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Work Besties Who Podcast
Building a bold community of work besties 💼👯♀️ to bond 🤝💞, banter 😂🎉, and bloom 🌸✨
🎙️ Listen to the Work Besties Who Podcast: where workplace friendships get real! From tea spills to relatable laughs, we’re unpacking everything about work life's ups, downs, and unforgettable moments.
✨ Join us for candid chats, relatable stories, and a sprinkle of chaos—because what’s work without a little drama and a lot of fun?
💼😄 Hit play, and let’s dive into the messy magic of workplace connections together!
Work Besties:-)
Work Besties Who Podcast
Strategies for an Inclusive Workplace with Delphia Howze
What if building a more inclusive workplace wasn’t as complicated or corporate as you think
This week on Work Besties Who Podcast, Claude and Jess sit down with powerhouse inclusion expert and author Delphia Howze — and this conversation will change how you show up at work 🔥
Delphia, whose new book Including You: Leading Inclusion From Where You Are is a must-read, shares why inclusion is a personal responsibility, not just something for HR or leadership to figure out
She delivers real, honest advice about modeling inclusive behavior, understanding our biases, and why grace and self-reflection are essential tools for real change
If you’ve ever felt excluded, wondered how to actually make a difference, or wanted to be a better ally — this episode gives you the roadmap
And yes, it starts with your work besties too
✨ Inclusion isn’t optional
✨ Leadership is everyone’s job
✨ Changing the culture starts with you
Come listen — your future team will thank you
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Work Besties! Theme Song Written by Ralph Lentini @therallyband
Hello, workbesties, have you ever felt like your workplace is missing something like that true inclusivity, the belonging and the support that we always love to talk about? Well, today we're talking with someone very special who's changing that. Delphia Howes is a powerhouse in HR and diversity inclusivity, leading the charge in creating workplace dynamics where everyone can thrive. She's breaking down those biggest mistakes that companies make and how work besties can really be allies, which I know you love chatting about. And stay tuned to the very, very end, because you will hear that one simple change that you can make today, that one simple change that you can make today.
Claude:So if you care about workplace culture and making a real impact, you don't want to miss that, so let's dive in Hi. I'm Claude and I'm Jess.
Jess:We are corporate employees by day, entrepreneurs by night and work besties for life. Join us as we explore how work besties lift each other up, laugh through the chaos and thrive together in every industry. Welcome Hi Delphia.
Delphia Howze:We're so excited to have you. How are you? I'm so happy to be here.
Jess:We thought you could kick it off by telling our work bestie community a little bit about yourself, sure?
Delphia Howze:So my name is Delphia Howes, and I do believe that I'm probably the only one with that name in the world, and so I'm easy to find, but I am an individual who has been doing the work of inclusion for more than 25 years, quite honestly, and I'm very passionate about it. I am the owner of DHow Solutions, which is a consultancy around inclusion strategy. I am also the author of a book titled Including you that was just released, which focuses on how we can create more inclusive environments one by one, and that everyone has a level of responsibility to do so. I'm also an executive for a large scale national entity that I have to keep separate, um, but it's but. So I you know, I've been doing this work for a long time and I love it.
Jess:Very impressive and very important. So it sounds like you you've got a lot on your plate. But in the past cause I looked at your resume you've worked at a number of different industries kind of varied too, not all similar. So I'm curious from your perspective, what's been that defining moment in your career?
Delphia Howze:My defining moment in my career. So, full transparency. When I was in college, my dream was to go and become the top attorney in the world, right, take the world by storm. I quickly learned once I entered law school that that probably was not a good idea for me. And the defining moment in my career was when I was in banking.
Delphia Howze:I was in a position where I was a bank officer and I had responsibility for a number of locations regional banks and I realized that we were not as profitable in some areas as opposed to others. And I just started to do some assessing in terms of who we were engaging with, how we were engaging, who were the managers that I was hiring, who we were bringing in to lead these efforts? Were the managers that I was hiring, who we were bringing in to lead these efforts, and realized quite quickly that there was a disconnect in terms of who we hired and how they were able to connect with the community, to build relationships and essentially what the challenge was. We would bring in individuals from college backgrounds and have them in urban settings, who they weren't familiar with, interacting with that type of environment, and I said, hey, wait a minute, we have a problem here, we're missing opportunity. I spoke to our president and he literally said Delphia, I don't know what to do with it. If you can figure it out and if it's that important to you, do something about it. And that's probably the worst thing that anyone could ever say to me, because I go full speed ahead From there.
