{"id":15914,"date":"2024-11-05T21:39:18","date_gmt":"2024-11-06T02:39:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aquent.com\/?p=15914"},"modified":"2024-11-05T21:39:18","modified_gmt":"2024-11-06T02:39:18","slug":"how-privilege-blinkers-damage-inclusivity-in-the-workplace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aquent.com\/en-au\/blog\/how-privilege-blinkers-damage-inclusivity-in-the-workplace","title":{"rendered":"How \u201cPrivilege Blinkers\u201d Damage Inclusivity In The Workplace"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Are you reading more headlines telling us who is mandating a full return to office mandates? Personally, to me it feels like leaders have dusted off a playbook from a century ago about unchecked privilege. <\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n\n\n

Head back to 1914 for example. In fact, during both world wars, women took on roles traditionally held by men, such as factory work and other essential services, due to the male workforce being deployed in military service. These periods demonstrated women's capability in a wide range of jobs, though many were expected to return to traditional roles after the wars ended.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n\n\n

So, when a dominant group determines they personally don't need the innovative solution, they start to roll it back. Ultimately limiting the number of people who benefit from it. <\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n\n\n

Is this another case of decisions by people who have \u201cprivilege blinkers\u201d on\u2014and are reverting backwards?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

What are “privilege blinkers”?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many of us are wearing invisible blinkers that prevent us from seeing the whole world as it is—we only see our narrow portion of the world. <\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n\n\n

So, how might we better understand our invisible privilege and power blinkers? Here are some examples:<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n\n\n

Opportunity<\/strong><\/td>Reflection Questions<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Learn to see your own blinkers<\/td>Can you name one of your privileges? How does privilege shape how you see yourself? Can you think of a situation or context where your privilege and\/or power shifts?<\/td><\/tr>
See past them to obtain a more accurate view of other people's realities. <\/td>Do you listen (without judgment) to the lived experiences of others? Do you leverage data and insights from a range of people with diverse identities and lived experiences to inform decisions? How does power and privilege shape how we see each other?<\/td><\/tr>
Reduce shame and guilt and instead, leverage your privilege. <\/td>When was the last time you used your power and privilege to serve others? How can you leverage your power and privilege to lead DEI?<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Take the return-to-office mandate example. Research tells us for knowledge and wisdom workers (where work can be done from anywhere) that the preferred way of working is the purpose-based, hybrid model. This is where employers retain some mix of remote and in-person work. The hybrid model can offer some great benefits to both employees and employers if it’s carefully considered and executed however at the employee level. But, leaders are still creating confusion with the lack of purpose behind the model they are leading and embedding.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n\n\n

If you plan to make changes to where, when, and how people work, here are some key considerations that will help you remove these blinkers:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

WTP: What's the Purpose?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n \n\n

Just because something is trending, doesn't mean it’s right for you. Employees expect you to come up with a story that makes sense. Telling employees they have to do a minimum of 4 days in the office by talking about buzz words such as “maintaining in-person connection” or “adapting to changes in the market” isn't going to cut it. <\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n\n\n

Here’s what they want to know:<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n\n\n