You know what time it is.  It’s New Year’s Resolution time! (Insert eyeroll here.)

Seriously, how many times have you made a New Year’s Resolution only to look back in 3 or 6 months (or weeks) and think, “I am nowhere near accomplishing that”?  Although none of us likes to admit it—myself most certainly included–we’ve all done it. So while I take time to reflect on where I am and what I’d like to accomplish in the new year, I no longer make resolutions.  Instead, I create goals.

Before I can set goals for myself, though—before I decide what I want to do, before I make plans, before I build my accountability team—I must become open to change.  I have to acknowledge what my current state is (whether I like it or not).  Admit that I’m the reason my current state is the way it is. And accept that I have the power to change it. Then, I have to commit to doing the work, without excuses.  Easy to do? Of course not. But is it worth it?  Absolutely.  Because it works.

The same is true for our organizations. As Waymakers, we understand that without energy and accountability, all things remain stagnant. In other words, our good intentions are like New Year’s Resolutions—not worth the paper or vision boards we put them on if we don’t take ownership and ACT.  If we are to build the work cultures we truly want to have, then we must be open to change.

Here’s how:

Embrace Realism 
If we have any chance of creating the kinds of cultures we say we want tomorrow—diverse, equitable, and inclusive—we have to first be honest with ourselves and each other about who (and what) we are today.  What are your people telling you about their experiences in your organization? What are their concerns?  What do they love? What do they wish were different?  Being honest about what is broken in your systems and norms is the first step to becoming the company you claim to be and nurturing the culture you say you want. Internalize employee experience results. Call the things—sexism, racism, ableism, xenophobia, etc.—what they are. Acknowledge the results as real and problematic. Then own your role in doing something about it.

Take Responsibility 
Change requires not only awareness, but also ownership—the knowing that you are indeed the change you seek. Your people’s experiences, their truths, are a direct result of the decisions you make and don’t make.  Deciding not to address something is, in fact, communicating to your people that you’re ok with how things are.  Changing our workplaces requires a lot from us.  It will take being honest about the bias inherent in our systems and acknowledging the ugly truth that some like it that way.  It will take discovering where discriminatory practices hide and being bold and intentional about rooting them out.  It will take courageous leadership—holding ourselves and others accountable to the values we espouse. It will require you knowing it is up to you and you actually doing the work.

Build Relationship 
Relationships open doors of opportunity.  And relationships start with points of connection. But how do we build relationships with people who are not like us?  The same way you build any relationship—by discovering points of connection. Connectedness inspires curiosity, dispels stereotypes, broadens perspectives, creates value, and nurtures respect.  We leverage connectedness to usher in the systemic change we need to achieve equity. People who are not like us are still people, and just like us, they have hopes and fears and needs and gifts.  If we got to know and truly care about human beings who are different from us, we might be more willing to spend our capital—our time, energy, advocacy, and resources—on their behalf.  This sharing of capital is one way to clear the path to equity in our organizations and in our societies too.

Be Open to Change
We do not all have an equal opportunity to succeed. We are not all starting from the same place, with the same tools, in the same conditions. Headwinds abound. Roadblocks are erected. And even when we arrive at the same time, the clocks are sometimes—for some of us—reset.  People still say, with all the evidence to the contrary in the public domain, that those of us living with the various -isms and phobias that negatively impact our world and workplaces—i.e. sexism, ableism, racism, xenophobia, transphobia, etc.—do not see what we see or hear what we hear.  That we do not experience what we experience.  But we do.  And it is not only a drag on our careers, but on our very lives, our liberty, and our pursuits of happiness.  And, you know what else is true: no one else is going to change that. Whether you’re in the C-suite or act as an individual contributor, YOU have the power to change what people in your organization experience every day—one admission of reality, one intentional relationship across differences, one informed, intentional action at time.

When you’re ready to shift from resolutions and good intentions to intentional action and a more equitable culture for all, connect with us.  We stand ready to help you and your organization open to change.