Delphia Howze:I started the first diversity program. I focused on affirmative action programming. I also focused on how are we building relationships within the community and built their first program for that bank, and that's how I got started into this work. It was all about how do we create connections. Ultimately, inclusion. Back then I wasn't thinking about the terminology, but that, I think, was a defining moment.
Jess:That's really impressive because it's to your point. It wasn't necessarily something that was discussed or talked about then At the ethos of it. That is how we all need to be thinking, how you want to connect to your community and really kind of develop that, and I love that you leaned in, you were like challenge me, I will take that.
Claude:And it's so funny because you say it's the worst that someone can say to me. But it's actually it's the best If you think about it. That's the best that someone could tell you, because then you were able to implement. You know, this program.
Delphia Howze:Yeah, that's true. And and it made me feel an element of trust and support at the same time, because I, you know, either he really didn't care, which is possible or he trusted in my ability to do something impactful. So yeah, it's a double edged sword, but you know I'll take the challenge any day.
Jess:That's great. So I kind of think that parlays perfectly into why we were so excited to chat about you, which is to really dig into the diversity and inclusivity. What's that biggest misconception about diversity and inclusivity that you can think of?
Delphia Howze:that happens in the workplace, I think the biggest misconception is that it's all about them, those people over there.
Delphia Howze:It's only for someone else other than me, whoever I am. I think that lends to the challenge that it's all about others, it's all about a certain demographic group, it's all about preferential treatment and illegal discrimination and all of these things. I think that that huge misconception has led us to where we are today with the revoking of executive orders and the attack on DEI, and I do believe that we as a society have not defined it well, which is why that's where we are. Everyone's coming at it from so many different points of understanding and if you break down diversity, equity, inclusion, independently, not as an acronym, as words, diversity is about mixture, right. Equity is about fairness. Inclusion is about bringing people together and so when you think about it that way, it's all about eradicating the misconception that when you smush those letters together, that acronym together, that it means others and discrimination and reverse discrimination and all of these negative things. So I think that's the biggest misconception in the workplace that it doesn't have that I, whoever I am, have a part.
Delphia Howze:I think that's fair.
Jess:One of the misconceptions is that it starts at the executive level and it's just supposed to be there. While I do, misconceptions is that it starts at the executive level and it's just supposed to be there. While I do believe there's a role for the executives and we'll get to that in a minute what do you think? Where do you think the most impact can occur from a DEI within a workplace?
Delphia Howze:Yeah, I think the greatest impact can occur from individual perspectives. So we can put policies, laws, regulations out there all day long, but if they're not with regard to this work, if they're not coming from a place of intimacy, passionate intimacy around this work, then I think we're missing the boat perspective of someone leaning into the opportunity to understand themselves and to understand the topic in the environment and recognize that others right, whoever we consider as others really are valuable in any in our environments, in our world.
Claude:And how do you handle the resistance from the leadership?
Delphia Howze:I've handled that in many different situations. Unfortunately, the biggest way that I've been able to overcome that resistance is by making it personal. So when I have an executive or any employee or any individual who I'm working with who says, no, that's not important, and, believe me, I've had senior level executives say, delphia, I don't even know why you're here, this isn't important. But when you break it down to help them to see how it impacts their world, how they are a part of this, it makes it easy. I'll give you a perfect example.
Delphia Howze:I once worked with a senior vice president in one of my former organizations and he was blessed with two daughters, right, and both were in college. They were a year apart, one had graduated and the other was preparing to graduate college. And he said to me Delphia, my daughter is not getting hired, getting positions. And he suspected it was because she was a young woman and he worked in a male-dominated industry, so he kind of knew the language that was going around. Long story short, he said I don't understand why she's not getting these opportunities when she is very well qualified for it and should be hired.
Delphia Howze:And I said, well, let's think about it. Where is she applying and who is she applying with? And he broke it and I didn't say anything else and he started looking down the list and said I see what this, this element of the concept of the reverse discrimination, is coming from. He was able to now internalize how he potentially impacted other women. Right, that experience that he had, because prior to that conversation he said you know what? I probably have thwarted opportunities for success for women because I don't believe that they can be successful in this dynamic workplace. Right, that was his mindset.
