Say More About That

8Overcoming the Most Common Obstacles

In the Introduction, I mentioned five common obstacles that get in the way of people speaking up. To revisit, they are:

1. Understanding: This might sound like “I don't know if I understand/agree/believe that disabled people face discrimination, so I am just going to be quiet.”
2. Accountability: This might sound like “I don't think my leader understands/agrees/believes in inclusion, I think they are just checking the box and I don't know how to hold them accountable.”
3. Fear: This might sound like “I am afraid to say something in case it is the wrong thing to say.”
4. Discomfort: This might sound like “I am uncomfortable talking about racial equity.” Or it can sound like “I am afraid of making others uncomfortable by addressing inequitable behaviors.”
5. Time: This might sound like “I don't have the time to correct every single person I encounter.” Or it can sound like “We are moving so quickly, I don't have the time to be inclusive.”

We cover a lot of other things in this part of the book that can get in the way of us speaking up, from cultural impact, to trauma, to challenges with confidence, but these five are the ones I hear the most frequently, and they are honestly the easiest to work on, so let's start here.

Understanding

Most folks want to reach a certain level of understanding about something before they are willing to engage. We want to understand what our workplace meetings are about. We want to understand our family dynamics. In seeking ...