Inclusion in Coworking and Events: Key Lessons from Unconscious Bias Training

Who's not in your event? Who's not in your party? Who's not in your coworking space? And sometimes you need to notice who isn't there. But we need to help each other to pay attention. ➡️ I'll give you an example: Years ago, 2014 was the peak of the #sharingeconomy gold rush. I ran this 'pucka' event and was so excited to have these four BIG names from BIG companies you use daily—what an EVENT COUP! But then Elena Giroli pointed out to me that they were all white men from corporations. Was it only white men from corporations building the sharing economy and changing society? I'm sure they had an impact on it. But they weren't the ONLY ones. Of course, a long list of women and people of colour could have been on that panel. But my lens was not operating at that frequency then - now I'd go to People of Coworking to find speakers. https://peopleofcoworking.com/ And there's this thing about being inclusive versus being diverse. So, if your coworking space is for De La Soul and Tribe Called Quest fans, don't add an Iron Maiden fan so you can say it's diverse. But make sure that Bruce Dickenson knows he's super welcome when he shows up. The attention this needs is a daily drip feed. So I get numbed out by 'days and months to celebrate'; this shit happens all year round for people. I was reminded of this because we were doing an unconscious bias training with Kerry yesterday. I've been reading about this forever, but you have to keep returning to it. There were so many things last night that I remembered or was unsure of. A lot of this goes back to what Jon Alexander says: "Why, the key to fixing everything is all of us." I'd add that a privileged few think they can fix everything or at least control it. So we all need to pay attention, especially on July 4th in the UK, when an election is coming up. We must be alert to the importance of community and connection in every aspect of our society. 📩 Join “Bernie’s Better Things,” a no-fluff, no-pitch newsletter sent every weekday. It includes a 60-second video, actionable text, and practical recommendations, including apps, reading, and strategies. ▶️ https://sendfox.com/berniejmitchellSubscribe to Coworking Community Builder Daily on Soundwise