Teach Me How to Champion a Diverse and Inclusive Workplace, with Karlyn Percil

Author: Gillian Berner, Cailyn Michaan, Karlyn Percil
Published: Wed 09 Dec 2020
Episode Link: https://www.teachmehowtoadult.ca/

Diversity shouldn’t be a trend, it should be a standard. Support for Black Lives Matter has dipped significantly since June, but racial inequality continues to permeate every facet of society—including our workplaces. Exactly six months after the senseless murder of George Floyd, we had the privilege of talking with Karlyn Percil about the racial pandemic we’re still facing, and the state of diversity and equality in the workplace, and what we can do to make businesses more inclusive.

Because equitable work is a key to breaking the cycle of oppression, and the right to earn a living in a safe, inclusive workplace is a basic human right. In this episode, we learned how to use emotional intelligence and positive psychology to help create equal opportunities for BIPOC employees, to shift hiring practices and dated work cultures, and to eliminate harmful microaggressions that prevent employees from feeling safe enough to bring their whole selves to work.

While it is 100% *our* job as white women to educate ourselves on systemic racism and how to be an anti-racist ally, we’re so grateful that Certified Emotional Intelligence and Neuro-Life Coach Karlyn Percil spent time chatting with us about how to leverage bravery, leadership, empathy and vulnerability to create more equitable and safe workplaces for BIPOC communities.

Karlyn has dedicated her career to increasing emotional intelligence in the workforce and helping corporations plan and execute Diversity, Equity and Inclusion strategies. She’s the CEO of KDPM Consulting, the Founder of SisterTalk Group, and she spreads her infectiously positive and empowering mindset tools on talk shows like CityLine, on CBC and in the pages of Forbes and Refinery29.

Listen to our chat with Karlyn to learn more about:

The current state of racial diversity in the workplace: 2:05
Changes you can make right now to promote inclusivity and diversity at work: 3:00
Why corporate “Listening and Learning” sessions are missing the mark, and how to improve them: 15:35
The reality of changing “company culture”: 21:39
What microaggressions sound like and how to take accountability: 22:30
Why you will 100% screw up on your anti-racism journey, and why you should keep going out of your comfort zone: 24:28
Using emotional intelligence to examine defensiveness, shame and fear: 30:16
How to be a better ally through Karlyn’s LEAP strategy: 31:30
The hiring practices that ensure inclusivity and equity: 36:10
How to respond to racial injustice and getting “called in” on social media: 51:08

Teach Me How To Adult is a podcast that serves up expert interviews, candid experiences and actionable advice on everything you never learned growing up. Follow along as we figure it out together!

For show notes and more adulting tips, visit:

teachmehowtoadult.ca

instagram.com/teachmehowtoadultpodcast

Follow Gillian:

instagram.com/yunggillianaire/

Follow Cailyn:

instagram.com/cailynmichaan/

Follow Karlyn:

karlynpercil.com

instagram.com/karlynpercil

linkedin.com/karlynpercil/

kdpmconsultinggroup.com/