Reclaiming Inclusion: Advancing Equity Without Saying ‘Diversity

 Introduction:

In today’s climate, even the word “diversity” has become politically charged. In some sectors, using it openly may result in backlash—or even legal consequences. But inclusion isn’t optional. Organizations still need to harness the full spectrum of human potential to thrive, adapt, and solve complex problems. Inclusion is about ensuring people can contribute without being excluded, sabotaged, or harassed. And that remains vital, regardless of what we call it.

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1. Inclusion Is the Goal—Not the Word

The pushback against DEI often centers on terminology. But let’s be clear: we don’t need a word to keep doing the work. Inclusion means making sure everyone—regardless of background, identity, or lived experience—can contribute meaningfully. If the word “diversity” becomes a political lightning rod, we can use other framing—like representation, belonging, psychological safety, or inclusive leadership—without losing the essence.

Tip: Reframe your goals around “effective team participation,” “broadening access,” or “removing participation barriers.”

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2. The Real Threat to Inclusion? Sabotage and Harassment

The biggest threats to inclusion don’t come from regulations—they come from inside. Passive-aggressive saboteurs, workplace bullies, and gatekeepers can quietly undo inclusive efforts. They withhold information, sideline new hires, or harass people into quitting—all without ever breaking an official policy.

Inclusion fails not when we stop using the word, but when we let toxic behaviors fester.

Organizations need strategies rooted in behavioral psychology to recognize and stop these patterns. It’s not about training people to “be nice”—it’s about changing the reinforcement systems that allow bullying and exclusion to persist so that bullies can't exclude people from the work group anymore. 

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3. Why Inclusion Still Pays Off

Inclusive teams don’t just feel better—they perform better. Research shows that when people from different backgrounds are truly allowed to collaborate, they identify risks faster, innovate more, and solve problems more effectively. But that only happens when team members feel safe speaking up—and that means rooting out behaviors that silence or sideline differing viewpoints.

If you’re hiring for talent, you need to protect that talent from saboteurs.

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4. How to Protect Your Inclusion Initiatives in a Politicized World

You can protect inclusion efforts without waving a DEI banner:

• Embed it into leadership values: Talk about fairness, safety, and performance, not identity politics.

• Use data, not slogans: Focus on participation metrics, attrition rates, and engagement scores.

• Train your managers in behavioral techniques: Give them tools to shut down sabotage and ensure new ideas aren’t ignored or punished.

• Make inclusion a performance issue: If someone is undermining a team member’s ability to contribute, it’s a leadership failure—not a personality clash.

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5. Next Steps: Train for Real Inclusion

Stopping harassment and sabotage requires more than good intentions—it takes skills. My courses are designed to teach exactly that, using proven behavioral psychology techniques to:

• Stop variably reinforced harassment

• Create reinforcement systems that protect inclusion

• Identify and neutralize saboteurs of inclusive culture

Whether you call it “diversity,” “belonging,” or “collaborative team culture,” the goal is the same: make sure everyone is included and no one on your team is being sabotaged.

Learn how to stop harassment using behavioral psychology →https://humanistlearning.com/programsoffered/#bullying
Learn how to safeguard your inclusion initiatives →https://humanistlearning.com/safeguarding-diversity-and-inclusion-unmasking-saboteurs/

The Humanistic Leader's Paradox: Embracing Methodical Progress for Greater Efficiency

In the pursuit of personal growth and success, we often find ourselves pushing harder, trying to achieve more, and striving to go faster. Yet, a simple story of swimming in the ocean teaches us a profound lesson that can be applied to the realm of humanistic leadership and management. As we navigate the dynamic waters of leadership, it is essential to understand that sometimes, a slower, more methodical approach can paradoxically lead to quicker and more efficient progress.

Learning to Swim Methodically

I have been swimming for exercise for a while now. I've gotten stronger and can swim longer and not get as winded as I did when I first started.  I'm also swimming at the beach in addition to swimming at the pool. Swimming at the beach is different than swimming in a pool. The waves and currents make it totally different. I set a goal for myself, to swim to a buoy and back.  At first, I couldn't quite make it to the buoy. I would be winded. Even though I know I can swim that distance easily, swimming in the ocean is way more tiring. I decided to take a new approach. In the pool, I swim methodically and honestly rather slowly. I take my time with each stroke and focus on matching my stroke to my breath, which I try to make slow and steady. When I applied this technique in the ocean, not only could I swim to the buoy easily without getting out of breath, but I got there faster than I normally do when I am trying to power my way through the water. 

The Ocean of Leadership:

Humanistic leaders understand that leading a team is much like swimming in the ocean. There are waves of challenges, currents of change, and unpredictable tides of emotions. Each individual on the team brings unique strengths and weaknesses, much like the varying conditions in the open sea. To guide our teams to success, we must adapt our leadership approach, recognizing that one size does not fit all.

The Initial Struggle:

As leaders, we often set ambitious goals, just as I did when I decided to try swimming to a distant buoy and back. However, just like swimming in the ocean, the journey to achieve these goals can be more demanding than we expect. At times, our team might feel overwhelmed and get disheartened when they cannot reach their objectives as swiftly as envisioned.

The Paradox of Efficiency:

The most striking lesson is the paradox of efficiency. Taking a slower more methodical approach not only tends to work better than random thrashing about, it is also quicker and uses less energy. 

The humanistic approach, which seems slower on the surface, ultimately leads to quicker progress and more profound growth. By acknowledging the individual needs of team members, supporting their well-being, and fostering a collaborative and trusting atmosphere, humanistic leaders create an environment where productivity and efficiency naturally flourish.

Applying the Methodical Approach:

I experimented by adopting a slower, more methodical swimming technique in the ocean and it resulted in reaching the buoy with greater ease and efficiency. Similarly, in leadership, a measured more humanistic approach that values individual progress and fosters a supportive environment can yield remarkable results and require less energy. 

