Johnny C. Taylor of SHRM: Navigating Leadership and Inclusion

[@Americanheld]

Great interview and valuable insights!

[@funnyfoxbird]

I’m shocked that he’s met so many people that don’t understand accessibility. I feel like that has been the easiest concept for people to grasp. He’s very confident about his stance, now and has dug his heels, but I’m curious to see who agrees with this strategy and if they really work directly with the people that this plan will let down. The comparison to MLK is… interesting, remember MLK had a team of leaders who were thinkers and impacted by the same struggle helping him to strategize. This has always felt like a crusade that he’s been on by himself since he began his career with SHRM.

[@FatimaAlZahra-y3n]

SHRM probably just needs to run an educational series on this - help people understand what they are saying. It seems like a communication breakdown

[@KarrieSullivan]

He's solving the wrong problem. The problem of DE&I (BA etc.) - isn't a semantics or perception problem. The core issue with Diversity is leader mindset. There are 2 problems with leader mindset: 1) We promote "command and control" behaviors (methodical, detail oriented, buttoned up, structure, rules, process, DON'T LIKE CHANGE, etc.) - 2) We don't mandate that people leaders level-up their mindsets to be more and more resilient. When we promote command and control (bottom of Maslow's hierarchy) people who don't like change, their belief becomes that the mindset they have currently is the standard / ideal and they don't feel the need to invest in themselves. Here's why it's important: Natural behaviors are sustainable behaviors. Mindset drives behaviors - not training. People who continue to work on their mindsets to make them resilient - NATURALLY value diversity, diverse voices, collaboration, debate, etc..

[@StephenRaymondWright822]

Very insightful and compelling!

[@KhalilSaddiq]

Really appreciate his honesty! As a former DEI consultant I certainly agree that the “E” is the most problematic of the three and that it should be eliminated.

[@funnyfoxbird]

Many things are problematic. It was problematic for SNCC to do sit ins. But perseverance and a culmination of several things had to take place to get where we are at this point. He is not “running towards the storm” as he put it. He is absolutely acquiescing, this just feels like the first step to disarming any inclusive initiatives. To the people he’s trying to usher back into the I&D conversation, this signals that he’s wiling to back off any topic they don’t want to talk about.

[@mishasnow9016]

Please contact me. My org is currently looking for a DEI consultant to help this.

[@tamicasears]

Inclusion doesn't mean that there is equity. Equity is not part of the inclusion pie. Diversity is not part of the inclusion pie. This was not a solution, this was a step back and a really dumb move for a company already being sued for discrimination.

[@BentonBradfordConsulting]

After listening to the entire interview I am still confused by the move to remove equity from DEI. In his own words, he is about harmony. He also found the word divisive nor there was agreement on what the word meant. A core tenet of DEI is the ability to navigate conflict constructively and effectively. By not defining it for SHRM and the business of elevating HR he is moving (unbeknownst to him) in the opposite direction of "the work" which he is trying to save. He engaged with someone in an interview that has the same perspective and not one that is different from him (diverse). I was left feeling that he is speaking from both ends of his mouth.

[@EngagementAcademy]

"That's my name!" oh my gosh, Johnny... yikes. The amount of times he looks off to the left...

[@LeadWithCourage]

How do you mean?

[@Americanheld]

Have you ever had an interview? He did pretty well with eye contact. No one's going to maintain it 100% of the time.