Inclusion Unscripted

E26: We Can Say No! The Art of Saying What You Feel

Season 2: Inclusion Unscripted - Saying No Even When It Hurts Us. 
Over the last three months, I've taken the position that I can say no. No – it's final, almost fatal, but I've said it repeatedly until it's now a comfortable position. When individuals reach out to ask me for help, it's okay to say no. At first, it was challenging to say no, but I realized the analogy of putting the oxygen mask on yourself first. Just as it is hard for us to hear no, it is even harder to say no. No seems final, direct, almost cold – especially when we are giving, caring individuals. But no is necessary for our own mental wellness.
In this episode of Inclusion Unscripted, Margaret Spence will discuss accepting no as a core function of who you are. Can you say no? We must learn how to hear no and say no. Saying no may upset friendships, folks may not understand why you shifted, and they may not forget or forgive the no. So we must hear no, without letting it change us. 
"No" must be a part of our lexicon, intent, actions, and beliefs. We always want to say yes, but we need to say and hear no. It's the most empowering thing we can do for ourselves and the ones we care about most.
Inclusion Unscripted, where we’re not just talking about diversity and inclusion, we’re living it. The Inclusion Unscripted Live Weekly Podcast is unapologetically honest about diversity and inclusion in the workplace.   Our goal is to empower diverse listeners to ask for what they want and to inspire organizations to co-create more equitable and inclusive workplaces. 
#LivePodcast #Diversity #Podcast #InclusionUnscripted
Tune in every week for a new episode. Inclusion Unscripted is a live-streamed broadcast every Friday at 2 pm EST on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Join us live, or find us on iTunes, Spotify, or your favorite podcasts app. 
Inclusion Unscripted with Host Margaret Spence is Sponsored by The Inclusion Learning Lab - https://inclusionlearninglab.com Intro Music Credit (Canva Pro) The Winner by Tape Machine Epidemic Sound

E25: Managers: Why Should Anyone Trust You With Their Career?

If I accept your job offer, can I trust you to build the career I want?
When an employee agrees to work for your organization, they are trusting you with their career even if you don’t acknowledge that fact. Unfortunately, within the hiring process, we often underestimate the level of trust that employees place in us. Unfortunately, we violate the trust based on how we treat candidates during the hiring process, and we further break it when they are employees.
In this episode of Inclusion Unscripted, Margaret Spence will discuss the critical question that potential employees must ask hiring managers – can I trust you with my career? After you’re hired, you must revisit the question regularly by asking if you can still trust the organization with your career.
Inclusion Unscripted, where we’re not just talking about diversity and inclusion, we’re living it. The Inclusion Unscripted Live Weekly Podcast is unapologetically honest about diversity and inclusion in the workplace.   Our goal is to empower diverse listeners to ask for what they want and to inspire organizations to co-create more equitable and inclusive workplaces. Tune in every week for a new episode. Inclusion Unscripted is a live-streamed broadcast every Friday at 2 pm EST on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Join us live, or find us on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 
Inclusion Unscripted with Host Margaret Spence is Sponsored by The Inclusion Learning Lab - https://inclusionlearninglab.com Intro Music Credit (Canva Pro) The Winner by Tape Machine Epidemic Sound
 

E24: Why You Must Question Your Career Now - Where Are You Going?

Are you the only option for this job, or are you an option on the hiring menu? If you’re on the menu, are you the salad or the main course? The time to ask powerful questions about your career starts right now!
In this episode of Inclusion Unscripted, Margaret Spence will walk through 10 powerful questions that every high-achieving professional must ask and answer before they start looking for a job and when they are ready to advance their career.
For diverse professionals and women, asking powerful questions can determine your success or failure, your advancement or stagnation, getting hired, or not getting a job offer. So, what are the most powerful questions you should ask to navigate the complexities of getting hired and advancing your career?
Inclusion Unscripted, where we’re not just talking about diversity and inclusion, we’re living it. The Inclusion Unscripted Live Weekly Podcast is unapologetically honest about diversity and inclusion in the workplace.   Our goal is to empower diverse listeners to ask for what they want and to inspire organizations to co-create more equitable and inclusive workplaces. Tune in every week for a new episode. Inclusion Unscripted is a live-streamed broadcast every Friday at 2 pm EST on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Join us live, or find us on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 
Inclusion Unscripted with Host Margaret Spence is Sponsored by The Inclusion Learning Lab - https://inclusionlearninglab.com Intro Music Credit (Canva Pro) The Winner by Tape Machine Epidemic Sound

