How do we develop diversity in a "safe space"?

[View this email in your browser]( • [Forward to a Friend]( Using a "Safe Space" to Develop Diversity TL;DR: How do we build a diverse culture at our startups if we haven't established a safe space to discuss our differences? There's a lot of talk about having a diverse workforce, but if we all come to work every day without the ability to genuinely engage each other with our differences, is the organization truly diverse? One of the challenges we've been tackling internally at Startups.com, and I'd imagine lots of other startups, is breaking down how we communicate in a diverse workforce. We feel that diversity shouldn't just be about hiring, it should be about understanding. In fact, it stands to reason that the more diverse our workforce becomes, the less implicit understanding we will have amongst ourselves. Our backgrounds will become so different that what we say and how we respond will have less and less common ground. I wanted to share one step we're taking to address this challenge in hopes that others will share their experiences too (by the way, the "reply" button on these goes directly to me, the Founder). One of our focus areas has been creating a "safe space" to begin to share what's on our mind without the fear of being attacked. It's actually a much harder problem than it sounds like because it requires unwinding generations of assumptions. But it's worth the effort. Today’s Advice Sponsored by [Vouch]( A safe space to be wrong After the brutal murder of George Floyd, our staff wanted to know how our company would respond. People were visibly enraged, as was I. But then something shitty happened — I hesitated. I was so fearful of saying the wrong thing that instead I said nothing at all — which was much worse. I later apologized and explained my hesitation but the bigger problem loomed — why didn't I feel safe to address the issue? At its core, I didn't feel safe to be wrong. I didn't know how our team would react, no matter what I said, which forced me to dial back. That's a huge problem because if I'm not comfortable communicating as the CEO, it's safe to say the rest of our staff has similar challenges. As such, we knew we had to develop a "safe space" at the company where people could ask hard questions — even if they knew they might be wrong. It had to be a place where those responding were willing to educate, not just lash out. We'd like to replace "How dare you!" with "Let me give you another perspective." The more we feel safe to communicate, the more we learn, but neither will happen without a mechanism for us to share effectively. We started with a Slack group, but I'm interested to see what that morphs into. Replacing Statements with Questions We're also developing a different way to approach our dialogue. We're trying to get in the habit of replacing statements ("You're wrong about that!") with questions ("Can you help me understand why you feel that way?"). All too often we make broken assumptions about why people feel the way that they do. We forget that there is a lifetime of experiences behind our words, yet we often project our own experiences onto how other people think. One way to address this is by always starting with an honest question that allows the speaker to explain the nuances of their concern while helping the audience to fill in gaps. For what it's worth, this is how nearly every good conversation should work. Trust comes from Repetition There's no way we can build our beautiful Circle of Trust without lots and lots of repetitions. Initially, very few people will engage, so we have to be mindful that no matter how we project a "safe space" those words will only have meaning when folks have seen real action that supports that notion. We're trying to get the wheels turning by asking our Diversity Committee to get extra active around questions and conversations to help set the tone for this dialogue. That challenge gets compounded as more and more new people come on board. We will have to earn new trust with each new employee who will likely have come from a previous organization that hasn't had anywhere near this level of engagement. This is going to be a long, long journey. But you know what? There's no other way. Until we can establish trust and develop together over time, we'll never be truly diverse. No matter how hard it is, or how long it takes, we're determined to get this right. [Click here for the full website article]( Protect your business. You’ll be glad you did. Whether you’re a Fortune 10 behemoth or a new startup, all businesses face uncertainty and risk. One unforeseen event can absolutely devastate your business. Although some of these risks are uncontrollable - you can use certain safeguards and protections to control the impact. That is why Startups.com uses [Vouch Insurance](. Vouch provides Startups.com $4,000,000 of general liability protection for under $1,000. Startups.com members are eligible to receive Vouch’s top [discount]( on new policies for a limited time. Vouch is business insurance for startups that helps founders mitigate their risks. Whether you’re raising a round or hiring employee number 50, in under 10 minutes you can apply for 10+ lines of proprietary coverage - from General Liability to EPL. Backed by Y Combinator, Ribbit Capital, Silicon Valley Bank, Index Ventures, and Munich Re—Vouch is trusted by tech innovators at leading startups. [The process]( is simple, effective, and designed for startups. Vouch speaks the language of founders. Be proactive, protect yourself, your business, your investors, and your future. Don’t just take our word for it - here’s what the CEO of Rhove - Calvin Cooper - had to say: “Vouch saved us thousands of dollars by replacing our policy from a traditional insurer with one designed for a startup like ours. Once I was ready to go, all it took was a short conversation and a few clicks and Vouch handled the rest.” Please go [protect yourself]( for your peace of mind. You’ll be happy you did. In Case You Missed It [How Relationships Change When You're Successful]( As our success grows, our relationships will change. It’s inevitable. What can we expect will happen when for the first time our “wealth” changes the dynamic of our relationships with friends and family? [How We Built an 8-Figure Business by Saying “No”]( We always hear about brazen Founders making big bets on the future — the big "Yes!" But what about saying "No"? You guys at Startups.com talk about how often you say "No" — how did that help you build a successful company? [How Do We Create Career Paths Within Startups?]( (podcast) Want to get your best employees to stick around? Listen in for tips on expanding careers without the hierarchy. Love this topic? Hate it? Let's chat on social media! Wil Schroter Founder & CEO @ Startups.com [Share]( [Share]( [Tweet]( [Tweet]( [Forward]( [Forward]( Copyright © 2020 Startups.com, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you joined Startups.com. Our mailing address is: Startups.com 1201 Dublin RoadColumbus, OH 43215 [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](.