Race in the Workplace with Joanna Shoffner Scott, Ph.D.

Today's episode wraps up the series “Let’s Get REAL: Racial Equity for Adaptive Leaders” with Joanna Shoffner Scott and guest Anthony Armstrong from Make Communities. The episode explores the rapidly changing landscape of racial equity in organizational leadership. They discuss the challenges leaders face amid uncertainty, drawing parallels to past experiences like the early days of COVID-19 and examining what les...

In this episode, "How to Lead When It Feels Like the World Is Burning Down," Joanna talks about the importance of leadership that is both self-reflective and team-focused, as leaders do the hard work of maintaining racial equity commitments in an anti-DEI climate.

Joanna provides insights into current anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) movements and their implications for the workplace. Additionally, she points to the power...

Personal growth for leaders is more than just a buzzword. It's a necessity for anyone striving to align their actions with their values. In this episode of the Race in the Workplace Podcast, host Joanna Shoffner Scott is joined by guest Anthony Armstrong to discuss the opportunities and hurdles leaders most commonly face in equity work. Joanna and Anthony explore the unique challenges leaders face, especially those of color, and th...

In this episode of the Race in the Workplace Podcast, host Joanna Shoffner Scott is joined by guest Anthony Armstrong to unpack strategies for designing an equity program. Together, they discuss the factors that leaders should consider before starting on an equity journey, addressing both the opportunities and challenges that can arise. From assessing organizational readiness to aligning aspirations with actionable steps, this thou...

In this episode of Race in the Workplace, Dr. Joanna Shoffner Scott and Anthony Armstrong continue this season’s leadership series called Let's Get REAL: Racial Equity for Adaptive Leaders. This week’s discussion explores how to plan for leadership transitions. As Joanna and Anthony unpack the complexities of leadership transitions, they discuss the opportunities and challenges accompanying these shifts, emphasizing the...

This episode is the second conversation in their series, Let's Get REAL: Racial Equity for Adaptive Leaders. In it, Dr. Joanna Shoffner Scott talks with longtime colleague Anthony Armstrong about the difference between transactional and transformational leadership. The distinctions between these two leadership styles matter, particularly in building racially equitable organizations. They also discuss their collaborative journey, th...

In this mini episode, host  Joanna Shoffner Scott highlights the significance of systems and processes in creating racially equitable organizations. Drawing from her extensive experience as an organizational development consultant and founder of the Stamey Street Consulting Group, Joanna explains why clear systems and processes are foundational to equity work. She unpacks the often hidden but crucial role systems play in foste...

In this episode of Race in the Workplace (S3, Ep 4), host Joanna Shoffner Scott explores the necessary components for building a racially equitable organization. From her extensive consulting experience and personal experiences as a Black woman in professional spaces, Joanna identifies and unpacks four foundational elements critical to building and sustaining racial equity within organizations. Whether you're a leader just beginnin...

Let's Get REAL: Introducing Racial Equity for Adaptive Leaders | S3, Ep 3

In this episode of the Race in the Workplace Podcast, host Joanna Shoffner Scott shares a discussion with Anthony Armstrong, founder and lead consultant at Make Communities, to explore the intricacies of adaptive versus technical leadership strategies, especially concerning racial equity and its role in practice transformation in nonprofit organizations. The d...

Episode Summary

In this episode of the Race in the Workplace podcast, host Joanna Shoffner Scott discusses a significant change in her professional journey. She has decided to move away from using the term DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) and instead focus on racial equity as a core organizational practice. Joanna believes this shift better aligns with her principles and brings more clarity and effectiveness to her wo...

Welcome to the first episode of Season 3 of the "Race in the Workplace" podcast, where host Joanna Shoffner Scott, an experienced organizational development consultant and founder of the Stamey Street Consulting Group, provides fresh insights and practical strategies for creating equitable workplaces. In this new season, Joanna shifts her focus from DEI leaders to broader organizational leadership, emphasizing the importance of com...

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About Your Host

Dr. Joanna Shoffner Scott is an organizational development c...

Topics discussed in this episode:

1- Where to hear more about the Changing the Conversation series. [0:01:56]

2- My jagged journey background: the reluctant consultant. [0:02:36]

3- Common communication roadblocks in the workplace. [0:04:45]

4- Why the workplace is a microcosm of our society. [0:06:18]

5- Things to establish before going into a conversation in the workplace. [0:08:46]

6- Defining respect and how it can become a communica...

Topics discussed in this episode:

1- Sean introduces his role at the Building Movement Project. [0:02:37]  

2- How Sean found himself in this line of work and the influence of his parents. [0:04:45]

3- Opportunities and challenges that Sean has encountered related to race, racism, and leadership. [0:09:04]

4- Prioritizing solutions to central questions and moving past mere deconstructive analysis. [0:16:11]

6- Identifying the most ...

Topics discussed in this episode:

1- The dangers of moving too slowly in equity work. [0:01:24]

2- The importance of listening to staff feedback and taking intentional action. [0:02:20]

3- Why you have to communicate clear expectations of what staff needs to know. [0:05:29]

4- What racial equity fatigue is, and how to overcome it. [0:05:42]

5- Practical, actionable tips to avoid the slow-moving equity work trap. [0:08:09]

• One: ask an...

Topics discussed in this episode:

1- Today’s topic: encouragement to those who do DEI-related work, regardless of title. [0:00:49]

2- The moment that’s happening in our field and our two options for responding. [0:01:22]

3- Unpacking the pressure that we're under right now in this historical moment. [0:02:00]

4- Retrenchment, structural challenges, and layoffs inside organizations. [0:03:42]

5- How the work of others like th...

Topics discussed in this episode:

1- The article this episode is based on: Nonprofit Execs: Are You Constantly Losing Staff of Color? [0:00:45]

2- An outline of the problem and what it might look like for your company. [0:01:40]

3- The problem of naming without action. [0:02:36]

4- A metric for your organizational identity: how your Black staff are faring. [0:04:01]

5- Acknowledging that your workplace environment may be toxic f...

Topics discussed in this episode:

1- Today’s topic: Turning the fire inward [0:01:12]

2- Framing the current context: DEI as a target [0:02:07]

3- The dominant narrative that DEI is responsible for inequity and the efforts to “return to colorblind equality” [0:05:38]

4- An explanation of what is meant by the phrase “Turning the Fire Inward.” [0:07:53]

5- The root of much of what is happening in progressive ...

Topics discussed in this episode:

1- What an equity assessment or equity audit is, and what it includes. [0:01:24]

2- The standard process my firm uses to do these assessments. [0:02:49]

3- Why you should only agree to an assessment if there is a commitment to act on the results. [0:06:02]

4- When it’s important to add a policy practice review to the assessment. [0:07:20]

5- When not to do a racial equity assessment or racial equi...