Reflections on the Human Condition and PRIDE Month 2024
By Paul Cecala, GCDF, June 1, 2024
This year’s Pride Month Celebrations are causing me to take pause as I consider all that is going on in the world - wars, hate crimes, the very real threats to Trans lives, and more. So, I want to share some of what I am feeling and thinking about the 2024 PRIDE season.
PRIDE is about all of humanity!
PRIDE is about more than just the LGBTQ+ Community. Despite its origins by the Trans community in the Stonewall Riot, for decades it has focused on the struggle of (mainly) the “G” of the LGBTQ+ community for acceptance and equality. Many of us work to be more inclusive and understanding of all the LGBTQ+ community. There absolutely needs to be the focus on the Trans Community. And I think in today’s environment it needs to go beyond the LGBTQ+ community.
Make no mistake, there is still much to be done all around the world and even in our own back yard to bring true equality and equity to MY (if you did not know, I am a gay man) community. Just one look at the number of bills introduced in legislatures across our country is ample proof of that. (According to the ACLU, there were more than 500 bills introduced just in 2023. https://www.aclu.org/legislative-attacks-on-lgbtq-rights-2023)
Yet, I now see the LGBTQ+ fight to receive equal human rights as a struggle to bring humanity back to a place of civility and acceptance; where hate mongering is less the norm and more the exception; where there is an opportunity for peaceful discourse that allows for everyone and anyone to have an opinion and feel safe to express it; where we can agree to disagree and allow each other to live in harmony with nature, our fellow human, and our own concept of a deity. A world where, just because we have different ideas does not mean we need to shout and degrade to angry, mean-spirited, crude hyperbole, or inflammatory slurs when the other does not share our opinion of right and wrong. At its core, I believe that is all anyone really wants – to have an equitable, peaceful coexistence with our neighbors where all have the opportunity to live, love and prosper.
PRIDE IS about Corporate Responsibility
As society and the law increasingly recognized corporate entities as having the same rights and responsibilities as people in the US, I believe it is incumbent upon those corporations to be a leading and shining example of that which is appropriate ethical and moral “human” behavior.
There are three main ways our thoughts and beliefs are influenced today. While one used to be the church we attended, statistically, research shows church attendance and belief in a deity declining overall. (https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2015/11/03/u-s-public-becoming-less-religious/) Today the primary sources are 1) our news feeds, 2) social media posts and 3) the places we spend the most time – work.
With the first two, most reasonable adults recognize the inherent flaws with the sources. For example, we self-segregate to sources that espouse our own general beliefs eschewing those that oppose what we want to believe as truth thereby reinforcing and antagonizing our own negative thoughts about “the other”. With social media, too often we seem to accept a known voice or entity as being truthful, honest and unbiased when they post a statement even when we might otherwise question its validity from another source or are confronted with differing facts.
In the third instance, we are significantly influenced by the “corporate culture” of our workplace. The culture is derived from company policies and statements (written and verbal, internal and external), from the treatment of employees by leadership (think employee vs company loyalty!), and by the casual conversations of the workplace among employees whether in the lunchroom, on break or in the parking lot.
It is interesting to hear from SHRM (the Society from Human Resources Management) that millennials and Gen Zer’s are using DEI (Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion) and ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) factors in deciding where to work. In essence, if the organization does not match with the individual’s core values on the triple bottom line (people, planet, profit), then they seek to work elsewhere. While I applaud their dedication to their values, I also fear this is further segregating our society to those who look, think, and act like me vs those who do not. Is that healthy for the “triple bottom line?” I am not sure it is.
What can we do?
I believe it is our sovereign responsibility to ourselves and humanity to question what is presented as “the truth” no matter who declares it. We must find valid, legitimate sources to corroborate the “truths” or “facts” we use to form and express our opinions. Are we verifying the sources of our information as coming directly from the reported speaker? Do we seek multiple sources to confirm the “facts” before repeating them?
And most importantly, we MUST relearn how to discuss ideas with others without “insisting” they change their opinion to match our own. We need to practice the art of active listening which means to listen for understanding, not response. To acknowledge and accept another’s beliefs as theirs and allow them the right to have that opinion even when we disagree with it. And then, to embrace them figuratively and literally for their differences recognizing that it is in our vast diversity that innovation will come.
In the first half of 2024, I have been asked by several corporate clients to conduct training on some communications skills with all of them asking for a segment on listening skills. Additionally, one of my more popular presentations to job seekers over the last 3 years has been on how to listen better to improve business networking. If we strive to be better listeners maybe the newly gained understanding will give us the opportunity to appreciate the other’s opinion without having to denigrate them.
Diversity Equals Corporate Success
In fact, there's a good bit of research out there that suggests a connection between diverse workplaces and innovation. Here are some examples:
A study by Boston Consulting Group in 2018 looked at over 1,700 companies worldwide. They found that companies with more diverse leadership teams reported a higher percentage of revenue coming from innovation.
An article in Harvard Business Review discusses research showing that companies with diverse workforces are more likely to capture new markets and achieve higher growth.
The World Economic Forum suggests that companies with greater diversity scores see a larger portion of their revenue coming from new products.
In this PRIDE season, I ask that we take less time to denounce each other, more time to listen to each other, and seek to understand each other. Let us appreciate the chance to celebrate everyone’s individuality and diversity, accept them for who they are, and encourage each other to respectfully share our ideas, beliefs, and views. In so doing, we may change or grow stronger in our own beliefs. Who knows, in the process we all may grow greater as individuals, communities, and employee teams!
About the Author:
Paul Cecala, a Global Career Developmental Facilitator (GCDF) certified career coach, is a principal at Cecala Career Consultants with decades of experience as a career coach helping individuals with finding career success. He has taught over 500 seminars and workshops on conducting successful job searches. Mr. Cecala can be reached at pcecala@cecalacareer.com . Follow him at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cecala-career-consultants.
Paul Cecala can help you navigate to your success. Learn more about his services here.