Diversity & Feminism

Is your organization flourishing or withering?

September 22, 2010

Organizations are organic things — they are born, they die, they suffer and they thrive. But very few organizations flourish. Organizations that flourish are rare creatures. We find them where business goals are tied to larger purpose, where larger purpose is linked to community needs, and where individuals’ authentic selves are nourished by and engaged [...]

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Target: Why Organizations Should Boycott Target but Individuals Shouldn’t Bother

August 26, 2010

I’m a supporter of LGBTQx rights and of organizational diversity. As an individual, I’m not likely to do much to boycott Target in response to Target’s $150,00 contribution to an anti-gay, pro-bigotry gubernatorial candidate. But, if I were Target’s business customer, business supplier, stakeholder, or other important large stakeholder, I would make a bit deal [...]

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MAC’s Apology for Juarez Makeup Line: Effective and Authentic

August 5, 2010

It’s not often that I get to follow up a post about an organization’s disappointing actions with a post celebrating that very organization’s next step. Given how easy it is to pay attention to and be outraged by the bad actions, it is all the more important to devote some energy to positive resolutions– so [...]

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IS TEDWomen Sexist? Use the “Group Replacement Test” and tell us what you think

August 2, 2010

Everyone who’s ever asked the question: “Is this Racist?” “Is this Sexist?” “Is this Anti-Semitic?” “Is this Homophobic” or the plain vanilla “Is this Offensive?” has tried the Group Replacement Test. The Group Replacement Test With the Group Replacement Test, you take out the name/noun of the group you’re wondering about, and you replace it [...]

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Separate Still Isn’t Equal: Sexism and TEDWomen

July 28, 2010

I really, really wanted to put this post here on Authentic Organizations, but my colleagues at The Op-Ed Project told me to shoot big…. so here it is, on The Huffington Post’s Politics section. Please come read the post (it’s only 700 words!) add a comment, and encourage the HuffPo to keep printing contentious feminist [...]

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Target Misses the Mark on Diversity: Corporate Donation equals Corporate Homophobia

July 28, 2010

How do you know whether an organization is racist, or sexist, or homophobic? You can use my 6 Degrees test, or you can use an even simpler method: You can watch where they put their money. Target has put its money behind the campaign of a homophobe who’s against same-sex marriage. This single action casts [...]

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Only A Cosmetic Apology? MAC’s Juarez Controversy & Fauxial Awareness

July 23, 2010

There are apologies that are superficial and apologies that reflect genuine remorse.  There are apologies that demonstrate regret and apologies that initiate restitution. And then, there is the apology that MAC Cosmetics has offered for its offensive Juarez Makeup Collection. [Note, added later: Be *sure* to read the followup post:  MAC’s Apology for Juarez Makeup [...]

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Is The Daily Show Sexist? Use the 6 Degrees of Sexism Test to judge for yourself

July 9, 2010

The media storm surrounding Jezebel’s claim that The Daily Show is sexist has tangled up our common assumptions about what does or does not make an organization sexist. Whether or not an organization is “sexist”–or for that matter racist, classist, sustainable, Mormon, Black, etc. – matters to the organization’s members and to its audience. Our [...]

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The Horrible Work-Life Truth I Learned at the Harvard Business School Reunion

June 7, 2010

That’s one headline for it. Another one might be: “How to make a table of women with graduate degrees cry.” I could spend a bit of time trying to set the scene to give you some perspective, but let me cut straight to the chase. Sitting at a table, talking with my female friends– some [...]

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Could BP have avoided the Gulf Oil Spill if it had more Women Executives?

May 26, 2010

How much has the paucity of women executives at BP and the overall gender imbalance in BP’s managerial ranks contributed to the Gulf Oil Spill? I’m betting that had there been more women in the executive ranks at British Petroleum, more women (especially from inside the Company) on BP’s Board of Directors, and more women [...]

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