E23: How We Fail Diverse Candidates During the Hiring Process

The multiple ways we fail diverse candidates, from Recruiting to Retention to Upward Mobility. This episode will focus on how we fail diverse candidates during the hiring process. 
A recent Harvard Business Review study suggests that employers have unconscious biases that pull the wrong candidates into their recruiting funnel. However, building a diverse slate of individuals ready to advance in any organization starts and ends with recruiting. Therefore, we will take a hard look at recruiting talent and hiring practices. In this episode of Inclusion Unscripted, Margaret Spence will be joined by Keirsten Greggs, Founder, and CEO of TRAP Recruiter, to unpack how we fail diverse candidates in every step of the recruiting process and why organizations must do better.  We will walk through a typical hiring process, from job listing to screening candidates. How do organizations quantify the fraction of applicants who have historically been excluded from the hiring process? If 65% of all applicants are eliminated, how can diverse applicants make it to the interview process? When interviewed, how can diverse candidates make it to the final round, and ultimately what does it take to be hired in 2022? About Keirsten Greggs: Keirsten Greggs is the Founder and CEO of TRAP Recruiter, LLC, a Recruiting Consulting and Career Coaching firm. With over 20 years of experience in Talent Acquisition, she is passionate about helping organizations implement creative recruiting strategies to attract, select, and retain historically excluded top talent. She does this through full lifecycle recruiting, recruiting process optimization, facilitating workshops, hosting training sessions and webinars, helping job seekers find their voice in the hiring process, and more. Ms. Greggs was featured as an expert in ERE, InHerSight, Diversity Jobs, hireEZ, Talview, TechTarget, BBC World Service Radio, BNC, Forbes, MadameNoire, Fast Company, Fairygodboss, and SiriusXM Urban View.
Inclusion Unscripted, where we’re not just talking about diversity and inclusion, we’re living it. The Inclusion Unscripted Live Weekly Podcast is unapologetically honest about diversity and inclusion in the workplace.   Our goal is to empower diverse listeners to ask for what they want and to inspire organizations to co-create more equitable and inclusive workplaces. Tune in every week for a new episode. Inclusion Unscripted is a live-streamed broadcast every Friday at 2 pm EST on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Join us live, or find us on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 
Inclusion Unscripted with Host Margaret Spence is Sponsored by The Inclusion Learning Lab - https://inclusionlearninglab.com Intro Music Credit (Canva Pro) The Winner by Tape Machine Epidemic Sound

E22: DEI Leader Burnout and Turnover

Diversity leaders are often the unsung heroes within organizations, working tirelessly to promote inclusion and understanding. However, this work can take a toll, leading to burnout, disillusionment, and frustration. How do we balance the outside crisis and the in-house challenges?
In this episode of Inclusion Unscripted, Margaret Spence reflects on a key fact, Diversity leaders are not superhuman; we're simply human beings trying to make a difference in a sometimes hostile world. So, if you're wondering if we're okay, the answer is that sometimes we are and sometimes we aren't. And that's okay.
The critical question is, how do we remain resilient when our inner emotions are out of sight, not top of mind, and we are silent when the world is unkind to us?
This episode of Inclusion Unscripted is a reflection on my own feelings of burnout and frustration. I realized that we often put on a brave face, pretending that everything is okay when it's not. Diversity leaders are always on, we have to be positive and upbeat even when we don't want to be.  We are tired of being the ones who must always have the answer. Sometimes, We just need a break. We all need a break – when our world is falling apart, who has our back when you are silent?
Inclusion Unscripted, where we’re not just talking about diversity and inclusion, we’re living it. The Inclusion Unscripted Live Weekly Podcast is unapologetically honest about diversity and inclusion in the workplace.   Our goal is to empower diverse listeners to ask for what they want and to inspire organizations to co-create more equitable and inclusive workplaces. Tune in every week for a new episode. Inclusion Unscripted is a live-streamed broadcast every Friday at 2 pm EST on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Join us live, or find us on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 
Inclusion Unscripted with Host Margaret Spence is Sponsored by The Inclusion Learning Lab - https://inclusionlearninglab.com Intro Music Credit (Canva Pro) The Winner by Tape Machine Epidemic Sound
 

