Written by Sarah Hopkinson for Tackle Tuesday Podcast
This month, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jeff A.D. Martin on my podcast, Tackle Tuesday. Jeff is a community advocate, mentor, and professional speaker. He grew up in a tough neighbourhood in Toronto and was inspired to become a police officer by seeing the police patrolling his streets and imagining what a positive difference he could make if he joined the service. However, shortly after passing his exams, his cousin was tragically killed. Jeff was filled with anger, but a conversation with someone who empathized encouraged him to use his story to inspire others.
Today, Jeff gives talks about how we can use our own stories to connect with each other on a deeper level, using the power of vulnerability and empathy. Jeff I discussed actions leaders can take to create inclusive workplaces that embrace vulnerability, empathy, and compassion.
How would you explain diversity, equity, and inclusion?
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are more than words in a dictionary. It comes down to treating others the way they want to be treated. If we start to fall into an us versus them mentality, it becomes easier to disrespect others, even at a subconscious level, and that leads to inequality and discrimination. On the other hand, if we seek to find common ground and bear in mind everyone’s humanity, it’s natural to treat people with respect and kindness and to expect the same from them.
How can leaders begin to build a more inclusive work environment?
Start by being vulnerable with others, and then follow that with active listening. Being vulnerable with others means being open and finding ways to relate to people. In the workplace, this could mean a supervisor telling her team she’s going through a grieving process due to the death of her father and she may not be accessible to her team over the next two weeks or a direct report asking to change his start and end time so that he can take his daughter to daycare. When we share our stories with others, it builds an atmosphere of trust and understanding.
Don’t underestimate the power of active listening, which entails listening to others without judgement. Instead of waiting for a pause in the conversation to jump in with our opinion, we should listen with open minds and hearts to appreciate the perspectives of others. When we listen with no agenda, we encourage others to share their stories in a supportive atmosphere.
What are the benefits of having a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace?
One of the main benefits comes from being able to take advantage of the richness of perspectives from within your workforce. If you have built a team of people with different races, ages, genders, social backgrounds, and religions, you will have a wealth of ideas, which can lead to healthy and respectful debates about how you deliver your services and products. With diversity comes access to a wealth of ideas that we can push forward to create something that’s truly unique.
I offended someone on my team. How can I make things right?
If you’ve said something you regret, the first thing to do is to be vulnerable with others and admit you made a mistake. If they are willing, try to engage with the person or people you offended and ask them to explain how they feel. Listen to them with an open mind and try to understand their point of view, which can expose your unconscious bias and blind spots. Empathize with them and try not to become defensive, even if the conversation is uncomfortable for you. Then commit to making a change as you go forward. Being vulnerable, open, and humble will allow you to grow as a person and may inspire those around you to question themselves about any implicit biases they hold.
More about Jeff
Jeff A.D. Martin is a soul-stirring, thought provoking, highly requested professional speaker, who has been using his platform to inspire people from around the world. Because of his passion for giving back and serving others, Jeff often stands in his own vulnerability and shares personal stories of perseverance and resilience. As a result of his reliability and willingness to be open, people from around the world have experienced life changing breakthroughs and discovered untapped greatness all because of Jeff.
Jeff is the author of the critically acclaimed children’s book, Brothers from the 6/ Sisters from the 6: Role Models in my Community. All of the book’s proceeds go towards Jeff’s Toronto based, non-profit organization Brothas from the 6, Jeff is also the co-author of KNew Me, a personal development book geared toward men’s issues.