Delphia Howze:Not that he was wrong for having that, but that's what he believed he believed work was demanding, work was challenging, that women were going to come in, they were going to raise a family, they were going to go off and have babies and they couldn't commit to the work. But now he saw from the other side the impact someone that he loved, someone that was a part of his world and he saw how that was negatively impacting them.
Claude:I think one of the biggest consumption also is that people think of DEI that we would put, for example, let's say, a woman in a position because we need to have more women. She got into that position because she's a woman, not because of her qualification when it's totally woman, not because of her qualification when it's totally different. Right At the end of the day, you're not going to push someone that has better qualification for someone that is lesser qualified, but you need to do your quota. I think that's also a big misconception.
Delphia Howze:Yes, and it's a challenge because we've gotten into this mindset where some people believe that, as women minorities, whatever the case may be, we're getting into the workforce that it wasn't merit-based. Any employer or recruiter or manager that's hiring someone should always be looking for the best qualified candidate, always right. It shouldn't be. Oh well, we need women, we need a person of color, so let's go and pick one and pluck one, and unfortunately that has happened. That's probably happened in some organizations, but the reality is that's not the way it should be and it doesn't create an opportunity for a meritocracy for people to get in based off of their merit and their ability to be successful. Think about the person who gets into a position just because, oh yeah, you're the quota, so let's get in here and put you in here. That's not setting anyone up for success, their ability to be successful, barring anything else.
Jess:Right and I think the point of the DEI initiatives wasn't necessarily to create ways to navigate around that. It was to remind people of like everybody has strong qualifications and you shouldn't be creating those biases or misconceptions ahead of time, to put everybody on the level playing field and let them showcase those skills and qualities.
Delphia Howze:to you Absolutely. It's all about opening the doors right. Unfortunately, throughout our history, the doors were closed to certain groups and certain individuals. And those individuals some of them had the qualifications that would meet, but they couldn't even get their toe, couldn't even get a toenail in the door right. So it was all about opening the door so that we can really see a full landscape of viable candidates from all groups.
Jess:Missed that opportunity and somehow we got waylaid in what our intention was around DEI, which I think is part of the challenge as to why we're so along that Delphia. I do think there are some instances where it's not intentional. Let's say that organizations or individuals are purposely doing this, but it is a lot of times being overlooked and not addressed. So are there certain workplace cultures or elements that you've consistently seen that are unintentional ways that the DEI initiatives are being excluded?
Delphia Howze:Yeah, that they're being excluded. When you think about DEI and it being excluded away from opportunities for success towards the organizational mission. I do believe that when individuals, whether it's leadership or employees, or the organizational culture as a whole, does not have an element or a foundation rooted on the why, why are they doing this? What's the reason? Why are they focusing on elements of diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, why is that even necessary?
Delphia Howze:If they can't answer that question, that's where the exclusion and the misunderstandings come forward. Because if you're doing it just to check the box or just to you know, one up your competitor or just to you know, for whatever reason, then and you're not answering an absolute why, that's where the challenge comes in and I will say if you're doing a DEI initiative, it's never going to be successful. If you have DEI programming, if you have, you know, things that are set aside from the organizational structure, that's where you're missing opportunity. It should be an everyday, woven, fluid opportunity to create a foundation and a sustainable environment that's rooted in valuing employees, your people, and creating an environment of inclusion and, ultimately, success.
Jess:Right.
Claude:So not creating some of that separation but the interwoven element, Absolutely Because then when you put it just a program on its side, then it doesn't make it authentic, right? Yes, yes.
Jess:As you know, our whole ethos of this podcast is about work besties. As you know, our whole ethos of this podcast is about work besties and we're big proponents of supporting each other not just your own individual work besties, but the whole work bestie community out there. So how can this strong work bestie community that we've created, how can they contribute to this cause and help with?
Delphia Howze:the DEI. Yes, I love that question. I think the big thing is supporting one another, right? This isn't easy, right, because it deals with emotion, it deals with baggage that people have, it deals with elements of discomfort and even misunderstanding, and then you have to add in all of the societal rhetoric that goes along with it. So I think the big thing is in the bestie community is really, I actually have to. I think the first thing is really shining the flashlight on yourself, right, understanding your very own perspective and comfort level with this topic, right?
Delphia Howze:Many of us grow up in areas that insulate us, right? We grow up in a family with people who look like us. We live in communities with people who look and think like us. We learn from that community in certain ways, and so there's all these little bubbles of different types, and I'm not talking just about race or gender, I'm talking about just different points of diversity of thought and things of that nature.
