How Leaders Can Step Up to Promote Racial Justice and Equity in the Workplace with Katie Augsburger

Katie Augsburger photo

My guest today is Katie Augsberger, who is an employee experience strategist that’s disrupting how we think about employee experience, and helping organizations to rethink their policies and practices to create a more healing and inclusive workplace for all of their employees.

I was first introduced to Katie through my friend Laurie Ruettimann’s podcast in early 2019, and then shortly thereafter Laurie introduced the two of us so we could connect, and get to know each other better.

You’ll hear more about that phone call in this conversation today, but let’s just say that I felt that I made a less than positive impression during our chat, and I was grateful then – and even more grateful now – for Katie’s grace, support, and forgiveness.

I hope that you’ll find this conversation today helpful to you in your learning journey, and take action, along with me, to create a network of authentic relationships with a diverse group of people, a more equitable workplace, and a better world where all people feel welcomed and included, and they can thrive.

Topics Discussed In This Episode:

We’re all on a learning journey to understand “How do I show up based upon my identity, and how do I not do harm?”
We have to call people in, and not call people out. But also, those people who get called in have to have the grace to hear feedback about how they’re showing up.
The importance of building authentic relationships with black and brown folks in order to see potential in them, amplify their voices, and allow them to give you feedback about how you show up.
Recognizing the difference between “intent” and “impact” – and how to ensure that those are aligned.
How workplaces have changed, and must change, as a result of the recent death of George Floyd.
Why some HR leaders are doing tremendous harm to black and brown people in the workplace, and what needs to be done to fix that.

IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 41

(Email subscribers – click HERE to listen to the podcast.)

Key Quotes From This Episode:

“The goal is not perfection, the goal is that you try, and are comfortable getting feedback when you get it wrong. The goal is to make sure your impact and intent are aligned.” ~ Katie Augsburger #ImpactMakersPodcast

“I believe that we’re in – somebody said to me recently – “the great white awakening”, which I found both hilarious, and also really interesting. White folks have not had to think about race and racism. That has been the privilege of being white. I, like many other black and brown folks have participated in that system, because that was a survival mechanism of – I don’t want to talk about race, because I don’t know how you’ll react, and I want to stay safe. And we just have not had this conversation at this volume – I know in my lifetime – and I think probably ever. And that feels radical, and it feels scary, and it feels depressing, and it feels new, and it feels exciting, but I also feel in my bones that it feels different.

It feels like we’re on a precipice of big change. And I’m hopeful, because I think that we’re ready for it.” ~ Katie Augsburger #ImpactMakersPodcast