Here are some reflections and key takeaways from a recent webinar I co-hosted with my brilliant colleague and friend, Minette Norman. It was called “What’s Next: “What’s Next: The Future of Empathy and Inclusion in the Workplace.”
MInette is the co-author of The Psychological Safety Handbook and author of The Boldly Inclusive Leader. And together, we had things to say!
The goal of the session was simple but powerful: to create community during tough times and talk honestly about where we’re at, what’s challenging us, and where we go from here when it comes to empathy and inclusion at work.
Let me tell you—the conversation was real, and it was energizing!
To access the episode transcript, please scroll down below.
Key Takeaways:
- Even with the current resistance to DEI, there is still a strong business case for it. DEI initiatives are proven to drive innovation, performance, and revenue.
- Sometimes, rebranding DEI work as “belonging” or “inclusion” can help get buy-in.
- Asking “What are we missing?” can unlock better outcomes, reduce risk, and help teams innovate.
“In these tough times, community matters. Empathy and inclusion are not trends—they’re leadership imperatives.” — Maria Ross
Episode References:
- Share your opinion! Please fill out the short survey here at https://bit.ly/edge-feedback
- Minette Norman: https://www.minettenorman.com
- The Psychological Safety Handbook: https://thepsychologicalsafetyplaybook.com/
- The Boldly Inclusive Leader: https://www.minettenorman.com/boldlyinclusiveleader
- Medium: The Great DEI Hustle: White Americans Are the Real DEI Hires by Dr. Lauren Tucker
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FULL TRANSCRIPT:
Welcome to the empathy edge podcast, the show that proves why cash flow, creativity and compassion are not mutually exclusive. I’m your host, Maria Ross, I’m a speaker, author, mom, facilitator and empathy advocate. And here you’ll meet trailblazing leaders and executives, authors and experts who embrace empathy to achieve radical success. We discuss all facets of empathy, from trends and research to the future of work to how to heal societal divisions and collaborate more effectively. Our goal is to redefine success and prove that empathy isn’t just good for society. It’s great for everyone. It’s Maria Ross here, and welcome to another solo episode of the empathy edge. Today, I want to share some reflections and key takeaways from a recent webinar I co hosted with my brilliant colleague and friend, Minette Norman. It was called What’s Next, the future of empathy and inclusion in the workplace. Minette is the co author of the psychological safety handbook and author of The boldly inclusive leader. And together, we had things to say. The goal of the session was simple but powerful, to create community through tough times and talk honestly about where we’re at, what’s challenging us, and where we go from here when it comes to empathy and inclusion. At work, we invited some brilliant HR dei and culture leaders to the conversation, and let me tell you, it was real and it was energizing. So first of all, let’s talk about facing challenges in dei work. One thing that came up repeatedly was how emotionally draining dei work can be right now on, all of these professionals, a participant, shared that many of us are feeling low motivation in this current climate, and I know that feeling is widespread. There’s resistance fatigue, and in some places, a sense of fear about even using terms like diversity or equity. But here’s the thing, community is the antidote. We need to lean into these conversations with like minded individuals, find our support systems and remember we’re not in this work alone. Secondly, the business case is still strong. I shared some insights from a recent conversation that I had with fund advisors. Some companies aren’t ditching dei per se. They’re just rebranding it or quietly still committing to the initiatives that help make their business stronger to avoid regulatory scrutiny. That may sound disheartening, but it means the business case for inclusion still holds. Dei initiatives are proven to drive innovation, performance and revenue. Minette reminded us that many of the reactions we’re seeing are knee jerk. They won’t last forever, and we need to stay the course. And we briefly touched on data showing how white people have gained substantially from dei initiatives too. One article by Dr Lauren Tucker in medium really broke this down in an insightful way with references, and I’ll share it in the show notes she writes. And let’s not forget workplace culture improvements. Many of the workplace benefits we now take for granted, flexible work policies, paid parental leave, mental health support were fought for under the banner of dei but guess who benefits from these the most? That’s right, white men in high paying jobs. End quote. We also talked about the fact that empathy is connection, not conversion. Now, you know, I always say that empathy isn’t about being soft. It’s not about agreeing with everyone or being overly emotional. It’s about connection, valuing diverse perspectives, and understanding where others are coming from, so we can make better decisions. Empathy in leadership boosts engagement, retention and innovation, and it’s a skill you can cultivate. In fact, it’s one of the most important skills of inclusive leadership. Okay, then we tackled dealing with unempathetic people, because, of course, not everyone we work with is empathetic. One attendee raised an important point about the emotional toll of interacting with those who lack empathy. I emphasize the importance of self awareness and self care. Here. You can’t pour from an empty cup. Minette had a wonderful perspective. She calls these individuals empathy teachers. They’re not easy to deal with, but they help us grow our own empathy muscle. I can certainly attest to that listening for what we’re missing. I shared a fun story about using an empathy toy with teams, which underscored the power of. Diverse thinking. I actually had a conversation with the founder and the creator of the empathy toy on a past empathy edge podcast, and I’ll share the link in the show notes. Minette and I both agree, asking, What are we missing? Can unlock better outcomes, reduce risk and help teams innovate and being comfortable enough and willing enough to listen to the answer to that question requires empathy. Finally, we talked about some practical tools for inclusion. We wrapped up by discussing inclusive meetings, making sure everyone’s voice is heard now practically, sometimes rebranding dei work as belonging or inclusion can help get buy in. And in this discussion, we also shared some tools and resources for leaders to run more empathetic and inclusive meetings. My closing thoughts on all of this is that in these tough times, community matters, empathy and inclusion are not trends. They’re leadership imperatives. Manette and I are committed to helping you lead the way with practical tools, inspiring stories and the support you need. Most importantly, please remember you are not alone. We’re in this together, and there is power in numbers. It’s how every major cultural shift has been achieved and protected together. Now for those of you who couldn’t make this talk, please make sure you’re signed up for my email list at Red slice.com so do you don’t miss these invitations and opportunities. I will be doing more of these as the year goes on. So make sure you’re on that list and you can be included. Thanks for listening today. Please don’t forget to fill out my short listener survey as soon as possible. Go to bit.ly/edge-feedback, the link is also in the show notes. Like I said, it’s just five minutes of your time, but it’s so important to help me give you more of what you want and need. Thank you for listening to another episode of the empathy edge. If you like what you heard, you know what to do. Please share, rate, review and let other people know about the show, and please remember until next time that cash flow, creativity and compassion are not mutually exclusive. Take care and be kind For more on how to achieve radical success through empathy. Visit the empathy edge.com there you can listen to past episodes, access show notes and free resources. Book me for a Keynote or workshop and sign up for our email list to get new episodes, insights, news and events. Please follow me on Instagram at Red slice Maria, never forget, empathy is your superpower. Use it to make your work and the world a better place.