E21: The Existential Crisis Is Equity For Professionals of Color

We’ve asked for more diversity but what we need is equity. We defined inclusion, we nuanced belonging, we begged for equality – it’s time to demand equity first. We should ask organizations to provide the numbers on what positions offer equity and how many women and diverse employees are in line for equity roles. Then we should demand more hiring into equity-tracked roles. 
Equity is the economic foundation upon which true inclusion and equality are built. It provides the financial engine that drives diversity and inclusion forward, ensuring that every voice has a seat at the table. And yet, many organizations continue to overlook equity in their efforts to achieve diversity goals. They fail to realize that true inclusion will never be possible without equity as our starting point.
In this episode of Inclusion Unscripted, host Margaret Spence will discuss why we must put equity at the forefront of our diversity, inclusion, and belonging conversations. Without equity as our guiding principle, diverse individuals and women will continue to be shut out from key decision-making processes and will remain underfunded, underinvested, and undercapitalized. 
Inclusion Unscripted, where we’re not just talking about diversity and inclusion, we’re living it. The Inclusion Unscripted Live Weekly Podcast is unapologetically honest about diversity and inclusion in the workplace.   Our goal is to empower diverse listeners to ask for what they want and to inspire organizations to co-create more equitable and inclusive workplaces. Tune in every week for a new episode. Inclusion Unscripted is a live-streamed broadcast every Friday at 2 pm EST on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Join us live, or find us on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 
Inclusion Unscripted with Host Margaret Spence is Sponsored by The Inclusion Learning Lab - https://inclusionlearninglab.com Intro Music Credit (Canva Pro) The Winner by Tape Machine Epidemic Sound
 

E20: Who Wants DEI to Fail?

One of the critical questions we must ask is, “Have You Been Given a Winnable Role?” Are you set up for failure, or are you empowered to succeed? If the option is failure when winning isn’t possible – Can You Fail? Critical questions for DEI Leaders. 
In this episode of Inclusion Unscripted, Margaret Spence will explore the tenets of failure within the DEI role, especially when diverse professionals occupy the role. Too often, we are given DEI positions in organizations where the deck is stacked against us, and the role is designed to fail, but should we fail with the role?
There are two types of roles in every equation–those doomed for failure and those empowered to create successful stepping stones to somewhere else. Unfortunately, many of us are given positions that will never be successful within the diversity space. We must learn how to define success on our terms and learn how to spot when we are being set up for failure. We must also know when to let go and stop fighting to maintain the untenable status quo.
Inclusion Unscripted, where we’re not just talking about diversity and inclusion, we’re living it. The Inclusion Unscripted Live Weekly Podcast is unapologetically honest about diversity and inclusion in the workplace.   Our goal is to empower diverse listeners to ask for what they want and to inspire organizations to co-create more equitable and inclusive workplaces. Tune in every week for a new episode. Inclusion Unscripted is a live-streamed broadcast every Friday at 2 pm EST on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Join us live, or find us on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 
Inclusion Unscripted with Host Margaret Spence is Sponsored by The Inclusion Learning Lab - https://inclusionlearninglab.com Intro Music Credit (Canva Pro) The Winner by Tape Machine Epidemic Sound
 
 

E19: Your HR Department Has No Diversity But Your Responsible for DEI

Your organization wants to hire diverse candidates, but your Human Resources Department is not diverse. How do you create impactful diversity initiatives when the HR team lacks diversity? How do you empower DEI when there are no diverse voices in the hiring process? What should we expect if the HR team has no person of color and no member of any minority group in any significant role? Whew – that’s a lot to unpack, but it’s not abnormal. 
In this episode of Inclusion Unscripted, Margaret Spence will ask the bold introspective question, What if the entire human resources and hiring team is not diverse how does that affect how HR champions DEI?
Inclusion Unscripted will address the lack of diversity in HR and recruiting roles. According to data from Zippia, the HR Manager's diversity demographics are 67.5% White, 15.5% Hispanic, 11.2% Black or African Americans, and 6.1% Asians. 67.5% are women, and 28.9% are men. The ethnicity of Human Resources Vice Presidents is White (65.6%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (14.1%) and Black or African American (11.1%). The male to female ratio – is 48.9% women and 48.3% men. 
Inclusion Unscripted, where we’re not just talking about diversity and inclusion, we’re living it. The Inclusion Unscripted Live Weekly Podcast is unapologetically honest about diversity and inclusion in the workplace.   Our goal is to empower diverse listeners to ask for what they want and to inspire organizations to co-create more equitable and inclusive workplaces. Tune in every week for a new episode. Inclusion Unscripted is a live-streamed broadcast every Friday at 2 pm EST on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Join us live, or find us on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 
Inclusion Unscripted with Host Margaret Spence is Sponsored by The Inclusion Learning Lab - https://inclusionlearninglab.com Intro Music Credit (Canva Pro) The Winner by Tape Machine Epidemic Sound

