“The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little” ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt

So conversations about race are now on the agenda in American companies. This is new. So new in fact that the Spring 2020 issue of HR Magazine offered advice on how HR should handle contentious political talk in the workplace. The advice? “Consider keeping political programs off the televisions in the office, including those in the break room.” Well, with these conversations, we are now way beyond what’s on television.

We were still talking about the senseless killing of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery when we saw George Floyd murdered on a Minneapolis street by a police officer in broad daylight. People took to the streets in protest against police brutality and racial injustice. In the weeks that followed, many corporations then invited open conversations about race in the American workplace. Racism is an old topic for discussion in America, but these types of conversations, sanctioned by corporate leaders, are new.

After hearing from fellow professionals about some of these first-time conversations on racism over the last few weeks, it became clear that people are wading into this new unchartered territory, sans training. For some managers, according to one friend, it’s like being in the middle of the dance floor at a wedding and the DJ starts to play Marcia Griffith’s Electric Boogie. Some people cheer with recognition, but others? Not so much. They haven’t prepared and they don’t know the moves.

That conversation led me to start compiling a list of the potential manager typology emerging from some of these discussions. I thought this list could help us see where our instincts lead us when we have uncomfortable conversations. Do you recognize any of these manager types in yourself? I recognize pieces in me.

The Reflectionist

These managers put themselves squarely in the middle of the race conversation. They reflect and share with their staff how much time they personally spent reflecting on their own lives and careers. They reflect aloud on whether or not they have made any choices that could have been perceived as racist by their employees. Not to worry. If you have not experienced racism, yet your instinct is to focus on your own history first, you probably have made decisions that others would think to be insensitive and/or racist. If this question is rhetorical, this manager may actually never find an answer, because they may never really want one.

The Apologist

This manager apologizes to staff and acknowledges being sorry that they haven’t done enough in their personal lives about racism. They add that they haven’t done as much at work to be as inclusive as they maybe could have been. They apologize for not seeing, not hearing, not understanding, not paying close enough attention. These managers rarely talk about what they could do differently moving forward. Essentially, the focus is to get the apology on the table, without any real discussion. Some may even want their staff to acknowledge the apology. After all, this is very hard for them to do.

The Realizer

These are managers who have looked around their offices and are only just now realizing their teams are not a true reflection of society. Really. These managers claim to have been head down, working on company business and just doing what they had to do to keep the business going. These managers will stop at realizing though, because there won’t be any plans to make changes because they think the power lies only in the moment of realization. They will need to bring this up as a personal growth data point in the next one-on-one with their leadership coach.

The Empathizer

This manager expresses how much they feel the pain of those who have been marginalized, overlooked or hurt through years of discriminatory practices and structural racism. These managers probably have a track record of standing up on behalf of others and being allies for the underrepresented even in uncomfortable spaces with people who look like them. Sometimes though, they believe empathy can be enough and all they can do, especially at work. Many times it is and so everyone appreciates an empathizer.

The Oblivious

This is the manager who just doesn’t know, never knew, never noticed any racism, microaggression, inequity or inequality. This is the manager who always thought that everyone got what they deserved in the workplace based solely on their own good work. After all, that is how The Oblivious received their own accolades. Someone could misconstrue this person as a Know-But-Don’t-Care, but it’s really not that complicated. They are just plain oblivious to other realities beyond their own.

The Reminder

This type of manager misses the pulse of the moment and the movement. Not an active listener, this manager just wants to remind workers of the existing frameworks, policies and guidelines that have already been established within the organization to keep everything fair and equal. This manager makes a lot of references to HR, or the policy manual in the context of - If you are ever confused, you can always go find out what your rights are. Just don’t ask me.

The Zealous Educator

This manager wants to cram a lot of emotion, energy and learning into a short span of time so we can all get on the same page. It’s important that all workers know, that The Zealous Educator is aware of the issue and that they are read-in on the latest. PowerPoint slides, surveys, dashboards, trend analysis, research and data points abound to show what this racism thing, if left unchecked, could do to the company’s bottom line. This manager’s mantra is - the more we know, the better prepared we are for the fallout because the sooner we get out ahead of it, the better.

