Is Your Team Covering Up Who They Really Are?

Let's Talk, People with Emily Frieze-Kemeny

Have you ever struggled with how to coach someone on “fitting in” at work? You might even struggle with the idea of having to fit in. Is it equitable and inclusive? Fitting in and adapting to the culture at work is emotionally charged and complicated…which is why we wanted to unpack it on this episode of Let’s Talk, People.

In this episode, I’m joined by Jason Trujillo, the Vice President of Operational Excellence for Global Supply Chain at Stanley Black & Decker and the former global head of Leadership and Learning at IBM, to discuss the concept of “uncovering”, inspired by Kenji Yoshino’s work and book on “Covering.”

Timestamps:

• [00:00:33] - Jason shares his unique journey to leadership.
• [00:10:38] - Jason explains the concept of “covering” and its relevance to inclusion, diversity, and belonging in the workplace.
• [00:25:07] - Emily and Jason discuss their approach to coaching a team member on what to share.
• [00:33:29] - Emily and Jason offer guidance on managing unhealthy and unhelpful feedback from leadership while setting up team members for success.
• [00:41:42] - Emily and Jason explore when it’s appropriate to be transparent as a leader about personal challenges while maintaining professional boundaries.
• [00:48:52] - Jason and Emily wrap up the episode with reflections on showing up authentically, fostering a culture of inclusion, and recognizing what it may take to be “successful” in different environments.

Access the episode transcript.

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Explore Emily and her team’s work through AROSE Group’s website and on AROSE Group’s LinkedIn page.

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