Beyond ‘Lean in’: The Importance of Inclusive Language in the Workplace
Inspired by her 2010 TEDtalk, Sheryl Sandberg’s message Lean in, “challenges us to change the conversation from what women can’t do to what we can do.”
While it was lauded as empowering and uplifting by some women, over time, the advice seems outdated and even problematic. CEO of EFE and Stay in the Game Mona Andrews, argues that ‘lean in’ implies that the “responsibility for driving advancement lies with the individual, therefore minimizing systemic workplace issues.” Michelle Obama, former First Lady and author of Becoming challenges Sandberg’s message, and says: “it’s not always enough to lean in, because that sh*t doesn’t work all the time.”
Despite Sandberg’s ‘lean in’ being debunked by many women, we still hear various slogans that carry similar sentiments, ones that ignore the reality of women’s lived experiences in favour of ‘sexy’ mottos. This is especially harmful to women of colour and non-binary folks whose day-to-day experiences and challenges in the workplace look very different from those of White cis women.
In this piece, we want to get to the root of some of these phrases that have become normalized in the workplace. Language we hear from public figures to those closer to us, such as our bosses, co-workers, teachers, and even friends. So indulge the humanities student in us, and let’s break some of these concepts down together.
Illustration by Liu Liu
“Bring Your Whole Self To Work”
What It Means
Some workplaces encourage employees to bring their ‘whole’ or ‘authentic’ selves to work. These words ask us to come to work with a full sense of our identity, open about all our thoughts and ideas. In other words, an unfiltered version of who we are.
The problem
Encouraging folks to show up as who they are isn’t the problem, and we’re definitely not going to stop anyone from doing that. What we reject is the idea that we all have the same privilege to show up as who we are and without consequence. Some of us constantly question whether our unfiltered versions would ‘fit’ our work culture. In her book Inclusion on Purpose, Ruchika Tulshyan describes how many women of colour engage with “code switching.” A technique of adjusting our “appearance, speech, or behavior in ways that help white people feel more comfortbale.” Many women of colour use code switching as a tactic to ensure their safety and well-being at work. In many cases, we have to un-do parts of ourselves and identities so that we can guarantee our psychological safety, as well as professional growth.
“Be Confident”
What It Means
Many women of colour have been advised to be “confident” at work, and to refrain from seeing themselves as imposters. We’re told to enter a room, and own it.
The Problem
Look, we love the idea of having women own any room, and we’re definitely not going to stop anyone from showing up with confidence. The underlying problem comes from two set of assumptions. First, that women of colour have low confidence, and second, that it is the lack of confidence that hinders them from reaching their full potential at work. In other words, it echoes Sandberg’s concept of ‘lean in’ (fix yourself and it’ll all be okay). But in reality, research has shown that women of colour don’t lack confidence. Consistently instructing women of colour to have more confidence earases and undermines our experiences, and makes it seem as if our key blocker is our self-esteem. This ignores the real systemic barriers that stand in our way by placing the onus on women of colour to improve themselves rather than the systems that continue to marginalize them.
“Speak up”
What it means
We hear this all the time: speak up for yourself, demand what you deserve, and stand up against hate, discrimination, and injustice. We love this in theory, but…
The Problem
In reality, especially in work settings, the repercussions marginalized folks face when speaking up can be quite severe. This is because the reality that awaits us, both in life and at work are vastly different. For many of us, standing up against racism and sexism means we make our already hyper visible identities more visible. Due to racism, biases against Black women mean they are far more likely to be labelled as ‘difficult’ and ‘angry.’ In our research, an Asian woman working in the United States told us that she often opts for silence, because to lose her job, is to lose her status on American soil. Speaking up then must start with those who hold more privilege. For us who are already marginalized, standing up for what we believe is not always feasible, and its consequences can be grave.
“For many of us, standing up against racism and sexism means we make our already hyper visible identities more visible.”
Language Matters
Words hold power. This means we have to be mindful of what we say, and to whom we say it. Women of colour already face all sorts of challenges at work. To ask us to show up as our ‘whole’ selves is more toxic than we may think.
Instead, let’s try speaking to each other differently. Let’s give ourselves and one another permission to show up when we can. Let’s together reject ideas of authenticity, because we don’t owe our identities or narratives to anyone. Let’s invite each other to speak our minds when we feel safe and supported, when we want and when we can.
Lastly, for us to show up as our whole selves, with full confidence and ready to speak up, we need to feel a strong sense of belonging and safety. In other words, the onus shouldn’t be on women of colour to show up differently, but on everyone to challenge broken systems and structures and work collectively to fix them.
Coming up Next
True and intentional allyship allows us to work collaboratively to create inclusive workplaces. In our next blog, we ask our white colleagues how they show up for women of colour, and how they envision allyship and advocacy.