The Not-in-Our-Company Man

This is the manager who may be empathetic and understands what is happening - out there, across the industry, but definitely not here. This manager is an astute observer of it happening everywhere else. Not in our company right? Why? Because we have an open door policy that has always worked for me and therefore works for everyone who can talk to their managers about everything and ask for what they need here. Our company is different. Right?

The Validator

This manager type acknowledges that anxious feelings are real and observations of discriminatory practices are valid. These managers recognize that this is not a comfortable time at work for Black Americans. This manager is less afraid to discuss issues with employees one-on-one and ask that employees let them know their needs moving forward. This manager is not afraid of showing vulnerability or genuine discomfort and this manager welcomes feedback. Why? They want to know from staff how to work together moving forward.

The Box-Checker

For this manager, the word has come down from the upper echelons of the C-suite that the racism conversation needed to be on the agenda today and so a time has been designated to have this conversation. Expect questions like: Does anyone have anything to say? and statements like: Feel free to share because we are listening now. The Box-Checker will probably add that this conversation needs to wrap up between 1p and 2p, via Zoom. They will implore staff also to feel free to send the Box-Checker any suggestions so those can be added to the meeting agenda for the records.

The Know-But-Don’t-Care

First, let me say, we don’t hate this manager. Employees often appreciate the candid nature of this type of manager who may even blurt out their own feelings (yes, they have them) with little regard for response. Employees get it. This manager actually doesn’t need or want a response. This manager believes the workplace cannot solve every problem and therefore not everything that happens in our personal lives (which is how they see racism), or the news, needs to make it into the board room or the business meeting. That is why there is work-life and outside-of-work life. Neither of which this manager will say is fair, by the way.

The Pre-Cynic

This is the manager who uses all the right jargon and has all the right ideas around equity and fairness in their private life in private conversations but at the end of the day won’t make any real changes in the workplace, even when they are pushed. They often say things like “I don’t think people understand how difficult this decision is,” as a way to defend themselves and any inaction. So they have the right ideas but no courage to be controversial. This is a fertile group for allyship, but just not there yet.

The Cynic

Often confused with The-Box-Checker or the Know-But-Don’t-Care, this manager is convinced that they are powerless to actually do anything to make your life better at work, fix racism or to make employees feel included. This manager knows things can’t change, because they have tried. They have probably been with the company a long time and can recite all the places where there were opportunities for change that never materialized. They aren’t convinced this time is different. They could be convinced, but first you will have to acknowledge, to their face, that you know they are not a Box-Checker or a Know-But-Don’t-Care. They have just been burned.

The Resume-Builder

If the C-suite is talking about it, then this manager is talking about it too. They are going to quote the CEO, COO, CHRO, CMO, and CFO at every turn, because this is an opportunity for them to be a liaison between you, their staff, and those above them. Tell them your stories, share your pain with them and they will carry that message forward for you. Their mantra - So, let’s dish. Before you know it, this manager’s name is in the company newsletter as a new fast track hire taking over a division and leaving behind a trail of people asking themselves - Did I disclose too much?

So, this list will probably grow.

I hope I am a ‘Validator’ who hears people. It turns out though, that is not a real word beyond the vocabulary of computer scientists who use it to describe “a computer program used to check the validity or syntactical correctness of a fragment of code or document.”

I would like to co-opt it’s use for this purpose as well - because it works. Validators actively listen and care enough to have as many conversations with as many individuals as they need to in order for their staff to feel heard. Validators don’t need to speak in front of large groups and know that issues as big as racism don’t just get fixed by corporate marketing slicks.

As a manager, I see traces of some of the other archetypes in me too. It’s hard for us not to, especially when we are all treading carefully around a minefield of feelings, emotions, history, current affairs and hope. Did I mention feelings? Yes, between the Coronavirus, racial injustices and politically charged conversations, employees are coming to work with our “feelings” and for some managers that is a foreign concept. However, that’s the territory in which we find ourselves right now.

We are responsible for what we project right now in these conversations. Make them meaningful, because it’s our future to shape!

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