Systems change work is often treated as an organizational function something to manage within the confines of schedules, budgets, and operational priorities. But truly transformative change asks for something different. It invites us to think less like entrepreneurs optimizing for efficiency, and more like artists and scientists tapping into our creativity, curiosity, and sense of play. From that space, we can begin to radically imagine and build a world that is more just, expansive, and human-centered.
My work exists because of the unintended harm that so-called “brilliant” design ideas, systems, and products have caused and continue to cause for large, diverse groups of people. Too often, these individuals and communities were not meaningfully considered or included in the design process. They weren’t centered, acknowledged, or consulted in ways that truly reflected their needs. While empathy has taken us part of the way, it has its limits. The real opportunity lies in co-designing with communities to build systems, products, and services that are sustainable, adaptable, and genuinely inclusive.
5 ways the model minority myth creates harm & barriers in the workplace for (South) Asian women. These barriers continue to persist even as many of us learn how to bypass, overcome and conquer them. It's important for all leaders (including WOC) to remember as we "break glass ceilings" that we systematically remove it for others rather than pride ourselves for breaking through them.
If inequity shows up by design, then it can be redesigned. Building a more inclusive workplace starts with intentionally addressing the systems, structures, and practices that create barriers. By treating this as a design challenge, organizations can move toward environments that truly reflect human diversity, foster a sense of belonging, and ensure fair access to opportunities. When these values are embedded into the very foundation of how a workplace operates, meaningful and lasting change becomes possible.
This article has no solutions or profound insights and instead it's me sharing the internal tug-of-war I've been feeling to respond to any difficult thing in my life by minimizing my own needs and holding the world on my shoulders. When I reflect on 2020, I'm grateful and yet I'm overwhelmed by survivors guilt, anxiety, urgency and I think of the line from Friends's theme song "when it hasn't been your day, your week, your month or even your year".
I’m noticing an urgent call to action for organizations to start to increase the number of diverse employees. If organizations do not build the capabilities to utilize diverse perspectives, foster inclusion and increase their cultural intelligence first, diversity won’t work.
The thing about representation is that it isn’t as simple as putting a brown or black character in the story and having them react in a similar fashion as your white characters. People of colour go through different experiences that shape the way we go about looking at life. When you write about characters of colour, it should be less about, “what can I do to make my story seem more diverse?” and more about “am I accurately representing the communities my characters are from?”
April is National Child Abuse Prevention and Sexual Assault Awareness month. To prevent abuse, we have to break through the stigma and shame, to talk about how the sexual abuse of children happens and how disturbingly common it is. It’s the way we will be able to stop a great health crisis, protect victims (instead of abusers) and advocate for justice.
One of my core values is kindness and I truly believe that operating from a place of love and kindness toward self and others is the most powerful, influential way of leading and working. The current pandemic has me accepting the fact that I am achingly human. Little soft human, fleshy and emotional. Arrogance and hatred is weak & easy to display. It is in giving & showing love where we find our true strength. Soften your armour, shift your thinking, & choose kindness, always and especially now.
Conversations about “checking our privilege” historically turn heavy, sensitive and awkward without actually bridging much of a divide. So how we do we have this conversation in a non-toxic way so that it is productive, effective and helpful? I’m exploring ways to create more self-awareness, self-reflection and empathy in the conversation around privilege. How can we own our privileges and can we, by considering these as our superPOWERs start being agents of equitable change?
