Workplace Experience of Minority Employees with Brenda Harrington

Episode 43. Many of our workplaces lack diversity. Whether it be across the company, in a particular meeting or at the leadership level, it is rare to see a group of people that match the ethnic and gender diversity of our communities. So, what does it feel like when you look different?

Brenda Harrington, the author of a book called Access Denied, a compilation that explores discrimination and disparity in the workplace. Whether this subject personally resonates with you or not, this episode will teach you a lot about business culture and open the door to understanding new perspectives.

Brenda believes that when you know where you excel and what you enjoy, you can pivot to a career that feels fulfilling and purposeful. Brenda focuses on emphasizing diversity in the workplace, and during the episode she shines a light on her own personal experiences as well as what being inclusive really looks like.

Key Takeaways and Discussion

• Brenda’s career journey and what lead her to start Adaptive Leader Strategies 
• Why she refers to her path as non-linear as opposed to a journey.
• The importance of knowing what you’re good at, what you like, and what you don’t.
• Why waiting for Friday, week after week, is not the answer to a satisfying career.
• How to show up in your work in a more purposeful way and why it matters.
• The secret of using open questions to communicate more dynamically.
• Why being vulnerable beats having all the answers.
• The settlement Brenda received over an incident with a previous employer. 
• Why inclusion is a leadership imperative. 
• What the research shows about diversity.
• What the reader will discover inside Brenda’s book Access Denied.
• The course Brenda is piloting right now and what it addresses.
• Being equitable in the workplace and where holding people accountable comes in.
• Why we’re often blinded to the instances of exclusion or even aggression in our own workplaces.