How do we do this?

Emphasize Well-being: 

Instead of pushing our team members relentlessly towards their targets, we can encourage them to focus on their well-being and maintain a steady pace. By providing support and resources to address personal challenges, we create a healthier work environment, which ultimately enhances productivity.

Foster Collaboration: 

Just as each stroke was matched to the breath in the pool, a humanistic leader ensures that each task and responsibility aligns with the strengths and skills of team members. By fostering collaboration and encouraging open communication, leaders can build a stronger sense of teamwork and cohesiveness.

Empowering Through Trust: 

Trust is the foundation of a successful team, much like the buoyancy that keeps us afloat in the ocean. Humanistic leaders entrust their team members with autonomy, allowing them to take ownership of their tasks and make decisions. This empowerment fosters a sense of accountability and commitment to achieving common goals.

Conclusion:

Just as my methodical swimming technique transformed my experience in the ocean, I know from experience that embracing a humanistic leadership approach can revolutionize the dynamics within a team. By prioritizing the well-being of team members, encouraging collaboration, and empowering through trust, leaders can navigate the challenges of the ever-changing business landscape with grace and efficacy. 

Remember, as humanistic leaders, we have the power to make a difference, not only in achieving goals but also in fostering an environment where everyone can thrive and succeed.

Learn More:

If you want to learn more you can take this online course on applied humanistic leadership: https://humanistlearning.com/certificate-in-applied-humanistic-leadership/

Or get my book Applied Humanism: How to Create More Effective and Ethical Organizations - https://humanistlearning.com/new-book-applied-humanism-how-to-create-more-effective-and-ethical-businesses/

Ethical Behavior and Fair Competition in Business

Success in business requires learning to compete fairly, ethically and with fearless determination. 

By developing the skills of fair competition and ethical behavior, business leaders can create a culture of trust, respect, and collaboration that leads to sustained success for the organization and all stakeholders involved.

Learning to Charge Fairly

Let me tell you a little story. When I was young, I played soccer. The practice I remember most is the fair charge practice one of my coaches had us do endlessly. Two players would line up – coach would roll the ball fast in front of us, we would have to charge to win the ball to be able to take a shot on goal.

This practice wasn’t just about running fast and beating the other person to the ball. The point was to learn how to do a fair charge. In soccer, a fair charge is using your body and shoulder to hit the other play and push them off the ball. As long as you don’t use your arms, you can hit someone, push them off the ball and take it from them. This is a fair charge.

It’s astonishingly hard to do. Our instinct is to reach out and use our arms to brace for impact or to push the other person. If you do that, you will be called for a foul and lose the opportunity to score. So learning how to suppress your instincts, take the hit, and hit back just using your body and shoulder takes practice to be able to do it reliably.

The player has to learn to be ok with charging hard, taking the hit that is two players charging into each other using just their bodies and shoulders and know you will be ok. To do this well, you have to let go of your fear and allow your desire to win that ball take over. You aren’t doing this to hurt the other player. When done correctly – no one gets hurt. But you do have to be fearless to do it. And you can learn to do it with practice.

That team that focused on fair charges when to the state semifinals. We lost to the West Torrance Teddy Bears and everyone I am still friends with from that team is still traumatized by that loss. We should have gone to state and it was our mistake that lost us that game. By playing fearless and fairly, we were an unstoppable force. Other teams couldn’t understand why we never got charged with fouls. The answer was – we never once fouled the other team. We just played hard and fair and were willing to take a hit to win.

How this relates to Humanistic Management

Humanistic management emphasizes the importance of treating employees, customers, and stakeholders with respect and dignity. This includes being fair and ethical in all business dealings. Learning to charge fairly in soccer is similar to learning to compete fairly in business. It requires a mindset shift towards fairness, trust, and collaboration. You are still competing hard, but you aren't doing so in a cutthroat way. 

A humanistic leader will model and encourage fair competition and ethical behavior among their team members. They will help their employees learn to suppress their instincts and fears in order to achieve their goals in a way that benefits all stakeholders. This creates a culture of trust, respect, and collaboration, leading to long-term success for the organization.

Learn More: 

Learning to charge fairly in soccer illustrates the importance of fair competition, ethical behavior, and fearless determination. These are the same values that are emphasized in the Applied Humanistic Leadership course. By taking this course, you will learn how to create a culture of trust, respect, and collaboration, leading to long-term success for your organization and all stakeholders involved. Don't miss out on this opportunity to enhance your leadership skills and make a positive impact. Enroll in the Applied Humanistic Leadership course today at https://humanistlearning.com/certificate-in-applied-humanistic-leadership/

Leading with Empathy and Understanding: The Power of Applied Humanistic Leadership

The world of leadership is constantly evolving, and the traditional, top-down approach is no longer effective in today's fast-paced, ever-changing business environment. In order to be successful, leaders must be able to adapt and change their style to suit the needs of their team and organization. That's where Applied Humanistic Leadership comes in.

Applied Humanistic Leadership is a leadership style that is based on the principles of humanism. It focuses on the importance of communication, reality-based decision making and the development of soft leadership skills. This style of leadership is all about creating a positive, empowering and collaborative work environment where people can thrive.

One of the key components of Applied Humanistic Leadership is humanistic communication. This means that leaders must be able to communicate effectively and empathetically with their team members. They must be able to understand their needs, concerns, and aspirations, and work to create a culture where everyone feels heard and respected.

Another important aspect of Applied Humanistic Leadership is reality-based decision making. Leaders must be able to make decisions based on the facts and information available to them, rather than relying on assumptions or stereotypes. This means taking the time to understand the situation, analyzing the data and considering the perspectives of others before making a decision.

Finally, Applied Humanistic Leadership is about developing soft leadership skills. This includes things like emotional intelligence, empathy, and self-awareness. Leaders who are able to understand and manage their own emotions and those of others, are more likely to be able to build trust and foster positive relationships with their team members.

