They’re not calling you a racist

Alan Henry has spent over 20 years writing about work productivity hacks for places like Lifehacker, The New York Times and Wired. But as a Black man, he realized pretty quickly that he couldn’t life hack his way out of being overlooked and excluded at work. Henry has a new book out June 7 called “Seen, Heard, and Paid: The New Work Rules for the Marginalized,” and it’s a step-by-step guide for how to navigate and succeed in a workplace when you’re underrepresented and marginalized.

Most people who are managers think that they’re good managers. And most don’t think they’re the reason their employees are dissatisfied. But there’s a disconnect somewhere when companies are having a desperate time hiring and keeping talent, especially employees who don’t belong to a workplace’s dominant group (aka straight, able-bodied white men, in the case of a majority of the tech industry).

Here’s the secret to managing (and retaining) underrepresented and marginalized people successfully right now, according to Henry:

• Talk about and acknowledge that national events might be affecting them. It seems like every day there’s a new mass shooting or racist attack that is likely impacting employees’ ability to be productive and “bring their A game” to work. Henry recommends talking about the events as they come up and explicitly telling them, “I may not understand exactly what you’re dealing with right now, but I know it’s difficult, and I know you’re probably going through it … and if you need something from me, let me know.”
• Make sure you’re creating a workplace culture centered on psychological safety. One practical way to do this is to regularly check in with your direct reports on how they’re doing, whether or not they like the work they’re assigned and how you could better align their assignments with their career goals. Henry recommends ditching the “open door” policy and actively scheduling these 1:1s instead, since the former puts the onus on the employee to come to you.
• Don’t take it personally when someone calls you out on your behavior or actions. If someone points out that something you said or did hurt them or was racist, remember that they’re not calling you a racist, just the action. Just try better next time, and remember how difficult it probably was for that person to confront you in the first place. Thank them for pointing it out.
• Be intentional about assigning and distributing both “glamour work” and “office housework” equitably. It’s often the case that the “loudest person in the room” is the one who always gets their ambitious ideas greenlit, while marginalized employees get burdened with the invisible but tedious tasks Henry dubs office hoursework. Disrupt those patterns and make sure everyone gets a chance at the plum assignments.

Read the full Q&A with Henry here.

— Michelle Ma, reporter (email | twitter)