rufo cited is based on misconstrued information, and how the claims he made come from a place of polarization
• Why the claims Rufo makes about diversity and inclusion training being unAmerican aren't backed by facts or reality
• Why viewing the world through a lens of polarization is a choice we make, and why moving beyond the polarization stage is also a choice we can make

• Website: www.deepseeconsulting.com
• Twitter: @deepseesara

Andie Kramer is a partner at an international law firm. Alongside her demanding legal career, she has become a nationally known advocate for women's advancement. Because mentorship opportunities for young executive and professional women are often limited, she co-founded the Women's Leadership and Mentoring Alliance (WLMA) and has developed numerous women-specific leadership training programs.

Andie is the recipient of a long list of accolades and awards for both achievements in her legal career and her advocacy of women. Among her accolades is being named on National Law Review's 50 most influential women lawyers in America for her "demonstrated power to change the legal landscape, shape public affairs, launch industries, and do big things."

• Why the impact of the global pandemic has been different on women than they have been on men, and why women are shouldering a disproportionate amount of the burden
• How working mothers with school age or younger children are struggling with a lack of support during social distancing from both their workplaces and their partners at home
• Why women are paying a higher emotional tax during the pandemic due to increased bias and expectations on women
• Why men need to accept increased personal accountability to pick up some of the slack, and why the bias that women should be doing the heavy lifting is magnifying the disparity
• How the intersectionality of gender bias and racism is creating even greater challenges for women of color
• Why white people need to make the effort to understand how much more difficult things are in the workplace and in our culture for people of color
• How the present environment is creating a crucial turning point and the dual crises of the pandemic and the murder of George Floyd are magnifying the strain
• What steps organizations can take and strategies they can use to help overcome gender and intersectionality bias
• How forcing people to think more slowly as opposed to making knee-jerk reactions can help eliminate bias

• Breaking Through Bias 2nd Edition by Andie Kramer and Alton Harris: https://amzn.to/3b7vui5
• It's Not You, It's the Workplace by Andie Kramer and Alton Harris: https://amzn.to/2QUeAtD
• Website: www.andieandal.com
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/andiekramer/
• Twitter: @AndieandAl