#30: Kori Reed - Is "Me Too" backfiring?

N THIS EPISODE: While "Me Too" and other movements had done tremendous good in amplifying the stories and voices of women who have not been treated fairly in the workplace, there may be a hidden cost. Researcher Kori Reed explores gender equality in the workplace and as she surveyed male leaders across the country she began to notice a trend.  Many men, while wanting an inclusive workplace culture where men and women can both thrive, were nonetheless so uncertain about crossing the line from an innocent comment to a harassment complaint that they would avoid any conversation on gender equity altogether. These would be champions, men in power who could make a difference in leveling the playing field, are instead silencing themselves and essentially taking themselves out of the game. Kori and I discuss her findings, explore the state of the gender conversation in the human workplace, how to create safe spaces for dialogue and how we can collectively move toward the ultimate goal of "better together". ABOUT OUR GUEST: Driven by a purpose to align people to see things in new and creative ways for good, Kori thrives at the intersection of people, insights, and organizational goals. An agile and relatable communicator, she values authentic dialog that enables people to find clarity in the chaos, connect with others, and change the world in meaningful ways. With more than 25 years of experience working in large, complex, Fortune 500 organizations, Kori has navigated large-scale change management communication; created an integrated, award-winning signature companywide program; and built communication strategies to align stakeholders on challenging issues.   In the process, she earned progressive management duties at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Quaker Oats, PepsiCo, and Conagra Brands -- where she became a Vice President, working across the company in employee and community engagement under the umbrella of corporate social responsibility. Driven by a passion for the people side of process, management and culture, Kori also worked in Human Resources at Compass Minerals, a salt mining company, as Director Employee Experience and progressed to the Senior Director of Talent and Organizational Development.  A lifelong learner, Kori is certified in Change Management, Human Resources, DISC Communication Styles and DISC Teams, and more. Adept amid chaos, Kori also wrote a book on the wisdom and humor of work, life, and family balance. SHOW NOTES: Connect with Kori: on LinkedIn, Twitter and on her Amazon author page. Ken and Kori discussed Akira Kurosawa's 1950 Classic Rashomon INSIGHT AT WORK PODCAST THEME MUSIC: Our theme music is composed by Chris Lucca, Jr.. You can listen to more of Chris' work at http://chrisluccamusic.com  You can also connect with him on Twitter: @Flipluka and on Instagram: @_flipluka.music_ ABOUT THE HOST: Ken Blackwell is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and executive coach. His signature practice is "rescuing Accidental Leaders and Dysfunctional Teams". His firm InKlaritas, based in Princeton, NJ, works with teams and leaders in companies in the U.S. around the world. You can find out more about InKlaritas at: www.InKlaritas.com and connect with Ken on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethjblackwell/.