E18: Professional Gaslighting and Disrespect

There isn’t a Black Women Alive Who Hasn’t Experienced Extreme Disrespect in Corporate Spaces. It doesn’t matter what role we occupy or our standing within the organization. Unfortunately, the fact that we are Black Women makes us an easy target for professional gaslighting.
Even when we are perfect, have stellar credentials, and outperform the best of the best – we are treated with gaslighting disrespect. We are expected to sit in silence and accept the leveled BS against us. We must talk about why white men and women feel that gaslighting us is normal expected behavior in this episode.
In this episode of Inclusion Unscripted, Margaret Spence will unpack disrespect, gaslighting, and surviving the mean men and women who want to steal our joy. Senator Corey Booker said it best – no one will steal our joy, but you darn sure try every day. Not even the Church Ladies' Prayers can protect us from this level of psychological trauma that has been leveled upon Black Women from Slavery to today’s corporate adaptation of gaslighting. When the folks in charge disrespect you, how do you respond and navigate the downright meanness leveled against us as Black Women and Men?
Let’s have an honest talk about where this started, why it continues, and what must change to stop the practice of gaslighting Black Women and Men.
Inclusion Unscripted, where we’re not just talking about diversity and inclusion, we’re living it. The Inclusion Unscripted Live Weekly Podcast is unapologetically honest about diversity and inclusion in the workplace.   Our goal is to empower diverse listeners to ask for what they want and to inspire organizations to co-create more equitable and inclusive workplaces. Tune in every week for a new episode. Inclusion Unscripted is a live-streamed broadcast every Friday at 2 pm EST on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Join us live, or find us on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 
Inclusion Unscripted with Host Margaret Spence is Sponsored by The Inclusion Learning Lab - https://inclusionlearninglab.com - Intro Music Credit (Canva Pro) The Winner by Tape Machine Epidemic Sound. 

E16: Talent Development For Diverse Women Over 50

Talent Development & Appreciation for Diverse Women Over Age 50! Let's talk about Diverse Women Over Age 50, how organizations underappreciate their contribution, and why talent development must include women over 50. 
In this episode of Inclusion Unscripted, Margaret Spence will discuss DEI from the lens of diverse women over age 50. The new normal is building women's leadership development programs for new entrants and young professionals without having programs specifically designed for diverse women over age 50. The untapped and underappreciated talent pool. When women over 50 started in their career, there were no talent development programs - today, they're still forgotten from development discussions. 
If you're a Diverse Woman Over Age 50 – now is your time – maybe you've been faithful but forgotten on the talent development vine. Here's what we know, you can still manage your career starting now. Critical points for today's episode: Picking the "All Women Category" While Checking The Woman Box Doesn't Make Your Company Diverse. If your talent strategy doesn't specifically include or address Diverse Women, then it certainly won't include Diverse Women Over 50! 
Fact: In the talent planning process, diverse women over Age 50 are forgotten and missing from the upward mobility discussion points. Diverse women over age 50 have been forgotten, overlooked, and undervalued by most organizations for years. Diverse Women Over 50, you are faithful, forgotten, and frustrated – but by the end of this episode, you will be energized to ask for what you've never been given - career planning. This program is a clap-back to organizations that think they have diversity because they have more women than men in their ranks.
Inclusion Unscripted, where we’re not just talking about diversity and inclusion, we’re living it. The Inclusion Unscripted Live Weekly Podcast is unapologetically honest about diversity and inclusion in the workplace.   Our goal is to empower diverse listeners to ask for what they want and to inspire organizations to co-create more equitable and inclusive workplaces. Tune in every week for a new episode. Inclusion Unscripted is a live-streamed broadcast every Friday at 2 pm EST on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Join us live, or find us on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 
Inclusion Unscripted with Host Margaret Spence is Sponsored by The Inclusion Learning Lab - https://inclusionlearninglab.com Intro Music Credit (Canva Pro) The Winner by Tape Machine Epidemic Sound