Moving Past Silence In the Work Space

In the midst of our national strife - with ongoing killings of black people at the hands of police, systemic racism and the spread of hatred through a highly divisive presidential campaign - do you ever feel stifled in speaking out about it at work? Are you vocal in your personal arena but silent in your professional space?

I recently launched my Art of Spark blog and then suddenly became silent for ten days. Not the momentum building plan I had in mind. I took pause to consider some big questions weighing on me.

My blog launched on the heels of our national crisis of extrajudicial killings of black people by police and retaliatory killings of police. I had been planning on launching it the first week of July for some time but then that week Alton Sterling and Philando Castile were killed at the hands of police and five Dallas police officers were murdered in return. I was outraged, deeply saddened and consumed by these atrocities as were so many others. I spoke out and took action personally, posting articles and comments from my personal Facebook page about systemic racism, showing support for Black Lives Matter, checking my own white privilege, signing petitions, going to anti-racism trainings and talking with my four-year old white daughter about race and racism against black people after she overheard and asked about Obama’s Dallas speech. But when it came to my business and how I wanted to handle the situation I deliberated for a week and a half. How could I launch my blog, aimed at keeping people’s creative spark and inner fire alive, when black people’s lives are being extinguished left and right and hatred is spreading through an unprecedented presidential campaign? Social and racial justice have always been concerns and drivers for me. When I worked as an executive director of school leadership development for schools in high poverty areas conversations about systemic racism and inequity were core to the work. But what was my role here as a new business, a coach to executives, entrepreneurs, creatives, changemakers and leaders across sectors, focused on helping them fulfill their highest creative and leadership potential? How do I speak to the silence that is the norm in so many sectors, including the personal development space, and among many leaders, especially white leaders, in a way people can hear? Creativity and full expression of one’s genius are also drivers for me. How can I connect my core values and various aspects of me and my work seamlessly? Finding alignment and stepping into one's truth and power is the very work I am helping my clients to do and, like them, I found I must pause and listen to my own inner wisdom. After sitting with all of this I decided to share my concerns and related inner struggles with the hope of reaching others with similar concerns and struggles: the struggle ultimately being to move past silence, to give voice to what you know to be true and are either scared or uncertain how to express. To step into your personal leadership.

It can be challenging finding the words to share your world concerns in your day to day business, particularly if speaking out isn't always embraced or core to your work. Personally, I feared coming across as preachy when what I wanted to do is invite reflection and conversation and make it okay to not have all the answers. I was unclear how to make my message relevant to the diverse needs and interests of my audience. I feared what people might say. Will I be judged? Will I offend? But I had to move past these concerns because my inner compass told me it was more important to share this message. That is, silencing your truth can lead to stasis, if not implosion. Voicing it is a chance for growth and transformation, not just for yourself but for others.

Here are some questions to consider to move past your silence.

In what ways are you silencing yourself?

Are you using your professional or leadership platform to address what is going on in the world or do you believe in "keeping business separate?" To what extent do you allow yourself to take a critical look at how what is going on in the world may be playing out in your professional arena? When/if you see it playing out do you keep it to yourself or bring it to people's attention? Do you address it only one-on-one but not to a larger professional audience, or vice versa?

Why are you silent? Do you fear hurting yourself professionally? Rubbing people the wrong way or being judged? Facing something uncomfortable about yourself? Are you uncertain of what to say or how to say it?

What is the impact? On you? On others? Are you experiencing stress, anxiety, shame, guilt or numbness about your silence? Does keeping silent keep you up at night? How might keeping silent reinforce the problems about which you are concerned? Whom in your professional or personal life or community does your silence effect and how? Could speaking up make a difference for people you know or society at large, let alone yourself and your conscience? Do the benefits of sharing your truth outweigh the costs of silence?

How can you use your inner voice and creative expression to effect change in yourself and the world? What medium are you most comfortable with and/or will have the greatest impact? A blog, newsletter, social media post, team meeting, company meeting, workshop, conference, one-on-one conversation, artistic expression or performance? If tongue-tied or fearful, can you start by journaling? Who is a "safe" person to share your ideas with to get feedback or get your creative juices flowing? Who might you partner with to get your message out? How can you use your expression to invite rather than shut down conversation?