Resources

Building Inclusivity

Over October 4 – 6, 2022 there will be a conference that “empowers association leaders to face today’s most critical issues.” I will not be attending.  And the reason why frustrates me just as much as missing the event.

When I learned the event was being held over Yom Kippur, my excitement about their commitment “to hosting a diverse slate of forward-thinking association executives and speakers” was stifled by an unspoken, glaring caveat. “Not including any Jewish person.”

In the Jewish faith, Yom Kippur is arguably one of the holiest and most observed holidays of the Jewish calendar. Anyone who has some level of observance will not be able to attend this conference in deference to their religion. For a corollary, what if the date was on Eid-al-Fitr? Ashura? Diwali? Easter? Christmas? (the list goes on).

As an association professional, the critical nature of professional development and a robust network of peers is clear. As we emerge from years of isolation, there is a palpable need and desire to come together to learn, reconnect, and strengthen ourselves and our community. Over the past few years, we have seen the priorities of diversity, equity, inclusivity, and access rise to the surface as organizations state vocal and public commitments to these principles. Many organizations who have made these statements are now at a crossroads of what it means to go beyond a public commitment, to action.

Unfortunately, this situation is a glaring and unfortunately, common, example of the statements of an organization not lining up with their actions.

When alerted about this conflict, the organizer shared a message with their community that acknowledged the conflict with two points:

  • An oversight as event planners
  • A busy event industry calendar that is packed from postponed conferences

This was accompanied by an offer for those unable to physically attend to register for the virtual alternate meeting. What was missing was an apology, a pledge for the future, and there was a missed opportunity for greater community learning.

In truth, prior to 2020, similar occurrences took place regularly and notes sent to the organizing association were usually met with apology and, occasionally, a change in date. Yet, in this moment where our organizations have endeavored to learn and grow since the events of the early 2020’s and many have put out statements professing their attention to diversity and inclusion, the oversight doesn’t feel the same. A colleague of mine this morning said it well:

Intention doesn’t absolve people of the impact of their actions.

Diversity and inclusivity have many definitions. Successful consideration of them does not happen by accident. If your association is planning or hosting a meeting in the near, or far, future. Please take a moment to look at a calendar containing observances and non-Christian holidays before selecting your dates. If you would like to go a step further, you can even surface those dates to educate your membership as FSAE has done. If you do find your organization has scheduled on top of an observance, don’t wait for a member or excluded participant to reach out. Instead:

  • Acknowledge and Apologize – and make a commitment to the future
  • Accommodate – if there are special needs for the holiday, provide options for the meal, space, etc. needed to observe the holiday while at the event
  • Alternative – identify if there are ways for those who cannot attend due to holiday observations to participate in a different way
    • Consider providing complimentary or dramatically reduced access to recordings
    • Allow speakers to submit a prerecorded session or webinar on a different date
    • Move the sessions of affected individuals to different times/dates

I hope we can all learn together on this journey of growth and awareness and all find meaningful opportunities to do better, to be better. We all have so much to offer one another, how are you designing your events to be open to all?

Rise of the Compensating Introvert

This day has long been coming.

For years, we have structured our meetings, our organizations, and even how we work as staff to lean in on extrovert-friendly approaches. Board meetings arranged in large, hollow u-shaped seating designs instead of smaller group tables. Seeking senior staff leaders who are adept at schmoozing with many staff and monitoring the cultural health and stability of the team. Having networking events where meaningful relationships and connections should be made – the heart of the value of many associations – where, when you walk into the room, it feels like a huge crowd with everyone talking to someone. Putting the burden on the attendee to find a stranger to introduce themselves to.

And introverts? To succeed they have navigated the waters as compensating extroverts. Utilizing the tendencies and approaches that best fit the extrovert-friendly situation. This can be a huge draw of energy – exhausting them after acting as an extrovert for any extended period of time. How many times have you mentioned to a peer that they seem extroverted and they respond that they are actually an introvert but know how to act. That moment is exactly the world we have created.

Welcome to a new world.

As we now work and live in a time of isolation, I have had conversation after conversation with introverts who express an easier (not easy, but easier) time adjusting to this norm. They can focus on what needs to be accomplished, without the energy distraction of multitudes of others.

And extroverts? They are quickly being forced to learn how to be compensating introverts. How can they keep their energy up, without the community of peers and people that typically surround their days? In order to succeed in this environment, this new chapter requires skill sets and practices on both fronts – enabling people to thrive in isolation.