Delphia Howze:Once we take time to understand our perspectives, understand our biases that we have, because we all have them get comfortable with those biases and understand how we can mitigate them effectively, right, I think that's step number one. You have to do that internal reflection first. Step number two is then taking time to pull in your bestie, your work bestie, and say, hey, I see you right, and realize that it's impossible to see the world completely without the perspectives of others. It's just impossible. So, allowing that time for internal reflection and then the opportunity to pull in others with regard to seeing them completely, for all the things that you thought you knew and all the things you do not know.
Claude:Yeah, I love this and I have an example actually for myself where, about pulling someone right, we a friend of mine we have something in common and like, for example, it was our children and this is some. It's an individual that we're in different work of life, different you know paths, and I would have never been friend with her and because we had this something in common, we became friends and we really became very much friends. It would have been if we had that bias. And because we are not coming from the same you know culture, the same, whatever social, I know that without this friend my life would have been much emptier. So I love to have this, you know, pulling people that are different from us. And again, it doesn't. It's not about race, about gender, about social economy. If you don't extend yourself to people, you might miss a lot and something in your life that is going to be enriched.
Delphia Howze:So, very true, I agree with you 100%. That's a path that is not easy to do, right, because sometimes we just want people to be like us. Right? We all like ourselves right, we think we're great and wonderful, right, everybody else needs to get their stuff together, right, we're good, but the reality, reality. I love what you said, I agree with your perspective and we just need to be able to pull people in and and um be able to see the world from different perspectives in order to fully understand the world right.
Jess:We learn from each other. We're patchwork. For a reason we should not be exact replicas of each other.
Claude:No, that was it's boring.
Delphia Howze:Yes, it would be boring, it would be really boring, it would be so boring.
Claude:Like we always laugh right, like we are the yin and the yang. It is so true, we are so different, but we have this friendship in common and our difference what makes it exciting.
Jess:Yeah, we challenge each other every single day. I love it, whether we want to or what makes it exciting.
Delphia Howze:yeah, absolutely yeah, we challenge each other every single day.
Jess:Yeah, it's the same in a marriage right, yeah, oh yeah.
Delphia Howze:We we marry, you know, people who we love, and some will say our best friends and and all of that. That's true, they bring a different perspective right, drive you crazy sometimes, yes, but love them dearly because they, you know, my husband helps. He is the total opposite of me. If we do any personality assessments, we're always, like you know, the polar opposites.
Delphia Howze:Polar opposites, right, and. But I love it because we, we, we ground each other. Yeah, you know, we bring into light what the others cannot see, yeah, what the other can't see. And it can be frustrating and maddening sometimes, but it's definitely valuable when you get over that frustration.
Jess:You bring up some really good points too, that you want to surround yourself with different perspectives and personalities and ways of being, and you'll get to a point at some point where you do have that trust so you don't have to worry about it. But you still want to push the boundaries and be okay with people you don't trust yet, just because it's good to have a remembrance that there's so many different people out there and that you could lean in and wind up becoming close to these people.
Claude:Exactly. And then sometimes, if you're not, you don't have this thing where you have. It's okay also. At least you reach out, you can still help. You don't become besties or whatever, but at least you bring your hand.
Delphia Howze:Yes yes, yes, and you don't allow your biases to impede that opportunity, right.
Delphia Howze:You know, biases are a part of us for a reason, right. They're designed to keep us safe to, you know, steer are are a part of us for a reason, right. They're designed to keep us safe to, uh, you know, steer us away from those things that might cause us discomfort or harm or what have you. And if we encounter someone who visually represents something that's not comfortable for us, that we don't understand, that we may not like or what have you, our natural tendency is to kind of pull away from that. I say, lean into it, right?
Delphia Howze:I've been doing this work for more than 25 years and I still, very recently even, had situations where I saw someone and I'm like I should stay away from that and, for whatever reason, we ended up talking just because I run my mouth so much. But we ended up talking and I learned so much from this individual. I'm thinking about a gentleman who had a hat on that was very offensive to me and we were at a hotel, in the lobby bar, and I saw him like oh my gosh, I can't sit next to him, but it was the only seat, so I sat there and just through us ordering, we started talking and then as we talked, that trust built a little bit and I was able to ask him about his hat and I said help me to understand what it means.
