23 Feb Why Ottawa should do better when it comes to representation and diversity in the workplace

I walk into rooms, many rooms, where immediately I feel three things.

Grateful. “Accomplished” and Lonely

1. Grateful for being there, for being able to voice myself in spaces where no one looks like me.
2. Accomplished because I can own my space, in spaces where no one looks like me. 
3. Lonely, because I am the “only” in spaces where no one looks like me.

For many people like me, who are part of a minority, when we walk into a room we often go through an overwhelming experience. 

This can look like…. 

The fear of being misunderstood for your culture and values

The fear of feeling alienated. 

The fear of representing the entire community that you identify with. 

For years now, I have been in too many spaces where I am the only person of colour (WOC), or the only person wearing the hijab in the room. Yes, I have learned to navigate these spaces because I understand the importance of being there despite the discomfort that I experience.

For me, my biggest discomfort is the pressure of feeling like I need to represent a whole community. Represent a whole religion. A whole race and in some spaces even a whole gender. This act of being on my best behaviour for my community often comes at the expense of being authentically myself. 

WHY REPRESENTATION MATTERS

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Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love the fact that people ask me questions. In fact, I am happier with my workplace, when my coworkers take the opportunity to learn about me and my culture to then create space for me. 

However, the truth is not everyone feels the way I do. Many WOC that I interact with as the Executive Director of Empower’em, find these questions extremely draining. Having to constantly express yourself and your needs, along with a reminder that you don’t quite have a space here can be an overwhelmingly alienating experience.

It’s not easy to be visibly invisible. 

Because you are both for all the wrong reasons. 

And these are just a few reasons alone why representation, particularly in our workplaces and in our leadership, matters. 

IS CANADA INCLUSIVE?

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Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau states that “Canada is strong not in spite of our differences, but because of them.” And of course, there is a growing movement that has everyone talking about diversity and inclusion, but the truth is what we are doing now is still NOT working. 

Take Ottawa for example, a 2016 study from Western University found that only 4.2% of senior leaders in Ottawa were female visible minorities, and 0% in the municipal sector even though they account for 10% of the population.

Some of us are aware that diversity in our workplace will lead to more productivity and innovation. Social inclusion WILL inspire our future generations to see themselves in their leadership and shape their future. 

However, can we also talk about the bandage solutions that most organizations are adhering themselves to. Yes, having diverse frontline staff is useful in understanding and meeting the needs of clients. However, not having that reflected in our management and leadership is highly demotivating for the staff themselves.

However, not having that reflected in our management and leadership is highly demotivating for the staff themselves.

Lacking access to mentors who have similar lived experiences to you is particularly helpful when you need to learn how to navigate spaces that are not yours yet. When you can’t see someone like you become successful, it is harder for you to think that you can. It’s harder to think about what that road can look like.

Again, I am not saying that people who don’t share similar beliefs as you cannot be effective mentors. I myself, have been highly fortunate to have excellent non-WOC mentors over the years who have guided me into accomplishing so many of my dreams. I am also particularly grateful that they recognize that they can’t help me in certain situations. My male mentor cannot explain to me how he navigated his way into senior management in a male-dominated company.

Also, this lack of mentorship can cause individuals who belong to a minority group to often create additional imaginary mental barriers to growth such as assuming the preferences of the other group. This behaviour, although absolutely valid, can cause us as individuals to demotivate ourselves even more and not fully participate in spaces where our voices are needed most.

“This behaviour, although absolutely valid, can cause us as individuals to demotivate ourselves even more and not fully participate in spaces where our voices are needed most.”

THREE THINGS TO CREATE MORE INCLUSIVE WORKPLACES

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So here are three things I would like to propose that we can all do to create more representation in our workplaces and leadership:

1.Have more honest conversations in your workplaces about representation and leadership by creating a space that allows minorities to lead the conversation. The best way to do this is to ask and listen to minorities you interact with directly.

2. Celebrate differences before the differences start brewing in young minds to perpetuate a “me” vs the “other” defensive mechanism. The best way to do this is to work with your kids and children to identify at what point these changes start impacting their minds and to actively celebrate others to create a “We” dynamic.

3. Lastly, I encourage you to value diversity and inclusiveness from more than just the perspectives of ethnicity, gender or race, religion. When we speak of this, it’s important to think of ways to dismantle all the different systems of oppression, and include other minorities, who are impacted by ability, size, orientation, experience, class, education, language or more.

I wish that one day, I can walk into a room in my city and feel grateful and accomplished, not because I am the “only” but because I am NOT. 

Do you have any ideas on how we can make our city more inclusive?

Leave them in the comments below, or explore what it means to be an ally in our workplaces, in this upcoming ’em event.