Yet – before we think our introvert friends have it made – I would bring you back to how you feel around 4pm each day after being on video for 8 hours of Zoom meetings and responding to endless messages on Slack. It is still exhausting to be front and center – your face full-on in the lens for hours on end.

Knowing we each are learning how to not just survive but thrive in this moment, here are some cultural thoughts to care for all the i/e-verts in our midst.

  • Give moments of personalization as options, not as requirements. I have seen some really innovative ideas for sharing more about who you are during this time. Organizations asking those on a Zoom call to tell the story of one thing in their background. Others have instituted a “Cribs” association edition – where a different staff member gives a house tour on video each meeting. Still others are having “fun hat days” at staff meetings. Provide these as options and allow people to indicate before if they would like to participate since live peer pressure to share is not always welcome.
  • Make turning off video on occasion “ok.” Appearing on video for hours at a time can be exhausting. Consider making video optional on internal business meetings after 3:30 or 4:00. This makes it acceptable for those who have spent hours on video to still participate, but be able to do so without being visually ‘on.’
  •  Host a Virtual Happy Hour. In an effort to create social connection in a time of social distancing, many companies and organization have started virtual staff happy hours – a chance to just see each other without a work agenda. Creating space for connection and support is always positive. If these are regular (as in bi-weekly) and ongoing, make participation optional, encourage multitasking (making dinner, folding laundry, etc.) or let people know perfect attendance isn’t required. Thus taking away the stigma of having to be at all of them.

This moment doesn’t feel momentary – for many the radical change we are experiencing is overwhelming. Acknowledging and structuring staff interaction to accommodate the many i/e-verts among us can help everyone thrive in this time of change.

We Need to be Inclusive Speakers

If you have ever presented at a conference, you know the routine. The request for early submission of slides, trying to fit in last-minute tweaks, getting to your room (typically set in the same manner as an audience about to see a performance) and trying to make sure all the technology is actually working all before the attendees filter in to their seats. Rinse, repeat. As educators, we give so much focus to the quality of the content we are presenting that all-too-often we don’t pay enough attention to the learning experience we are creating in the presentation of that content.

The truth is that we don’t always know who is going to be in the room as a learner – and we certainly don’t know what challenges they may have learning in this typical format. As the educator, it is up to each of us to not only present the best content possible, but to also do so in a manner that will account for the varied learning needs of our audience. It is up to each of us to be more inclusive speakers. As we start a new year, here are just a few thoughts on how to adjust our presentation approach to account for varied needs:

1. Use a Microphone – We may perceive that it is a small room, not a great deal of attendees, or that we have a naturally booming voice. We may even ask if someone in back can hear us if we don’t use a microphone. Here is the thing – if someone does have a disability where they can’t hear well, they may not want to publicly raise their hand. If there is a microphone available, it is not a blow to a speaker’s ego to use it – instead it allows everyone to hear a speaker better, accounting for all learner’s ability to hear well.

2. Font Size Matters – While the amount of copy that should be on a slide (or using slides at all) is a whole separate post – let’s assume for the moment that slides with copy are still some part of your presentation. As you create those slides, is the font size ideal for you sitting in front of your computer? If it was projected and you were in the front row? We know that room configuration varies – sometimes the learning space is long and narrow so that those attending may be a far distance from the screen. If they can’t see what the slide says, then whatever it was meant to teach will not land. We don’t know what visual obstacles our learners may have – and while there are a number of ways we can try to help them see what we are presenting, at a bare minimum our slides should be able to be read just as easily by the person in the back of the room as the person in front of the room.

3. Stretch Break (i.e. it’s no fun to be a sardine) – While the exact timing of how long an audience can remain seated, without moving, and still be mentally engaged is a point with many opinions – as speakers there are a few reflective questions that can help. Is my session so long that people would appreciate a 5-minute bio break? Are there subject matter transitions in my presentation where having the audience stand and stretch for a moment (and even give each other a hi-five for interaction) could serve as a brain sorbet, cleansing the mental palette for what is coming next? Are people seated so close to one another that taking a moment to stand and stretch (or sit and stretch!) will help them reengage with the learning?

Want more ideas? Check out these resources:

1. 100 Things Every Presenter Needs to Know About People – by Susan M. Weinschenk, Ph.D. takes research on how people learn and provides accessible approaches to how speakers can make greater impact.

2. Inclusive Speaker Orientation – This free online course from the Linux Foundation starts with a broader understanding of Diversity and Inclusivity and then narrows focus to how we are more aware in our sessions.