Delphia Howze:It was pretty graphic, so I won't even say what it was. I'm curious, and why would you have that on your head? And he explained it to me and from what he shared it made perfect sense. But because it wasn't a part of my experience and it gave me discomfort, I was ready to write him off and I'm so glad that I didn't, because we had a fantastic conversation it's again this inclusion right.
Jess:It goes back to inclusion absolutely interesting and I'm like really curious to know what was on the hat to tell us off the pod.
Claude:And I think also it takes a strong person to still go behind the bias and open up and trying to understand the other side. It's not that easy?
Jess:Not at all. In fairness, I don't know if it's not that it's not that easy. It's just that our brains are water to do the easiest thing, which is shut down and become comfort like stay in your little bubble yeah, so I think it's like you brought it up in one of your very first answers it's the recognition.
Jess:Once you recognize, then it continue to challenge yourself because, I agree, there's so many times, adelphia, that I randomly will talk to people that I had no real intention of having a connection with and you wind up having these really heartwarming conversations and it's just because you took I took the chance. I could have been rude, I could have just walked right by, but you took a chance yeah, absolutely, absolutely, and I love what you said.
Delphia Howze:The brain, our brains, are so darn lazy, right, right, they, they do. You know, we take those mental associations, the path of least resistance. Right, that's what, that's what it does. And if we don't check ourselves to go be to step outside of that, we miss those opportunities. We're, like you said, building, meeting great people, you know, building good relationships with others that we would have never even given consideration to.
Jess:Yeah, all right, so I'm going to bring us back a little bit to work the workplace. Let's see, you know, a lot of the DEI initiatives that we hear of are about workplace. However, I agree, they can be incorporated into everyday life and should be and it should be woven into who you are. From your perspective, though, going back to our work bestie environment, I do think leadership does play a role in it. What are some ways that leadership can really help with this?
Delphia Howze:I think the big one is model the behavior right. So it's one thing to walk the walk and it's another thing to talk the talk right. You could have a leader who says, oh yeah, it's one thing to walk the walk and it's another thing to talk the talk right. You know, you could have a leader who says, oh yeah, it's important, yes, now go and do it Right. Or you can have a leader that says it's important, here's the reasons why and here's how we'll do it together. And so I think it's, you know, modeling the behavior of being engaged in the efforts, versus as being a leader who delegates it off to others and says OK, well, that's your problem, go ahead and handle it and manage it. We've heard all about servant leadership and different types of leadership In this space. A leader is someone who is really in lockstep with everyone to make sure that they are modeling the behavior and that they are comfortable with being vulnerable in this space because they're not going to know everything right.
Jess:Yeah and say walk me through what you mean by the vulnerability.
Delphia Howze:Yeah. So when I was let's see, when I was writing my book, right, I did interviews with CEOs, lots of leaders, to understand their perspective around inclusion and how it works, and what I heard was and this is what people would say to me I don't want to touch it because I don't want to say the wrong thing, I don't want people to think that I don't know what I'm talking about. I don't want to be wrong, I don't want to offend. It was all of these negative potential outcomes that caused them to not engage in it at all and caused them to be uncomfortable. So my recommendation, my thought, is that's all about vulnerability. We, as leaders, need to be vulnerable to be able to say hey.
Delphia Howze:I don't got the answers to everything. I don't know the answer. My career wasn't built upon leading inclusion. My career was built because, you know, I'm great at numbers or I'm a scientist or whatever. The case may be right. That's why I've grown professional. We don't teach people how to do that and so once a leader is nominated, selected, hired or what have you for the position, now they have this responsibility of inclusion. Oh my gosh, it's uncomfortable. Let me just get back to my numbers right.
Delphia Howze:Absolutely so that vulnerability allowing people to be vulnerable in the fact that they don't have to know everything, so that they can continue to learn something Does that make sense.
Jess:If I could reframe a little bit of what you're saying, it isn't just the leadership's responsibility. They're allowed to not know everything and by offering up the vulnerability, it gives everyone the equal playing field to say well, I have some ideas. Here's some things that I would think about and gives them comfort level to really step up and talk about those things.
Delphia Howze:For sure, for sure.
Jess:I applaud that I think that's a really different way of saying it that I haven't heard before. Yeah, I think that really could make or break some organizations in that way. Agreed.
Delphia Howze:Vulnerability is not a weakness, it's actually a strength.
