In this episode of The Forum Podcast, Ha-Keem Abdel-Khaliq (Cargill) explores the need to consider the well-being of leaders and the demands placed on them when charged with driving diversity, equity, and inclusion within their organizations.
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You are leading a social revolution! If you think of the revolution as a journey that we are all embarking upon to create long-lasting change, we often forget about the individuals we are asking to lead them. We identify the problem, create the vision, ask leaders to lead, and forget that what’s being asked of them can often lead to: doubt, worry, fatigue, exhaustion, no career movement, no pay increase, increased personal and professional vulnerability, to name a few.
We are ultimately relying on the goodwill and moral compass of these individuals to drive change forward without providing the “recharge”, “emotional deposits”, or realizing the “psychological safety” needed to lead this revolution.
Learning Outcomes
- Identify the signs of career / goodwill stalls
- Find your recharge
- Realize your value – you’re worth it!
Sponsored by
Transcript
00:00
The Forum on Workplace Inclusion 2021 podcast series is sponsored by Best Buy. more diversity in tech means more ideas that can change the world. Learn more@bestbuy.com slash more of this. Did you miss the opportunity to join us live at the 2021 forum annual conference, or maybe you’re hearing about the US largest workplace dei conference for the first time? Well, for the first time ever, we’re offering our complete 33rd annual conference workplace revolution on demand. The on demand package includes access to our workshops, book readings, half day featured sessions, art and wellness workshops, our marketplace of ideas exhibitor showcase, half day, higher education industry session, 16 trend talks, and five General Sessions. That’s the forum 2021 annual conference on demand visit Forum on Workplace inclusion.org. To get access today, we get to engage people advanced ideas, and ignite change because of the generous support from our community. If you find our resources meaningful or valuable, please consider supporting the forum today, visit Forum on Workplace inclusion.org slash donate. That’s Forum on Workplace inclusion.org slash donate. Thank you very much for your support and generosity. With that, I’d like to say thank you to all our listeners and subscribers, you help support the growth of the podcast and reach new listeners. If you like what you’re hearing on the forum podcast, please consider writing a review on Apple podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts. If you’ve already written a review, thank you. Please consider sharing our podcast with a friend or family member or a colleague you think might find value in the content. Word of mouth is the best way the form grows. So thank you very much for listening and sharing. Thanks again and enjoy the show.
Ben Rue 01:45
Hello, and thank you for tuning into the Forum on Workplace Inclusion podcast brought to you by Best Buy. I’m Ben Rue program associate here at the forum. We’re really looking forward to today’s podcast, you’re worth it with Ha-Keem Abdel-Khaliq of Cargill, Inc. You are leading a social revolution. If you think of the revolution as a journey that we are all embarking upon to create long lasting change. We often forget about the individuals we are asking to lead them. We identify the problem create the vision ask leaders to lead and forget that what’s being asked of them can often lead to doubt, worry, fatigue, exhaustion, no career movement, no pay increase, increased personal and professional vulnerability and much more. We are ultimately relying on the goodwill and moral compass of these individuals to drive the change for it without providing that recharge, emotional deposit or realizing the psychological safety needed to lead this revolution. In this podcast will identify signs of career slash goodwill stalls, find your recharge and realize your value, you’re worth it! Ha-Keem Abdel-Khaliq is an Associate Vice President of human resources. He is an accomplished speaker having been invited to present workshops and talks at various well known corporate and professional events. In more than 20 years of professional experience. He’s built an impressive data set. He has worked at three of the largest global companies been an HR leader for more than 15 years, counseled hundreds of employees and career development, conducted 1000s of interviews and reviewed nearly 100,000 resumes. He has worked in multiple industries including retail, grain, sweeteners, chemical, IT and executive recruitment, as first published book, you’re worth it, navigating your career in corporate America was written out of his passion for helping others, he lives with his wife and two kids in Minneapolis. It’s now my pleasure to hand things over to Ha-Keem.
Ha-Keem Abdel-Khaliq 03:48
So thank you, Ben, I appreciate the opportunity to talk to this podcast today that you’re worth it podcast. And what I wanted to do today is talk through a few topics that I feel are very relevant in what is happening in society today. And as we think through organization, and as we think through creating the revolution, as we talked about in Forum on Workplace Inclusion. So I’d like to go through high level just a little bit about my background tell you a little bit about who is speaking today, the focus of the Forum on Workplace Inclusion issue and why it resonates with me personally looking at today is a key moment in time. And so different from other times that we we have faced previously a bit unknown. And so I want to spend a little bit time working through that. And then this idea of words and what it means as we think about our careers. What it means is that thing as we think about how to influence and affect change in organizations today, I want to discuss some ideas on maximizing your worth and Then once you do maximize it, what do you do with it, and we’ll talk through what that means and some ideas. And then we’ll do a short recap and hand it back over to you. And so wanted to start by giving you a little bit of my background. And so my name is Ha-Keem Abdel-Khaliq, as was shared earlier, and I’ve been fortunate enough to work with several large organizations have been a career coach, I’ve spoken internationally. And it’s one of the things is we think about kind of your worth, and what’s important to you, one of the things that’s always been important to me, has been moving forward with the areas in which you’re passionate about. And I can speak from personal experience of, of having kind of these milestones that I wanted to reach, and they weren’t driven on what I was passionate about it was it was driven on what I thought was important. And taking a step back and really thinking about what is passionate what you are passionate about and finding success in that. And so I want to start with that. Because that is the reason why I’m here today. This it’s the reason why I’m interested in the topic and why I wanted to be a part of this. It’s a reason why I started blogging is the reason why I wrote my book. And so it’s is we think about kind of what we’re passionate about, that’s where we’re going to be successful. And so a little bit about me. And as the my passion really is around developing people, coaching people helping bring out the