Putting relationships before task to fuel racial equity

Living in a world that promotes urgency and hustle culture means that genuine relationships can take a backseat to “the work”. But what if organizations prioritized strong interpersonal connections to help improve impact and mission fulfillment? 

Human interactions are needed in the workplace, especially when working on something as critical and charged as race. The “Project Aristotle” study for example, found that the most successful teams within organizations were those with high levels of psychological safety and social sensitivity. Prioritizing relationships also opens lines of communication, which leads to better conflict resolution and being able to “see” each other at the level of our humanity.

So what keeps organizations from making team building and collaboration a key focus in their cultures? 

For one, white supremacy plays a part. 

As described by Tema Okun and Kenneth Jones, white supremacy culture demonstrates an unhealthy fixation on tasks and productivity, perpetuating an environment that values constant output over employee well-being. Over time, companies see more burnout and a decline in health.

📕Building deeper connections creates so much potential – dive into leaders’ stories in Hear Us Now: Racial Equity in the Workplace. 

Chapter six of Hear Us Now: Racial Equity in the Workplace features insights from four influential leaders on the importance of relationships to achieve success and how deep connections build trust in racial equity work. Leaders like … 

Linetta Gilbert Managing Partner at Gilbert & Associates, LLC

who shares how she was able to gain trust through investing foundation money. Her approach is to start relationships based on love and trust, and she stresses the importance of listening to understand people’s goals for potential collaboration for effective philanthropy. These conversations reveal how you can better support them.

“Within that individual, we are going to find greatness, we’re going to find fear, or we’re going to find prejudice,” Linetta says. “We’ll get all of the things that could either create something big or dismantle the potential for something big.”

Linetta’s message highlights that progress often comes from working alongside others who may not have been previously recognized or invested in. That means collaboration and transformative work isn’t done in isolation. 

“I’ve found some of the most wonderfully smart, committed people who were hiding in plain sight, but nobody would invest in them,” Linetta says.” So they worked along with me and they grew with me as they grew.”

So, how do you maintain availability, engage in deep interpersonal work, and stay consistent while working towards a shared goal? How do you build trust through open and clear communication - even when it is time-consuming? 

Learn more in Hear Us Now: Racial Equity in the Workplace, which  is currently available for purchase! Be sure to subscribe to this weekly newsletter for a preview of each chapter.