Claude:No on the contrary.
Jess:No, and you kind of hit the nail on the head with so. Many individuals move up the ranks to leadership levels because of the skills that they bring, which usually are more but not the human side. Yeah, are are more the tactical elements that relate to the job, not the community element, the people person, then the people management. So having the vulnerability and wherewithal to say, hey, I'm not strong in this or I don't know this or hey let's lean in together.
Delphia Howze:Absolutely.
Claude:At the same time, I feel like and I don't know if it's a bit controversial what I'm going to say it is quite baffling that we need to have programs to teach people to be inclusive. We are all human right For me, so that's why it's a bit controversial, but it's like why.
Delphia Howze:Yeah yeah. I agree with you 100%. I do keynotes and presentations, and one thing I love to say is let's go back to our kindergarten selves, right?
Jess:What did we?
Delphia Howze:learn in kindergarten. We learned to be nice Don't bite. Talk nicely, please thank you. All of these things right, you learn to work it out. Yeah, and then somewhere along the line we lose that and become these crazy humans that we are.
Jess:Yeah, right. Well, I do think, in certain fields and industries, and some of which you've been in, be like a lawyer. I think did you have banking too, or something Banking, banking at the beginning.
Jess:Yeah, I mean. So you're in a lot of these industries where when you're working through the tiers to get up that ladder, you are pushing past other people, so that mentality continues along the ladder. So I think I get why you're saying what you're saying. I don't agree with these people and why they're doing it, but I kind of understand why. Because there's still some of this mentality of I had to do it, yeah, I had to push through, and that's what I think we have to break, because it never should have happened to anyone, that never should have been the way of moving through an organization or an industry.
Claude:Oh yeah. Oh, I'm not saying that we should not do the program, it's just that how did we become this?
Jess:No, no, no, you're saying, we don't get how we even got here. How did we get here? Yeah, but I think we just we pushed these people out of the way to make it a certain group.
Delphia Howze:Yeah, it is mind-boggling because it makes you wonder why can't we just, like I said, get back to our kindergarten selves? Right, if we do that, and remember what, you know, our kindergarten teacher taught us, that's the whole empathy side, that's that whole inclusion side, right, well, the skills, the knowledge and ability to do our job are going to happen, but somehow we lose sight of that other I shouldn't say we many oftentimes. Yes, that other I shouldn't say we many oftentimes that sight is lost of that, all of those other human-centric pieces of information and intellect that help us to build relationships.
Jess:Yeah, so you've talked a little bit about your book. Would you mind telling us more about it? I believe in the book you do go into some of the roles people play when it comes to this. Yes, yes.
Delphia Howze:So this book was something that was in the making in my head for probably seven years and finally I sat down and did it. So the book is titled Including you Leading Inclusion from when you Are, and it's a book that focuses on the mindset that everyone can be a part of creating inclusive environments, even you, yes, you included. Right, that's why it's called Including you. And then the premise of it is the reality is that every person has likely experienced some element of exclusion, right and throughout our lives, whether it was back in kindergarten, whether it's yesterday or what have you. Somewhere along the line we felt that feeling of exclusion and I can guarantee it probably did not feel good. Right, there's a visceral response, there's a, you know, chemistry around how exclusion makes individuals feel, and the impact and outcome of that are not usually positive.
Delphia Howze:And so, realizing that, let's think about that. Why would we want that in our workplaces? Why would we want exclusion to be a reality for any person, from any background in our workplaces? If someone's feeling excluded, they can't do their best work. They won't do their best work, they're not going to feel the elements of value, because now they're focused on something else and that is trying to get rid of that exclusionary feeling. And so if we take the responsibility to create, to do something on our own accord, each and every person that creates an environment of inclusion, we would have the most beautiful, dynamic workplaces If everyone did something, one thing every day that would help another person to feel included. How wonderful would that be. And so my basis of the book is that it's not difficult to create inclusive environments, and we should not be waiting for the HR director, the CEO, the leadership team to create that culture for us. We have a personal responsibility to do it and we can do it very easily.
Jess:Oh, my God, I love that, which that does hit on the question that I teased up in the very beginning. What is that? One simple thing each person can do that's really quick and easy, that they could do to help in the workplace to be more inclusive.