If you're looking to improve your leadership skills, consider taking an online course in Applied Humanistic Leadership. At Humanist Learning Systems, we offer a certificate in Applied Humanistic Leadership that covers all of these topics and more. Our course is designed to help you develop the skills you need to become a more effective and compassionate leader. Sign up now and start your journey to becoming a more humanistic leader today.

Take the Course: https://humanistlearning.com/certificate-in-applied-humanistic-leadership/

note: written by Jennifer Hancock with the assistance of ChatGPT, a language model developed by OpenAI

Creating Happier Workplaces

 Wouldn't it be nice if your workplace was both happy and productive? Without being - toxically happy. And yes, toxic positivity is a thing and it really is toxic. The idea that you need to be happy all the time, is performance, not happiness.

I was talking to some colleagues on a board meeting I participated in. And I talked about how happy participating in the group makes me. And the work I do for them, doesn't feel like work because it's so fun.  One of my colleagues remarked that where she is, if you appear to be having fun, they don't think you are working hard enough. I felt so bad for her.

Work should be fun and can be fun. People who cultivate a harried, put upon sense of self, that they are so busy they just can't, are hurting themselves and others. Happiness is hard to come by.

One of my favorite quotes is by Robert Louis Stevenson. He said, "There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy. By being happy, we sow anonymous benefits upon the world, which remain unknown even to ourselves, or when they are disclosed, surprise nobody so much as the benefactor."

Think about the people you interact with throughout the day. If a barista is happy, it helps make you happy. You share in the joy, it helps you feel connected to another human, no matter how briefly. We should be encouraging happiness as a norm. Not as an oppressive performative norm, but just - it's ok to be happy. Being happy is precious.

Now to blow your mind. The way to create such a culture is, paradoxically, to allow for unhappiness. To share in people's struggles as well as their joys. No one is happy all the time. Life can be hard. This is why the sharing of happiness and the sharing of struggles is so important to creating a good work community. Making space for people to be fully messily human, allows people to share their emotions (good or bad) and to experience the connections that help us feel safe. And that, helps create happiness.

If you want to learn more - my video program - Creating Happier Workplaces Using Humanism and Science is now available for free streaming at: https://vimeo.com/747308545

Mentoring and Purpose Based Leadership

Last year I had the pleasure of interviewing my colleague Aqeel Tirmizi for the Humanistic Management Professionals Lunch and Learn.  He had a lot to say about Responsible leadership, but he also talked about how important mentoring is for future leaders.

All leadership have a leadership philosophy. That philosophy is often derived from how they were mentored.  For good or for bad, their views were shaped by the people they learned from. 

He also talked about the importance of meaning and purpose as a leadership tool. He said, most college graduates want to do meaningful work. But … when followed up with  - only about 20% found meaningful work.  Is this because the work isn’t meaningful, or because the company hasn’t connected the work to mattering? 

I know that when I am asked to give talks about ethics in business that a big part of the problem is that people don't want to talk about ethics because they are worried about freedom of belief.  But we can't create meaning without talking about what is morally good and morally wrong. 

This is why I teach Humanism and a Humanistic approach to business and leadership. Our work needs to matter. This is as important for our mental health as it is for our customers. If whatever service or good we are providing isn't actually needed, then we won't have customers.  Business that do well over the long term, don't con their customers. They provide a practical good to their customers. Good - is a moral term. 

If you want to learn more - visit my website and take some of my online courses, or get my books.

If you want to learn about the International Humanistic Management Association - click here: http://humanisticmanagement.international/ 

I'm good at what I do, but I'm better with a team

 I'm a very effective person. But only because I don't do things all by myself. I'm good at what I do, but I'm better with a team. Collaboration is the key to my success. 

Leaders are only leaders if people willingly join and help them pursue a goal. Managers, manage. Bosses Boss. Leaders lead.  Followers follow leaders they believe in.  

I can only accomplish things if I can convince people to collaborate with me. And to do that, I need to be trustworthy, honest, compassionate, ethical and effective.  If I promise something, I need to deliver, or communicate why I can't.

That is why I succeed. It's why people like working with me.  My humanistic philosophy is why I approach all interactions as collaboration. 

My husband and I were discussing this the other day. He was wondering why I never bothered to sing when I played in a big band. I used to be a lead singer for a rock band actually. I sing well and have good presence. But as much as I am capable of being a front person, the reality is my approach to it is the same as June Christy, who used to sing for Stan Kenton's orchestra.  Someone has to sing the lyrics.  The singer is an important member of the band.  They often become stars, but good singers, are the people who make the band look good - by singing the lyrics.  

Its the same with soccer. I was a leading scorer for my teams. I once scored 6 goals in one game. I was ambidextrous and accurate with both feet. I was also good at lurking and getting defenders to forget I was there. My role model there was Giorgio Chinaglia. My job on the team was to get the ball into the goal.  Someone has to do it or the team doesn't succeed. Good coaches find players that can collaborate together to win.

Good leaders do the same thing. Everyone has a role to play and while some people might be good at some things, they almost always need help and support on the things they aren't good at.  In soccer, I could only score goals if people got me the ball.

In work, I can only succeed if I have a team that helps me succeed.   My support of others, is the same.  If I succeed, I help others on the team do their job as well.  If I was not open - no one could pass to me and the wings would not be successful. 

My point? Think of yourself as a member of a team - not as a leader, but a vital part of the team.  The last time I worked in an office, I was a "manager."  And I viewed my role as a support function. My job was to make sure the team had the supplies and support they needed to do their jobs well.  Management - is a support function. 

