What The Flip: Examining the issues from all sides: Recent Episodes
What The Flip
Based on a mix of perspectives, alongside guests, who will share other lenses we consider all options to address the key challenges. As we head into more rough terrain with more unknowns, surfacing the flips may be the only way to learn, develop new answers, and find the spaces for collaboration going forward.
Elocutionists: Drs. William Rothwell, Dave Jamieson, and Bill Brendel
Invited speaker: Dr. Shalini Lal
Production team: Dr. Aileen Zaballero and Farhan SadiqueIn India, where the 1.4 billion-strong population speaks more than 450 languages, diversity not only means having more female workers but also hiring employees from different cultural, linguistic and socioeconomic backgrounds, of different sexual orientations, and with different physical abilities, according to SHRM 2022. OD and planned change started in the early 1960s through a group of Indian professionals trained at the National Training Laboratories (NTL) in Bethel, Maine, USA. O.D. remained mostly in academic institutions - the forte of a few specialists and largely limited to T-group training and other training-based interventions.
Challenges are deeply rooted in India’s cultural norms, religious ideology, and social, economic, and political structures and are entrenched within individuals. The six challenges identified by Wang and Mclean (2015) in India are:
(a) difficulty in re-entering the workforce (Collins & Abhichandani, 2016),
(b) struggles with the tension between individual autonomy and collective identity (Alagaraja & Wilson, 2016),
(c) prejudice against skin color (Sims & Hirudayaraj, 2016),
(d) gaining equal employment opportunities for disadvantaged groups (Haynes & Alagaraja, 2016),
(e) balancing work and life for dual earners
Gender, region, language, religion, caste, class, occupation, background, disability, race, and sexual orientation are not expected to be challenging for anyone applying for jobs anymore. Employers appreciating differences in individuals (along with equal opportunity employers) are etching strong signatures in the employment ecosystem and making the world a better place to work in. In India, 85% of working women claim to have missed out on a raise, promotion, or work offer because of their gender, compared to the regional average of 60%. In addition, consumer sentiment from the report shows that more than seven in 10 working women (71%) and working mothers (77%) feel managing family responsibilities comes in the way of career development.
But those are just some numbers and data, today we have invited a subject matter expert from India to discuss the underlying conditions, and following the NTL training in 1960, we have the current president of NTL, Dr. Dave Jamieson, to reflect on the outcome after almost 50 years. We have consultants who work directly with organizations in India and, together, are going to flip the perspective.
Elocutionists: Drs. William Rothwell, Dave Jamieson, and Bill Brendel
Invited speaker: Dr. Shalini Lal
Production team: Dr. Aileen Zaballero and Farhan Sadique
Elocutionists: Drs. William Rothwell, Dave Jamieson, and Bill Brendel
Invited speaker: Dr. Frances Baldwin
Production team: Dr. Aileen Zaballero and Farhan SadiqueThe world of work is continuously changing, and organizations seek ways to respond to the evolving cultural landscape. Focusing on the humanity of work, people-centric initiatives is fast becoming a core strategy in managing the human side of organizations, calling for a more human way to work. One key strategy is promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. Inclusion means equitably providing access, opportunities, engagement, and a voice to all people. It is critical to a person's feeling of belonging; to know and genuinely experience camaraderie and fellowship; without it can exacerbate feelings of isolation and loneliness.
Like their other family members, some were also isolated at home, creating overcrowded environments limiting alone time. Overcrowding and population density were associated with higher levels of loneliness (Hammound et al., 2021). According to one study, many experienced increased stress levels with more people in the household (Kowal et al., 2020).
Levels of perceived stress increased with the growing number of children at home. Women experience significantly higher stress levels than men. Yet, others experienced deep loneliness. The results of loneliness can be devastating. According to Holt-Lunstad et al. (2015),
· Loneliness affects more than one-third of American adults
· Loneliness is as lethal as smoking 15 cigarettes a day
· Loneliness increases mortality risk by up to 30%.
Depending on their environment (at home and at work), individuals experience different levels of loneliness, while others long for moments of solitude (pockets of time for themselves). Although social isolation has led to various mental health challenges, researchers conclude it is not just a personal issue but an organizational problem.
What is your experience?
Elocutionists: Drs. William Rothwell, Dave Jamieson, and Bill Brendel
Invited speaker: Dr. Frances Baldwin
Production team: Dr. Aileen Zaballero and Farhan SadiqueThe world of work is continuously changing, and organizations seek ways to respond to the evolving cultural landscape. Focusing on the humanity of work, people-centric initiatives is fast becoming a core strategy in managing the human side of organizations, calling for a more human way to work. One key strategy is promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. Inclusion means equitably providing access, opportunities, engagement, and a voice to all people. It is critical to a person's feeling of belonging; to know and genuinely experience camaraderie and fellowship; without it can exacerbate feelings of isolation and loneliness.
Like their other family members, some were also isolated at home, creating overcrowded environments limiting alone time. Overcrowding and population density were associated with higher levels of loneliness (Hammound et al., 2021). According to one study, many experienced increased stress levels with more people in the household (Kowal et al., 2020).
Levels of perceived stress increased with the growing number of children at home. Women experience significantly higher stress levels than men. Yet, others experienced deep loneliness. The results of loneliness can be devastating. According to Holt-Lunstad et al. (2015),
· Loneliness affects more than one-third of American adults
· Loneliness is as lethal as smoking 15 cigarettes a day
· Loneliness increases mortality risk by up to 30%.
Depending on their environment (at home and at work), individuals experience different levels of loneliness, while others long for moments of solitude (pockets of time for themselves). Although social isolation has led to various mental health challenges, researchers conclude it is not just a personal issue but an organizational problem.
What is your experience?