In partnership with
Dr. Maya Borgueta is a licensed clinical psychologist and the founder of Stella Nova Psychology. Stella Nova is a practice dedicated to providing high-quality, compassionate therapy with a special focus on women in business, STEM, and other demanding fields.
TAKEAWAYS
The Invitation Without the Infrastructure
Right now, the external policy environment has a silencing effect in workplaces.
Even if there aren’t official corporate policy changes, women I work with (and others I’m sure), feel a shift in the climate at work.
The dimming of DEI, the not so subtle removal of programming designed to bolster women, LGBTQ+, and other minorities, and the shifts away from inclusive language have real effects.
Two common examples I hear are, now:
It feels safer for others to engage in bullying or discriminatory behavior
It feels less safe to report micro/aggressions when it happens
There’s no single remedy for protecting your wellbeing in such dynamics. We each experience these scenarios in ways that are specific to our individual life experiences.
We can, however, be aware of the emotional exhaustion created by living in a space serving up conflicting messages, often simultaneously: Bring your full authentic selves to work + we aren’t openly supporting the full spectrum of self expression.
To signal support for colleagues, small signals can help people feel safe.
You can decrease the need for code switching* by being vulnerable yourself
A rainbow flag in your office and mentioning your pronouns isn’t enough, but it’s not nothing.
None of this works as a grand gesture. It has to be baked into the day-to-day so that when the big stuff comes — the moment someone actually needs to advocate or speak up — it comes from an authentic place, because the groundwork was already there.
One supportive colleague can make a big difference in teammates' work experience.
*The practice of shifting one's language, dialect, appearance, behavior, or mannerisms to match the norms of a dominant culture.
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