If you want to learn more about this philosophy and how to apply it to your own work life and management and leadership skills - try taking one of my courses. https://humanistlearning.com/programsoffered/

I have a certified Humanist Leadership Professional Course - that bundles all the various courses into a unique course of study. https://humanistlearning.com/certified-humanistic-leadership-professional/

Humanistic Leadership and Science

 At a recent presentation on humanistic leadership, I was asked about why I connect humanistic leadership and science so strongly.  Why is science central to the practice of humanistic leadership.

The answer is that in order to do good things, we can't just want to do good. We have to know how to effectively solve our problems. And to do that, we have to a) know what really causes our problem - instead of assuming what the cause is and b) we have to know what really works to solve the real causes of our problem instead of assuming we know.

To know what is real, we need science. 

Without that, we are adrift, or worse, dead.  

We are currently dealing with a labor shortage. What is causing that labor shortage? I honestly don't know. What I do know is that most people's assumptions are driven by their political biases and not by the science, and this goes for people across the spectrum. 

I also know that unless we deal with the real root cause of our problems, and there appear to be many, we not only won't fix the problem, we will probably make the problem worse. If I was tasked with fixing this problem, I would first, look at the research that has been done on what is causing our current problem. #science.

We are also dealing with a pandemic. How does this disease spread, how can we prevent it's spread. There is a tremendous amount of disinformation and misinformation being spread and again, a lot of that is based on political biases. None of us are immune to making assumptions about root causes. A scientific mindset helps us all, override our biases and look for reality that might contradict our beliefs.

The reason science is necessary is because, if you want to run a business and keep your employees safe and productive and not have them die on you or hospitalized - which does cause labor shortages, you need science.  And yes, this is a real problem. My county has told us our trash pickups will be delayed because employees are sick. My county government, literally, no longer has a functioning IT department because of the six staff members, 2 died, and 3 were hospitalized. Only 1 person is in our IT department is able to work. COVID literally wiped out our entire IT department in one week. 

Science is critical to operating a functioning business because functioning businesses require staff to be able to work. And for that - they need to be alive and NOT in the hospital.  We all need to understand the science and not just make assumptions about what is real or not. This doesn't just apply to the topic of covid, but - everything. 

One of the big problems I see locally is that leaders are unhappy with reality so they have declared that they are going to act as IF their preferred reality was true in the hopes that pretending it's true will make it true.  They are acting as IF the pandemic wasn't a reality. This will not work. You can't just wish away an unpleasant reality like a pandemic. You either deal with it constructively using science, or ... we all end up with more dead people, more hospitalized people and more disruption to - everything. 

I understand optimism. I'm a huge fan of optimism. You have to believe you can make things better to even try.  And a big part of that - is having a vision of what you want to see happen. My local government leaders don't lack for vision. They have a great vision. They want the pandemic to be over. So do I. But pretending it's over when it isn't - isn't going to magically make it go away. Pretending it's over when we are currently experiencing exponential growth of a deadly disease and disruptions to our work force as people end up in the hospital and some die, isn't effective leadership. It's insane leadership. It's deadly leadership. True, it's optimistic leadership, but it's not reality based leadership.  To fix our problems with a minimal amount of death and destruction, we need both optimism and SCIENCE! 

We simply can't fix our problems, whatever they are, without science.  We need to accept reality instead of wishing it away.

Good leaders do more than have vision. They plan for reality and science based plans to fix reality so that the outcome they want - actually happens. We ignore reality at our own peril. #Science is central.

You don't know what you don't know - Disney edition

Was talking about diversity and inclusion this morning and then this popped up in a Disney fan group I'm in. And it's spot on. You don't know what you don't know.

 Problem solving is benefited from including people who know things you don't know. #humanisticmanagement  #humanisticleadership #disneywisdom 

The business case for more diversity

 The 20 most diverse companies in the WSJ study had an average annual stock return of 10% over five years, versus 4.2% for the 20 least-diverse companies. - BRIAN STAUFFER

One of my investment banks just sent me a notice that included a link to this WSJ article. It's about the business case for more diversity. https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-business-case-for-more-diversity-11572091200

The followed by saying that they now demand companies they invest in show them their EEO data and that they actively have a diverse board of directors.  They are clearly taking this very seriously.

You should too.

The Benefits of Inclusion

The biggest benefit of inclusion is improved decision making. We all have blind spots. No one knows what they don't know and they don't even know they don't know it.

Inclusion policies make sure there are enough people with enough diverse experiences in the room so that when decisions are made, they benefit from the collective knowledge of the group. 

The Challenge of Inclusion

The challenge is creative diverse yet cohesive work groups. We humans are tribal by nature and we don't like not getting our way and one of the ways we ensure that we can dominate a tribe, is by excluding the people who don't agree with us. This is often done through bullying or harassment or even passive aggressive sabotage.

This is one of the main reasons why my Certified Humanistic Leadership Professional program has so much information on how to stop bullying, harassment and discrimination, even when it's in the form of passive aggressive sabotage.  

Challenging assumptions

The problem, honestly, isn't diversity. The problem is exclusion. Even if you took a homogenous group of people, someone will still try to exclude someone else from the group.  The challenge isn't how to embrace diversity. The challenge is how to stop social exclusion. 

I teach a LOT of EEO  programs. Often, I get asked to do a diversity training. They want someone to provide information on - diverse groups of people. But that request includes an assumption. The assumption is, if we just teach people that other people are human, they will start treating each other with dignity and include them.  Spoiler: it won't.  

If you want to change the culture and you want to create an inclusive culture, then focus on teaching people HOW to be inclusive and what to do if/when someone is actively excluding a member of the team. Because, it's going to happen. 

That is why my programs are about how to stop unwanted behavior, like bullying and harassment. Bullying and harassment are done to exclude people. That's why bullies do it. If you want an inclusive culture you MUST stop the bullying otherwise you will NEVER address the root problem you have, which is that some people get power over others by excluding people from a group.

