Welcome back to Blended!

Today, we're talking about intersectionality.

This is something that comes up a lot as part of our conversations here on Blended. But often it's when we're really exploring personal identities and sharing our experiences. And, the more we dive into the workplace, the more the nuance of intersectionality tends to disappear. There's an ERG for this type of person, a policy for that type – but what if you're both? When it comes to understanding the complexity of human identity, corporate is still lagging behind.

But, in a climate where DEI is being eroded altogether, how can businesses put a focus on intersectionality – and why is it actually important?

IN THIS EPISODE:

[00.59] Introductions to our Blended panelists.

· Jodi – Founder and CEO at NIARA Consulting

· Marjorie – Director of Community at Exos, Founder and Principal Strategist at Community by Association, and podcast host

· Eileen – Founder and CEO at Apex Tide Consulting

· Dr Dequies – Founder and CEO at We Suite Women's Empowerment Consulting and Associate/Adjunct Faculty in organizational development and leadership

"I'm black and biracial so I've always lived between two identities… I live this topic every day and I see how it has, and has not, changed across cultures and communities." Jodi

[12.51] The group share their personal experiences and examine what intersectionality means to them.

"Intersectionality is every identity that you carry, and it doesn't always look like a textbook definition. As a person in academia, I can say a lot about what the research may say. But, for me, it's not just my gender, race or sexuality… Everything plays a role in how I show up." Dr Dequies

"It's also your life experiences and how you've had to navigate the world. Intersectionality includes all of the challenges you've had to overcome, the successes you've seen, the experiences you've gained… It's a rich ecosystem." Marjorie

• Identity
• Personal values/ethics
• Layered approach
• Life experiences/how you've navigated the world
• Personal challenges and successes
• Asking questions
• Having deeper conversations
• Code switching
• Culture
• Socio economics
• Expectations
• Safety
• Subjective
• Diversity
• Judgement
• Labels

"It's the reality that we don't experience identity in siloes. We experience it all at once... So when organizations try to simplify identity into neat categories for ERGs, where do you go?" Jodi

"The best visual is the iceberg. So much of a human is below the waterline, but we only see a little bit… We fall into the trap of judging people by that bit… And if we look at humans through only one lens, we miss the truth of their experience." Eileen

[32.03] The panel discuss how intersectionality interacts with bias, personally and professionally.

"Ambiguity doesn't remove bias. It creates another form of it." Jodi

• Cultural norms
• Relatability
• Assumptions/perception
• External similarities do not necessarily equal shared experiences
• Projection
• Ambiguity
• Bias in AI
• Triggers
• Conscious/unconscious
• Weaponized incompetence
• Accountability
• Upbringing – how do you break the cycle?
• Choice

"Bias isn't just interpersonal. It can be structural, organizational, or technological… If our systems aren't designed with intersectionality in mind, they can replicate or amplify old inequities – but at a larger scale." Eileen