Impactful Inclusion Toolkit

ACTIVITY 45Enable Uncovering

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”

—Ralph Waldo Emerson

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The ability to live life in the truest version of ourselves is empowering. All too often we allow what others think about and expect of us to get in the way of showing all aspects of who we are. When we find ourselves in environments that don't welcome key facets of who we are, we are compelled to cover them to feel safe. The term covering has gained popularity over the years from the body of work done by Kenji Yoshino, legal scholar and author of Covering: The Hidden Assault on Our Civil Rights. He defines it as “editing, modifying, and downplaying a known stigmatized identity so one can operate effectively at work. The rationale being that while you can't change yourself you can change how yourself shows up to work.” For some, covering may mean leaving the best part of themselves at the workplace door. When that happens, employers and teams are unable to harness all the talents we have to offer, and we miss out on the opportunity to maximize our potential. Enabling the covered to uncover requires that we create psychological safety and use it in our day-to-day interactions. This is also vital to the development of inclusive cultures. We feel psychologically safe when we can be our authentic selves without fear of repercussion just for being who we are. Safety is one of those things that we may take for granted ...