Let me help you:

Most of your staff is sick of the bullying. They are sick of the exclusion that occurs. They are terrified that they will be next. If you want to change things, hire me to teach them how to stand up and make it stop using behavioral science and compassion. Your employees will thank you.

And yes, I can provide your Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) training for you.

https://humanistlearning.com/category/bullyingharassment/

If you COULD hypnotize someone, what would you have them do?

 I interviewed a hypnotist about it's implications for management. He asked us a question. If you could hypnotize someone and have them do anything, what would you want them to do? (Keep in mind - this isn't possible. You can't make people do what you want them to do - ever).

We all just stared at him as I was thinking - really? Nothing. There is nothing would would want to make someone do. He then said - most of you are thinking - nothing. It seems like it would be a fun power to have, but ... in reality, forcing someone to do something is abusive and most of us want nothing to do with that. 

We want people to interact with us authentically. The people who want to control others are abusive and sadistic. 

The implication for leadership is that - it's consensual. It has to be consensual. Trying to control people is abusive and sadistic. 

Here is a link to the video of the conversation and the resources shared by Dr. Orin Davis:

https://www.ignited.global/ihma/blog/orindavishypnosis 

Critical Race Theory and EEO and Diversity Training

 At the beginning of September, the Office of Budget and Management at the request of President Trump issued M-20-34, which basically states that no federal government training should include critical race theory or any other training that address white privilege or that suggests white people are inherently racist. As someone who provides harassment and EEO training to government agencies, what is my feeling on this? I'm glad you asked.

First, I have no problem with critical race theory. I think it's a REALLY useful lens to understand American History. And I agree with the statement put out by the Deans of the UC Irvine Law School that it is absolutely ridiculous to describe critical race theory as anti-American. https://www.law.uci.edu/news/in-the-news/2020/richardson-uc-law-deans-critical-race-theory.html

But I also am already in compliance with the memo as I don't use critical race theory in my trainings. https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/M-20-34.pdf

As I said, I offer EEO Refresher and Settlement Training and just bid on anti-racism training for a government agency. I reviewed the memo and executive order as soon as it came out and I can safely say, it doesn’t impact me or my colleagues who offer similar training at all.

 And again, I think Critical Race theory is a useful theory. I actually agree with it. It's just that, as a training tool, not only do I think it would not be effective, I think it would be counterproductive. It is not something I would introduce or use as a tool or a lens to consider the topic at hand.  Mostly because all it does is raise awareness. It doesn’t help change behavior. 

Just making people aware of a problem doesn’t’ fix the problem.

I have many reasons why I would NOT and do not use it in a training program. Let’s assume I’m doing a training for a group and – the group includes a racist. 

First, everyone in the group knows that person is a racist. It’s not a secret. What they want to learn is, 'how do I stop them from hurting me and my colleagues.' Being told racism is a problem and how exactly it is a problem doesn’t teach people what they need to know. It just tells them what they already know.  It would be better to teach them what they really want to learn, which is, how do I make it stop.

Second: the racist won’t learn anything from the training. There will be no epiphany. They will just feel attacked and self-righteous and probably dig into their behaviors more. Again, this doesn’t fix the problem. 

Third: using critical race theory as the basis of a training contains a flawed assumption. This flaw is not unique to anti-racism training. It’s in harassment training and NO FEAR Act training as well. The long-standing assumption with harassment and No FEAR Act training and discrimination training and civility training is: if we just explain to people that certain behaviors are hurting others they will just stop. Never once in the entire history of humanity has asking an abusive person to stop being abusive worked. Not once. And yet, that's what these trainings usually boil down to. 

(Note: My training is about how to stop unwanted behavior, so if you want to have a training that teaches your staff what they really want to know, contact me.)

The Ban on Critical Race Theory

The only situation I would use critical race theory in a training would be a high-level meeting to discuss strategy on how to fix systemic problems in a workplace and it would be used as a topic to discuss systems adjustments not as a bludgeon to make people feel bad.  I would NEVER use it in the way it is described in the executive order.  IF those examples are true then whoever those trainers are should be banned.  

What was described in the executive order violates the dignity of the individuals in the training. No good training would do that.  

What should be in a training? 

First - All training on harassment, discrimination, retaliation and civility should be based in dignity.  Everyone in every training I have ever given has experienced what Donna Hicks calls dignity violations. Everyone. Including the people who I have been told by the people bringing me in are the ‘problem people.’  Everyone.

Trainings need to help people assert their dignity and learn to do so in a way that does not denigrate the dignity of others.  This means a training should help the 'problem person' be less defensive and own their own dignity so that they can give dignity to others.

Second: In order to help people get unwanted behavior directed at them to stop (which is what people REALLY want to learn) we need to learn what works to ‘fix’ behaviors. This means teaching people behavioral approaches to get unwanted behaviors to stop. Just making people aware of a problem doesn’t’ fix the problem.  Teaching them how to take responsibility for their own behavior so that they can ‘fix’ the behavioral dynamics around them is priceless. People want to learn this and are motivated to learn it and this results in an entire office of people being on their best behaviors to ‘fix’ what they believe to be the bad behaviors of others.  Best of all, this sort of training  helps people claim their dignity and worth and learn how to assert it without harming others in the process. It creates a positive feedback loop.

Rethinking the problem and treating people with dignity. 

Having done this for a long time now, pretty much my entire adult life, I can tell you with some authority that very few people are truly problematic. Most people are good people.  In most offices there are people who make mistakes and these problems are easily fixed if given the right tools.  

In the few cases that can't be fixed it is because the ‘problem person’ has a mental health issue that is impeding their ability to control their behavior. If that is the case, they need and deserve to be treated with dignity and compassion.  The descriptions of what is being banned and why in the EO violates people’s dignity. I will never be ok with any training approach that violates people's dignity.  

What about the racists?

For the people who are in management positions and who are truly racist, and they exist, no training on how to be anti-racist will fix that. You just have to fire them. Or at least not give them any position of power over any person. 

