guest author Kymberly Dakin-Neal
I want a DEI Do-over
Last month I was invited to a zoom performance by District Community Playback in Washington DC. I was excited to see how this company utilized a virtual platform for the audience. Playback is an art form that literally “plays back” true stories from the audience/ viewers, using improvisational forms, movement, and music. The conductor had asked us - the viewers - for instances of difference in the sociometric opening. A few people had volunteered, and then there was a lull after the conductor asked for more. So I decided to unmute and speak up - at the same time that another viewer, a black man, spoke up. This gentleman graciously gave me the floor. I thanked him and offered my instance of difference. I didn’t think anything of it until after the conductor asked for people to share feelings about how the previous segment had gone. The first woman to volunteer was a woman of color who said she felt frustrated that she did not get to hear from the black man who had given me the floor. She went on to say that this dynamic - a person of color stepping aside for a white person - was endemic in our culture, and she felt frustrated in seeing this play out yet again and being robbed of the story the man had to tell.
I felt myself stop breathing for a few seconds, like I’d been slapped in the face. After I recovered a bit, realization began to form. I had taken the man’s graciousness at face value, when in fact, if I had understood the exchange from a wider perspective, I might have seen the implications more quickly. But the truth is, as a white person in America, my privileges include not having to widen my perspective, whereas, people of color can’t afford to ever narrow their own.
Learning is painful. Regardless of how anti-racist I may believe I am, if I am not aware, and can’t own, that the scales have always been tipped in my direction, even as a woman, then I’m only adding to a pervasive and centuries old scourge.
The April Maine ATD panel event, titled “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – Strategies that Work” is one I am looking forward to. I hope you will attend as well. The panelists: Dr. Idella Glenn of USM, Dr. Ryan Polly of Maine Health, David Pease of Bangor Savings Bank, and Roy King of the Maine Dept. of Corrections come from a variety of experience, background, and points of view. I have much to learn about this topic no matter how convinced I may be of my own good intentions. Maybe you do too. It’s sure to be an interesting morning for everyone.
We're coming right up on April, which is Member Appreciation Month in the world of ATD! And dear ATD Maine Chapter Members, we DO appreciate you!!
You're our network, our colleagues, and our friends! You care about Talent Development and your own development! You bring your questions and insights, your energy and enthusiasm, your challenges and discoveries to the mix and by doing so lift up all of us in this chapter, in this industry!
Thank you for sticking with us (or joining us) over the last couple of years! They've been something else, huh? So much learning! So much to learn!
We have a great future ahead of us, together!
Thanks!!
*And, keep an eye out for some of the Member Appreciation opportunities ATD national will be offering this month!
Congratulations to our 2021 Board for guiding our chapter to earning ATD's Care Plus status!!
Heartfelt thanks to our 2021 board members: Richard Parent (president), Debbie Madden (past president), Suzanne Hand (finance), Jae Allain (technology), Lee Ann Black (programs), Amy Ayotte (operations), Susan White Ahl (membership), Catherine Menyhart (volunteers & SIGs)!!
Happy World Poetry Day!
How does poetry fit with Talent Development? We're just trying to help people understand what they do and how to do it, right?
Ursula LeGuin said:
“Science describes accurately from outside, poetry describes accurately from inside. Science explicates, poetry implicates. Both celebrate what they describe.”
And Alice Osborn has this take:
"Poetry is so important because it helps us understand and appreciate the world around us. Poetry’s strength lies in its ability to shed a 'sideways' light on the world, so the truth sneaks up on you. No question about it. Poetry teaches us how to live. Poetry is like the Windex on a grubby car window—it bares open the vulnerabilities of human beings so we can all relate to each other a little better."
Isn't that some of what we do in talent development? --create opportunities "so we can all relate to each other a little better"? I love the idea of providing a "sideways light"--Zoom has certainly taught us a couple things about lighting!--and cleaning off the windows we look through to see who is there and what they're going through.
Inclusion. Sometimes it's hard to come at straight on--it's hard to see the exclusion head-on, but with that sideways light and with the inside-out explanation of poetry, we can see and better understand what is right in front of us.
This video got me thinking about inclusion this morning. Imagine not being able to hear the words--so not being able to experience them--their fullness, specificity, vagary, meaning, resonance, musicality. How can we recreate the true experience without just a simple translation? The experience of spoken-word poetry is so much more than just the words--what about what you do in Talent Development? Is it just the words that can easily be translated to people with different backgrounds, cultures, or languages? How else can we provide support to recreate the experience?
This morning, as we listened to Jason Gootman talk about forming self-care habits that stick, it occurred to me that today is the two-year anniversary (ATD Program day-wise, anyway) of our pivot to virtual programs in response to the pandemic.
That blows my mind.
... that it has been two full years, that it has been *only* two years, that we were able to "pivot" so quickly (and adeptly!), that we've retained a core of active participants, an active board, and active SIG, that we are continuing to invest and grow in our industry, that we--individually and as a group--are so very resilient in the face of all that the last two years have brought us.
I hope you'll look the Ides of March right in the eye (the I), and say "not today Brute'!" #WeGotThis!
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COME JOIN US!
Enjoy a relaxing evening, with some of the finest talent development professionals anywhere, at Maine's premiere Talent Development networking event - ATD Maine's Annual Connect, Mix and Mingle!
Bring your favorite happy hour beverage and join us virtually as we celebrate the great talent development professionals in our region. Meet new colleagues, catch up with friends and coworkers, and have a chance to win fabulous prizes at the virtual event of the season: ATD Maine's Connect Mix and Mingle 2020.
Registration is now open. We'll see you there!
4:30-5:30pm June 16, 2020 on Zoom!
The Association for Talent Development has named the Maine Chapter of ATD as its Chapter of the Month for May, 2020. This is the first time the Maine Chapter has received this prestigious honor.
In announcing the award, ATD National President and CEO Tony Bingham commended ATD Maine for our "overall chapter strength, growth, and innovation."
This is a tremendous accomplishment, and we want to thank you, our members, for your continued support, excitement, and dedication to the field of talent development. Together, we're helping to ensure that Maine has the talented, skilled, and energized workforce it needs to succeed and thrive. We couldn't have done this without you.
Thank you.
-ATD Maine Chapter Board
In light of the coronavirus, we have moved our Tuesday, 3/17 event, “Mentoring: Formal, Informal and Impactful,” to the online Zoom platform.
If you registered for the program and have not yet received the link to join the meeting, please e-mail Info@tdmaine.org and we will send you the link.
We look forward to seeing you online!
Sincerely,
ATD Maine Board
ATD is offering a $20 discount to all new memberships and membership renewals! Just head to the ATD Membership center and use promo code JOIN2020 for new memberships and RENEW2020 for renewing memberships to save $20 on Professional or Professional Plus membership.
The deadline to join or renew your membership to receive the promotion is January 24, 2020. Learn more at td.org/20for2020.