Delphia Howze:Yeah, that is such a wonderful question, and so I'm trying to narrow everything down to one. I think that one thing that we can do is give each other grace, right, recognizing that we are human and because we are human, we are imperfect. Giving others grace and latitude to be able to get into the space of inclusion takes time, right. And so if we give someone that latitude and don't just write them off automatically because of our biases, because we feel uncomfortable, because they may have said something that was a little off right Somewhere along the line, let's give them grace and, through that grace, create understanding to their perspective. I think that's the biggest thing.
Delphia Howze:We're so quick to write someone off. Oh, they said X, y, z. The guy with the hat oh, he has that hat. Nope, can't do that. Right, but give them grace to be who they are and to allow them the space to be able to provide more information about their perspectives and how they see the world. And once we do that, now we have the opportunity to bridge the gap and close the gap a little bit, because we're not pointing the finger.
Delphia Howze:We're actually opening the hand for people to come in and share.
Jess:I think that's amazing because that's something everyone can do right, Just giving everybody that breath and ability to be themselves. To stay back and understand. Continue to train or retrain your brain, not to jump to conclusions or to bias.
Delphia Howze:That's it exactly yes.
Claude:Which a lot of time we go back. You know it's very easy to go back to this bias or whatever when you're stressed at work and everything. So it's really stepping back and, like you say at the beginning, looking into yourself. Yes, right, that's really something that resonates so much with me is looking at yourself so that you understand, so that you can go towards the others.
Delphia Howze:Absolutely, Absolutely. You know we're not as wonderful and perfect as we think. We are right, we all have work to do. And if we do that first, then we can have a better opportunity to connect with people and appreciate them for who they are and include. And if we do that first, then we can have a better opportunity to connect with people and appreciate them for who they are and include and include.
Jess:Delphia, do you have any parting words or anything else you might want to share with us?
Delphia Howze:Well, this has been a phenomenal conversation. I thank you for having me. One thing that I just want to I'll leave with is the reality that if we look at the word inclusion, the way in which it's spelled, inclusion begins with I, and it always needs you right. Think of the letters that are in there, right, and opportunities as we go forward, navigating our landscape in the workplace and outside of the workplace, building more BFFs. You know all of those things. We know in our heart of hearts that inclusion cannot exist without the letter I and it cannot exist without you.
Jess:I love that, Delphia, this conversation has just been so moving. I mean I've gotten chills a couple of times and definitely some ideas of things that I can do to lean in.
Jess:Thank you for sharing your wisdom, your experiences and for even just reminding us, I mean, some of these things we do know, but just having the conversation really helps, so we so appreciate it. I think all of us can sit there and say that that daily commitment you propose to us is not a hard thing to do, but it's something we all should lean in on, and I just feel like, the more we think about the importance of the Work Bestie community, that we all are allies of each other and have the opportunity to really take this to the next level. So with that, I just want to say thank you for these actionable insights, and we do want to make sure, just like you said all you work besties, inclusion does start with I, but it incorporates you. So please be a part of this and really take that small shift each day.
Claude:Yeah, and thank you so much again for your time and this positivity. Where can our listeners connect with you? Learn more about your book, about your work.
Delphia Howze:How can our listeners connect with you, learn more about your book, about your work? Yes, sure, so you can find me on LinkedIn Again. I think I'm the only Delphia Howes out there, right, and you can find me on LinkedIn. You can also find information on my website, dhowesolutionscom, and also on Instagram.
Claude:Perfect, and we'll make sure to put the link in our you know bio and story show notes?
Delphia Howze:Yes, and you can find the book on Amazon. It's including you, leading inclusion from where you are. Purchase the book, send me a picture and I'll add you all to the wall of inclusion. Anyone to the wall of inclusion? Those who are willing to take the journey to be more inclusive.
Jess:Perfect. I feel like that's a call to attention for us. Yes, we'll find a way to join that.
Claude:Work besties, you heard Delphia, it is your turn. So this week, take one intentional step towards inclusion. Invite someone into a conversation, champion a co-worker's idea, support them and, of course, as usual, workers at WorkBesties food podcast, tell us about it. And don't forget to like, rate and subscribe. Thank you all. Until next time, bye, bye.
Jess:Remember whether you're swapping snacks in the break room, rescuing each other from endless meetings or just sending that perfectly timed meme. Having a work bestie is like having your own personal hype squad.
Claude:So keep lifting each other, laughing through the chaos and, of course, thriving. Until next time, stay positive, stay productive and don't forget to keep supporting each other. Work besties.
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