I get called in by companies who want me to ‘fix’ their problem person. I don’t take those jobs.  What they want me to do I can’t do. People have to want to learn what you are teaching them.  Very few racists want to learn to not be racist. Some do get to that point but those people talk about deconversion, like racism is a religion that they have to break away from. A critical race theory training isn’t going to do that. Deconversion is a time intensive process.  

Deconverting a racist is really NOT something an employer should be taking on. Companies just have to decide whether they can minimize the harm a racist is causing by NOT giving this person authority over ANYONE (because they will abuse their authority if given the chance) or if they should fire them. 

My advice: 

When you get someone who holds an extreme ideology that is fundamentally against treating everyone with dignity, if you don’t fire them, then you are culpable for the harm they do. And they will do harm because they won’t treat certain people with dignity.

Conclusion:

To me, the ban on critical race theory as a training tool is valid. As I said right after the ban came out I participated in a joint bid on anti-racism training and none of us were concerned that our bid would be negatively impacted by the order as none of us involved in the bid use critical race theory. In fact the lead on that project was pretty happy the ban was issued, because it gives us an edge. And yes she is a black woman.

 If you are in the government and need a training that complies with this order, contact me and check out my course offerings: https://humanistlearning.com/category/businesscourses/mandated/

Applying the Principles of Humanism to Business

 Discussing how to apply the philosophy of Humanism to the business of business.

If you want to learn more:

• Take a course at https://humanistlearning.com/
• Get my book on Applied Humanism: https://humanistlearning.com/new-book-applied-humanism-how-to-create-more-effective-and-ethical-businesses/
  Or - get the short pamphlet book: https://humanistlearning.com/book-and-video-principles-of-humanistic-leadership/
• Or take one of my online courses:
• Certified Humanistic Leadership Professional - 16 hours
• Certificate in Applied Humanistic Leadership - 8 hours
• Principles of Humanistic Leadership - 2 hours

A Behavioral Approach to Humanistic Management

How to improve productivity while reducing negativity through the strategic application of science and compassion.

 

Management training that ALSO teaches how to stop bullying

For me - the how do you get the behavior you want out of your team skill set - is the same skill set as knowing how to get unwanted behavior from your team to stop. This just happens to be the same skill set you use to stop unwanted behavior or obnoxious behavior like bullying/harassment.

Knowing how to shut down bad behavior quickly and compassionately is an essential management skill just as much as how you reinforce and encourage the good behavior you want. 

Learning how to motivate and reinforce people by creating compassionate but compelling conditions to reinforce the behaviors you want is a powerful skill set to have. I consider this a basic life skill. Well - not basic - definitely advanced - but certainly people who know how to do this ethically and compassionately are way more effective managers than people who do it through abuse.

Management training that focuses on how to reinforce and reward the behaviors you want while eliminating the behaviors you don't - for effective management - is a step in the right direction. 

A "how to improve productivity while reducing negativity" management course would include the following information: 

1. The ideal
2. The reality
3. How behaviors are reinforced
4. How behaviors are eliminated
5. Being strategic about your interpersonal interactions (the role of compassion)
6. How to encourage positive interpersonal dynamics in the workplace
7. What to do when someone isn’t playing fair or being nice
8. Respectful Problem Solving
9. Resolving Conflicts – is it a conflict? Or something else?
10. Putting it all together

And that's exactly what you will find in my Applied Humanistic Leadership Certificate Program: https://humanistlearning.com/certificate-in-applied-humanistic-leadership/ 

And my Certified Humanistic Leadership Professional Program: https://humanistlearning.com/certified-humanistic-leadership-professional/

Constructive Capitalism

In February - my colleague Elizabeth Castillo from Arizona State University was the guest on the Humanistic Management Lunch and Learn. Her topic was Social Accounting and how to think differently about resources. She brought up an interesting concept - constructive capitalism.

Here are some of my notes:

If we want a more humanistic capitalism, or a more sustainable capitalism, we are defining success as something sustainable.

How it works: by integrated or social accounting it helps you build capital or capacity.

Focusing only on money as capital – tends to be extractive – and not sustainable – because extraction – never is.

If – however, you develop capabilities/capital, you are being constructive. You build more and more capability and then the possibilities grow. It’s not extractive, it’s constructive.

Our problem is we tend to think of capital - as money and that's too narrow. If we think of capital in terms of our capabilities, we think differently about success and we think differently about the values of our various capabilities and the support and investment in those various capabilities.

Money capability is not our only capability. 

Humans represent another capability your organization has. So are the raw materials (which probably come from natural resources).

Social Accounting or integrated reporting helps you capture all your capabilities and therefore – all your possibilities in a way that only accounting for money – does not.

This can also be used for personal purposes.

For instance, my company – lost money last year. Not a lot, but it was my first year net negative. On the other hand, I accomplished so many things. I published a book, got a 5 year contract with the government, and more. I increased human capabilities through relationship building for instance.  I feel like I’m way more capable now. But if you just look at my balance sheet – you would not know that.  This is the benefit of social or integrated accounting. It helps me look at all my capitals/capabilities and how I might leverage them in the future. 

This sort of - accounting can also be used for personal growth as well as organizational growth. What are my personal capabilities and how might I nurture them and ensure their and therefore my growth? This question will probably lead me to value my friendships and time invested in my friendships more highly than if I am only looking at my financial situation. 

If you want to learn more about Elizabeth - here is her professional website: https://asu.pure.elsevier.com/en/persons/elizabeth-ann-castillo

If you want to learn more about the lunch and learn and the international humanistic management association - visit: http://humanisticmanagement.international/ 

Advice for first-time leaders and supervisors

I teach humanistic leadership and management skills at Humanist Learning Systems. In fact – I have a brand new online course – Humanistic Leadership Principles, which teaches the 7 deadly sins of staff management and leadership principles to help people understand the role of a leader/manager.

