Embrace Equity
Equity v Equality
Tomorrow is International Women’s Day. This year’s theme is #EmbraceEquity.
Equity and equality are often used interchangeably, but have a subtle yet significant difference…
Equality is that we all get the same resources or opportunities. Equity recognizes that each person has different circumstances, and is about giving everyone specific resources and opportunities in line with their individual needs so they can be successful.
Many of us were raised by the golden rule: do unto others as you’d have them do unto you. A good definition of equality. Why? Because it assumes everyone wants what you want in terms of treatment, preferences, opportunities etc.
But spend one hour around a group of people and it quickly becomes clear that each individual has their own set of circumstances and preferences. In one of my last jobs in corporate America, we were asked HOW we like to be recognized. Cool! This notes that not everyone likes to be spotlighted at a huge corporate meeting.
It’s a good moment to pause and ask yourself, where else are we making general, one-size-fits-all assumptions versus really getting a sense of who each individual is and how we can best uniquely support them?
Read on for tips to #EmbraceEquity.
Get Curious:
When we shut ourselves off to focus on just what we know, or even worse, “think” we know, we immediately silo ourselves from a world of possibilities and opportunities with others. Getting curious allows you to open up, ask questions, dig deeper and learn more about someone so you can better understand them and what they need to be successful. Here are some questions to consider:
How are they seeing the world?
Why are they seeing it that way?
What are some of the obstacles they see in their way?
How can you help remove them?
Lead with Empathy:
When we lead with empathy, we open up a world of possibility. Humility and curiosity are 100% a part of living empathetically. Here are some other ways you can practice empathetic living.
Listen more than you speak, give good eye contact, focus on what they’re saying and repeat back what you heard so they feel seen and understood. Even consider asking a question in your response to continue learning about them.
Be vulnerable. Ask for help in understanding what they are saying, using a kind and curious tone free of judgement. This can be one of the most difficult, yet most powerful ways to lead with empathy.
Use your imagination to tap into a whole new world of possibilities.
Try a new experience first-hand to see what someone else’s life may be like. Go to their church, walk in their neighborhood, enjoy their native cuisine. There are any number of ways to literally walk in their shoes for a moment.
I fully believe everyone was put here for a specific reason – to fulfill a specific purpose. And we are also here to help others fulfill their purpose. By implementing some of the steps above, you can begin to live with a spirit of more equity.
