Radical Candor
I am tired. And I have been since 2020. Had it not been for the pandemic, I probably could have delayed my fatigue a couple more years. But honestly, the wear and tear of Monthly Conferences and or panels, asking questions about DEI, and at the same time not being able to have real conversations about what really goes on in the trenches of influencing Behavior Change, has completely drained me.
When I started out, the conference circuit was really cool, because I had something to say, and I just wanted to be heard. The conversations I had been apart of provided validation, visibility, community and a platform to popularity. All great things when that was all I thought I needed to sustain my career. But the trauma of 2020 showed me something, that was really uncomfortable to sit with. It showed me, that while I was sitting on these zoom calls and advocating for a more fair industry, these conversations only boosted my own career. Not the careers of the people I was advocating for. And people like myself, who really wish to see a world where employees within organizations can feel confident that they can contribute their value equitably— we need to be honest— the point of impactful change is so far removed from the conversations we’re currently having on virtual and physical stages.
These days I look at panels and conferences like the Reaganomics of Inclusion work. We thought leaders have put so much of our energy into believing that good ideas, and empathetic leadership will have a trickle down effect through our agencies and that one day, we’ll have an industry of Non-Biased, globally empathetic leaders, who look forward to training the next generation of leaders while sustaining million dollar client businesses. The reality is that things are a lot more complex than we discuss.
These complexities are more visible in the practice of DEI than they are in the theory. An example I’ve been steaming over for a while now is this— I’ve heard a handful of thought leaders suggest over the years that brands need to use their money to muscle agencies into being more Diverse and Inclusive. And truthfully, I can say that more RFPs than not, are requesting DEI data and requiring more diverse teams. However, I’m not clear what exactly that changes for anybody when the client teams are still mostly white and mostly male, and are still in charge of dictating and approving the advertising we develop. How does this recommendation benefit the diverse teams hired, when they’re forced into excessive rounds of review because their mid-level client partners are concerned with satisfying their base of “Middle America consumers”— Mind you— we all know what this is code for. So while the clients are busy holding agencies accountable, who is holding brands accountable for their part?
Or what about about whenever we say WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING! The something turns into a mentorship program for people who are experiencing the inequities of the business. Sure everybody needs a mentor, and yes mentorship and sponsorship is a key to corporate success. But can we be honest with ourselves that mentoring the oppressed and not directly addressing the offenders, is problematic? In mentorship, we share our experiences of how we circumvented challenges. But wouldn’t it make sense if some of us took some of those challenges head on? At some point, relying on mentorship as the singular way to change an industry, is also admitting that to survive in this industry, everyone needs to assimilate to the existing culture. Which, is in complete opposition of the narrative that we want more “authenticity” in this industry. These are just a couple examples, but believe me I have a handful more.
So as I said before, I am tired. And more importantly, my interest in speaking to the assumptions and theories of inclusion, is depleted. These days, I only wish to engage in conversations that are brutally honest. So in the spirit of holding myself accountable by not just throwing a thought out there without a solution. Here are the topics Id prefer to give my two cents about:
The Devil You Know— Let’s talk about how people have BEEN burned out for YEARS by this industry, but the fear of the unknown forced many to remain in unhappy job experiences longer than their mental health should have sustained. But after 1 year, of sitting in a perpetual state of “no clue what’s gonna happen next” It became easier for folks to try something new like— Putting themself first.
Who’s the Boss— Let’s talk about the reason for industry attrition, is that our obsession with productivity has forced us to blindly reward so many great individual contributors, with promotions into team leadership roles when they can’t manage, mentor or inspire anyone outside of themselves.
Radical Candor and Radical change— Let’s talk about how the politeness of ambiguity has led to the slower rate of progress for Racial equity in Advertising, and how aggressively naming our offenders publicly, (read Me Too Movement) would accelerate people of color in leadership positions.
Read All About It— Let’s discuss how the lack if inclusivity within agencies isn’t solely the responsibility of agency CEOs but rather mid-level gatekeepers who benefit from the invisible corporate caste systems they create and perpetuate.
Just to name a few…