You're in a leadership role at work for the first time. What should you know?

 2 Things Good Leaders Must Understand

1. You have 2 customers. Your bosses – and your staff. Yes – your staff are your customers. Your bosses are going to want you to file reports and let them know what work is being done.  Your staff – need you to support them.  A manager/leader is a support rule. The work is being done by workers. The leader’s job is to make sure workers have what they need to be able to do their job well. Do they need training? Supplies? Information? Information that is in another department? That’s the job of the manager. So – think of yourself as being below your staff – your job is to do the grunt work required to make sure – your team can function well. 

2. Bullying management is bad management. Bullying negatively impacts workflow and causes real harm to real people. Successful leaders – build up and support employees. They champion them. Help them feel valued and included. Kindness and compassion in everything you do – should be your guiding principle. That’s what makes a good leader a great leader. They inspire people to be the best they can be. Bosses – order people around. Be a leader – not a boss.

Are you a new leader?

Often folks are thrust into these positions without real training about how to supervise employees or take the lead on projects.

Understand – you were chosen because your managers have faith in you. Be diligent and conscientious and you will do fine. If you don’t know how best to do something- ask for help and advice.

Take online courses (like mine) and learn what you don’t know but need to know.  Everyone starts every job learning. Most people don’t become productive for several months.  You will feel pressure to perform but remember – you have a lot to learn – so part of your new job – as a manager/leader – is to learn how to lead. And there are plenty of resources to help you. You may also want to ask one of the senior managers/ leaders to mentor you.  Not only will that help you in your future career – but it will help you become the sort of leader you want to be.

Even if you're just supervising one intern, what are some things you should keep in mind? 

Treat everyone with dignity. Behave with dignity. When in doubt  - think -  with compassion and dignity. Eleanor Roosevelt once said – in her book You Learn by Living, to treat employees as if they are volunteers.  You don’t have the right to “boss” people around. Even if you are paying them. And especially if you are not. Treat people as if they matter and as if they have a choice. Treat them with gratitude for the work they are doing and with grace. Support them. Encourage them. Help them learn how to be awesome productive citizens of the world.

 Are there additional things to know as a young leader versus someone older or with more experience in the workforce?

“If you want to slide through life, try being polite.” – Christopher Shaw (my father).  Kindness will take you places that meanness can’t. Remember – to be kind. You will like the sort of person you are, and your employees will appreciate the effort you put into helping them be better.

And again - take my online course - you will be glad you did. https://humanistlearning.com/principles-of-humanistic-leadership/

7 steps to keep in mind when hiring, training, and managing staff in a humanistic management framework.

Here are seven steps to keep in mind when hiring, training, and managing staff in a humanistic management framework.

Step 1: Recognize the individual for who they are as a whole person, and not just as someone with specific knowledge you think might be helpful.

Step 2: Provide them with the right work environment so that their personality and skills can be utilized fully and not suppressed because you as the manager cannot figure out how to take advantage of their unique abilities and temperament.

Step 3: Ensure that your staff are properly oriented. They need to understand the big picture, how their part of the work fits into the rest of the organization, and how the different pieces inter-relate to create the whole. A good orientation explains how everyone in the company is dependent on everyone else doing their job in order for the company to work effectively. Make sure they know how important their work is, even if what you are asking them to do is sweep your floors. It is all essential or you would not have hired them.

Step 4: Make sure they have the training they need to do the job. If you hire someone to sweep your floors, but you do not ensure they know how to use a broom, they probably are not going to succeed.

Step 5: Verify that they have learned your specific and unique processes. Do not assume it is obvious. Every work group has its quirks. Even sweeping the floor for a company has quirky requirements. Do not omit those during training or you set your employee up for failure. If they do fail, do  not treat them as a failure; it was your fault as the manager that you did not teach them this quirk. If they come up with a solution to a problem and it is not the solution you hoped for, understand that they are creatively solving a problem, and that is a good thing. Do not punish them for that. Learn why what you thought was going to work—did not and how the processes need to be adjusted to take into account—the reality the employees experience.

Step 6: In the early stages of an employee’s work for you, check their work and help them learn from the mistakes made in Step 4. It is amazingly disheartening to think you are doing something correctly and doing it for a long time only to find out that you have been doing it wrong all along and no one bothered to tell you. No one feels good about that. When this happens, it is the manager’s fault. The sooner you can help an employee identify a problem and correct it, the happier everyone will be. The longer you let something linger, the more frustration and anger will arise when you finally do correct it.

Step 7: Thank them for their work. Do not take it for granted that they were going to do it anyway. People like to know you appreciate their work. The key to doing this step well is to understand that different individuals need different rewards for their work. In order to provide them with a reward that is meaningful to them, you need to know what is motivating them. It is not just that people are getting paid for their work. That is nice, but it is not all people want. I started my professional career working in volunteer management. With volunteers, you do not reward them with pay. You have to provide them with another reason to volunteer for you. Some people want public recognition. Some people are looking for friendships, some are looking to learn new skills, and some get really excited when they accomplish something difficult that they did not think was possible. In order to keep your employees happy and loyal, you need to treat them as the individuals they are and figure out what is motivating them so that you can individualize your approach for each employee. This sounds harder than it actually is. Break down the most common motivations and design your rewards and thanks programs to provide the customized motivation your different employees require. Structured flexibility really does work. Most managers fail at this because they are only really comfortable working with people who are basically like them and motivated by the same things as they are. A humanistic business manager stretches themselves out of their comfort zone to make sure they are treating each of their employees with dignity and celebrate the unique gifts and traits that each brings to the company. After all, if you have a company of likeminded individuals, you are limiting yourself and your problem-solving and your customer base to people who are like you. That is not good for business.


