#201 - Disrupting Racism + Sexism in Hiring with Alfonso Wenker and Trina Olson

Published: Sept. 5, 2022, 11 a.m.

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Ah, times--they are a-changing. In the last year, the dynamics of leading and being responsive to visibility, equity and social justice have never been higher stakes. We know we want to be equity-centered, anti-racist leaders, but where do we even begin?

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Join me and my friend Alfonso and Trina as we discuss what it really takes to lead equity-based practices, how to do culture change (like, for reals) and changing power dynamics within an organization. This was a really thought-provoking conversation that helped to move forward on very big and overwhelming changes.

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To connect with Alfonso: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alfonsowenker/
\\nTo connect with Trina:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/trina-c-olson-9646303/

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Resources Mentioned in the Podcast:
\\nTeam Dynamics - Team Dynamics
\\nHiring Revolution - A Guide to Disrupt Racism + Sexism in Hiring - HIRING REVOLUTION
\\nThe Harvard Business School + Accenture study: https://www.hbs.edu/managing-the-future-of-work/Documents/research/hiddenworkers09032021.pdf

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QUOTES

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\\u201cI was a two-time nonprofit executive director. I spent squarely 20 years in the nonprofit sector. It was a mixture of direct service, public policy, and advocacy\\u2026 I am white. I am 41. And I\'m queer.\\u201d - Trina Olson

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\\u201cWhen Trina and I first started working together in Team Dynamics, it was sort of a side hustle. It was a dream. When we would get together, we would dream and scheme about how we could just think bigger and be more expansive about all of the different skills and tools that we had.\\u201d - Alfonso Wenker

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\\u201cSometimes, people say things like our strategic plan says we\'re committed to ending racism. And that feels out of reach for folks. It feels nearly impossible.\\u201d - Alfonso Wenker

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\\u201cThe other thing we\'re really relentless with is goal setting\\u2026\\u201d - Alfonso Wenker

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\\u201cRacism and sexism are huge.\\u201d  - Alfonso Wenker

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\\u201cA couple of the things we talk about is changing organizational culture, changing workplace culture, changing the culture in the US, is forever work.\\u201d - Trina Olson

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\\u201cSo we just get in these ruts, and we do things. And we say we want to change while changing nothing about how we behave.\\u201d - Alfonso Wenker

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\\u201cSo we have this big, audacious goal around race or gender equity. And we talk a lot about what we\'ll realize, but we don\'t get in any new practices.\\u201d - Alfonso Wenker

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\\u201cOrganizations and businesses are not being conscious about how people need their workplace to function from a benefits perspective, from a flexibility perspective, from a technology perspective, in order to bring all of their skills and talent.\\u201d - Trina Olson

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\\u201cIt\'s not workers that need to change\\u2026 its workplaces.\\u201d - Alfonso Wenker

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\\u201cWe even have to wrestle with the idea and the notion of what is a workplace and what can it be and what should it be.\\u201d - Alfonso Wenker

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\\u201cCompanies need to change our expectations or the relationships that we have with the workers who choose to work with us.\\u201d - Alfonso Wenker

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\\u201cAlfonso and I are really clear about the same kinds of things that need to happen in a hiring process. You need to know who you\'re looking for, you need to go find them, you need to talk to them, and then you need to decide who you\'re going to pick.\\u201d - Trina Olson

\\n\\n--- \\n\\nSupport this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nonprofitlowdown/support'