Considering Your Privilege Makes You a Better Colleague
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Tip
We all benefit from some degree of privilege — whether it's related to your race, gender, abilities, class, or other factors. These facets of our identity are part of our professional lives, whether we like it or not. Acknowledging your privilege can lower your defenses, demonstrate vulnerability, and set the tone for inclusive behaviors.
Start by doing some reflecting
. Which parts of your identity act as tailwinds in your day-to-day work life? These may be things you hardly ever think about because they rarely face resistance or scrutiny: for example, your education status if you went to college and work in an industry where the majority of your colleagues also went to college.
Next, remind yourself that your privileges are not character flaws or reasons to feel ashamed
; they're just a part of who you are. Finally, pay attention to what’s happening around you. Who is speaking up? Who is not? Who is given the automatic benefit of the doubt? Who must work harder to prove themselves? Becoming more aware of these factors will help you become more empathetic and sets the tone for a more inclusive team culture.
Translations
🇨🇳 考虑你的特权会让你成为一个更好的同事
无论你的种族、性别、能力、阶级还是其他因素,我们都会从某种程度的特权中受益。不管我们喜欢与否,这些方面的身份,是我们的职业生活的一部分。无论我们喜欢与否。承认你的特权可以降低你的防御能力,显示出脆弱性,并为包容行为定下基调。
从做一些反思开始。在你的日常工作生活中,你的身份的哪些部分起到了顺风的作用?这些可能是你很少想到的事情,因为它们很少面临阻力或审查:例如,如果你上了大学,在一个行业工作,你的教育状况,你的大多数同事也上了大学。
其次,提醒自己,你的特权并不是你性格上的缺陷或感到羞耻的理由,它们只是你的一部分。最后,注意你周围发生的事情。谁在大声说话? 谁不是?谁会自然而然地被怀疑?谁必须更加努力来证明自己?更多地意识到这些因素将帮助你变得更有同情心,并为更具包容性的团队文化定下基调。