Learn more about applied Humanism in business at:
https://humanistlearning.com/category/businesscourses/

And get my new book on applied Humanist at: https://humanistlearning.com/new-book-applied-humanism-how-to-create-more-effective-and-ethical-businesses/

How to build a thriving work culture

The key to creating a thriving workplace culture - is to be specific about what the values of this - thriving culture are. What are the values you want people to exemplify in their work and with each other?  This is why Humanistic Management is so important.

The number 1 tip – is to integrate ethical questions into every discussion.  What is the moral and right thing to do here? What is a good – and ethical outcome of this situation?

When people talk about workplace culture – they are really talking about morality and ethics. Which is apparently missing – or we wouldn’t be talking about culture.

One way to get an ethical workplace culture – is to make talking about what is ethical and good – part of the normal business practice and you do that – by asking the question – what is the moral thing to do.  Whether it has to do with helping a customer or figuring out how to get energy for your company, make sure to talk about ethics.

I teach humanistic business management and am the author of the new book – Applied Humanism: How to create more effective and ethical businesses. http://humanisthappiness.blogspot.com/2019/08/my-new-management-book.html

What does it mean to be an ethical, morally sound leader and manager: A humanist perspective

I teach humanistic management and leadership. My perspective comes from my experience and values as a Humanist.  This comes from questions I received from a reporter.

1. What tips do you have for managers who want to be an ethical leader?

The way to be an ethical leader – is to integrate ethics into your decision making. It’s central to it. The question – what a good outcome is – is a moral question. You first have to define what you mean by good.  Good can mean – more money – or getting the project done. Or it can mean – a problem is solved in a way that benefits humanity, your staff, your company and that makes you money.  An ethical leader is the person who defines ‘good’ in a holistic  and humanistic way in terms of well-being and flourishing and not just in an economistic way.



2. What do you define as an ethical leader?

An ethical leader is a leader who is ethical and who makes ethical decisions.



3. Why is being an ethical leader important? 

Ethical leaders are good leaders. If you aren’t a good leader – why even bother leading?  We all have choices. And we can choose to be good ethical people in all that we do. Or we can abandon our moral values to expediency.  Good ethical leaders are role models. People like them. They win awards. They are highly regarded. Unethical leaders are people no one wants to work for and they often end up and jail. Your choice, I know which one I would choose.



4. What tips do you have for building an ethical business? 

I discuss this in my new book: Applied Humanism: How to Create More Effective and Ethical Businesses. The way to create ethical businesses is to understand your business is in the business of solving problems. Commit to solving your problems, all your problems in an ethical effective way.  A big part of how to do this is how to think through problem solving in a way that integrates ethics and helps you avoid problem solving shortcuts that don’t work.  So – if you need energy to power your building, taking the time to think through the ethical implications of how and where you source your energy can help you be more ethical in business and help you gain a competitive advantage over your competitors if you do it well.  Same thing with staffing problems. How do you onboard and develop your staff with dignity?  How do you help your staff develop as humans? Do you encourage them to be ethical?  Do you promote bullies into management positions? There are literally no decisions your company makes that aren’t inherently ethical. So when you approach all decisions as ethical decisions – it will help you build an ethical business.



5. What can managers do to improve their leadership style?  

Take the time to care about the humans who work for and with you. Treat them with dignity and be a dignified person yourself and strive to live up to that ideal.   Fully see the people you work with as fully human. Ethical leadership is not just about the big questions of right and wrong. It’s also about the little decisions of how we handle our interpersonal relationships and interpersonal problems. It’s attention to both the macro and micro ethical questions that defines an ethical leader.

Bullying Management is Bad Management

Last February Amnesty International released a report on their workplace culture and the changes they need to make. They did this - after a couple of staff members committed suicide.  And it was found that “a serious failure of management” had contributed to one of the employee's deaths.

I am a supporter of Amnesty International and have volunteered with them and for them for years. I used to be the death penalty abolition coordinator for Florida.  So this report - hits me hard.  Most of the staff and volunteer consider human rights work a calling. It is the sort of work that should help people feel empowered and help them have a strong sense of moral motivation.

Yes, it's stressful work, but the report found that the well being issues were not from the trauma and suffering they were working with - but from "the adversarial culture, failures in management and pressures of workload were among the most significant contributors to well being issues."

The report is very upsetting. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/uk/widespread-bullying-of-staff-identified-at-amnesty-international-1.3783992

But it should stand as a reminder to those of us in leadership positions. Bullying management is bad management. Not only does it affect the quality of the work being done - it does real harm to the employees. Amnesty International suffered such a bad workplace culture - that an employee committed suicide because of it.

There is no legitimate reason for abusive management tactics. None. There are other more effective ways to motivate employees. Bullying management causes so much harm to individuals - it's amazing it is tolerated at all.

Not only were managers engaging in public humiliation - they were also encouraging people to sacrifice their well being for the cause by taking on extraordinary workloads.

The report concludes: “Amnesty cannot effectively strive to make the world a better place while perpetuating an organisational culture deeply marked by secrecy, mistrust, nepotism and other forms of power abuse.”

And this is the heart of the matter. We cannot do the good work we strive to do - whatever work we are in - if we allow or perpetuate abusive workplace cultures.   Every time we allow something to slide - we are changing the culture for the worse. We send messages to staff about what behavior is tolerated and acceptable. Every time we allow an abusive and inappropriate behavior to go unchecked - we make the culture worse. Until finally - you end up with the severe problems that Amnesty International is having - including employee suicide.

The antidote is to take your responsibility to your fellow humans seriously. We are each responsible for the workplace culture we are part of.  If we tolerate bad things, the culture turns bad. If we insist on relationships centered on dignity - the culture will embrace and cherish the dignity of everyone.

If your organization needs help in this area - please reach out to me.  I have experience turning around toxic workplace cultures and can help you not only adopt the philosophic mindset you hope for - but help you understand how to behaviorally managed and get rid of the behavior you don't want.