best of where they are. So how does that line up with The Forum on Workplace Inclusion. And as I mentioned, I like to focus my areas on areas of interest on what I’m passionate about. And when you look on the website on the form of workplace inclusion, the idea for this year is workplace revolution. So how do we move from talking about it to essentially how do we be about it, and the we talked about the pandemic, we talked about the social movements around the world around protests based on racism, and Amen. And I think we all have seen the disparities in terms of how it happens. And I wanted to spend a little bit more time talking about it. As we think about the workplace and the workplace. I think it’s a key focus for The Forum on Workplace Inclusion, because that’s how we can impact change in the businesses that we see around the world. And I’m truly fascinated with the idea that this is about a workplace revolution. That said, when we’re creating a revolution, in, in our focus this year, and in The Forum on Workplace Inclusion is, where is it happening? Well, it’s happening at work. And where work in the workplace in organizations is where I spent the majority of my career. And it’s why I wrote my book, because in my book is called your worth navigating your career in corporate America. But when we talk about a workplace revolution, it happens at work and in what I have found that they are, there truly are things that are true truths about the workplace that are important for people understand that. So as we think about driving change and creating value, this comes back over and over as we think about that workplace and how to affect change. And so in Why is we think about this point in time. Why is this so important. And this is a moment in time unlike any other. So when we talk about the impact of COVID, and its impact on education, we continue to see the gap for for people that have resources in simple things like access to the Internet, and Wi Fi and reliable access to the internet and Wi Fi. And in the beginning of the COVID we saw where it was impacting everyone and quickly after we’ve seen that the gap, which are now calling a K curve, because the in essence, you know, those who have a lot are getting a lot more and those who have less, or are getting less in with the education gap. This is going to be impacted and we’re going to feel the impact of this for many years beyond 2020 and 2021. With this also pivotal moment in time because of social justice you’re starting to see things that you just haven’t in there little things even like
Ha-Keem Abdel-Khaliq 09:44
you know I used to work in organization that that didn’t honor didn’t celebrate I wouldn’t say honor but didn’t specifically celebrate a half the day of Martin Luther King off and now does you’re starting to hear leader saying within organization presidents and see of organization saying that enough is enough, we don’t support the inequality that we’ve seen, and we’re not going to be blind to it anymore. We want to open our eyes, we want to learn more when to educate, we want to impact change. You see it in things like commercials. I mean, I’ve seen it as an example, I’ve seen so many commercials. And I’ve noticed it because it’s something I’ve always noticed, wasn’t there in the past, but people who people of color in more commercials, it’s just interesting thing to see. And something that as we think about, you know, a movement, part of that movement is seeing people that look like you in, in commercials in leadership positions in organizations. And so while some things have changed, others haven’t, and I want to talk to you that a little bit in the Twin Cities where I live, but also just in noticing postings in these areas that you start to notice an influx of diversity and inclusion, leadership positions. And what that means. And I think so this is really marking where organizations haven’t made it a priority to really starting to make it a priority, you’re seeing change in policies. And so in my mind, as we, as we take a step back, this was a very important topic for The Forum on Workplace Inclusion to call this a workplace revolution. And it’s very timely, because it’s a pivotal moment in time. And so there’s no greater moment, to embrace this challenge to be bold and encouraged to change.
Ha-Keem Abdel-Khaliq 11:32
But what does that mean? Right? So we’ve all heard the phrase, you know, go out make a difference, you know, Be the change you want to see in the world that famously quoted to Mahatma Gandhi, you know, yay. And yes, I agree. But how do I do it? What does that mean? And how do I lead that revolution, if you will, and in what are the things I need to think about and so over the next 15 to 20 minutes, I want to share with you some thoughts that I have, on what I think are some ways that you may accomplish the change in lead the change and embrace the change through maximizing your worth. And that’s what this is called is the, your worth it podcast. And I again, not too long ago, and so in August of 2020, I wrote a book called your worth navigating your career in corporate America. But the idea of the book started several years before, and there was this idea on as you look in your career, and try and own your career development. One of the hardest concepts for for people to to come to grips with and even to understand is, what is the idea of your worth. And the idea came through several career coaching conversations that I had with with employees that are supported in my business, with peers, with colleagues, with friends with family. And one of the things we would talk about are, as we talk through, you know, what the challenges they would face, one of the questions I’d always ask is, well, what your worth, because the conversations undoubtedly would be, well, I’m not getting my worth right now. You know, the company isn’t recognizing my worth. And so my question was, well, what is your worth? And it’s a hard question for people to answer. Because how do you value your worth in a career? Is it the amount of money that you’re paid? Well, it could be? Is it what you think you’re worth, and not exactly what you’re paid? It could be that as well. And in the end, I think that that becomes a sticking point for people, because what’s the what’s the answer? How do you get to that point? And to answer that question, I like to expound on it maybe as it applies to areas outside of careers, but that we’re all familiar with. And so as we think about athletes, some of the most famous athletes that we know Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, LeBron James, I talked about this. And if we think about Michael Jordan, well, he was highly touted coming out of college. But he hadn’t won a championship yet and proved anything. He was an exciting player. But he had a certain worth at that time. And if you’d said, Hey, what is Michael Jordan’s worth? He was just, you know, he was just basically coming from college, he had a value in the market. And as he continued to win, and become one of the best after he had won three championships in a row, he had a very distinct value in the market. And many people viewed him at that time as maybe the best player of all time, but he wasn’t paid that way by the organization. At that time with the Chicago Bulls. He was still one of the the lower paid, professionals in the NBA.
Ha-Keem Abdel-Khaliq 14:59
Fast forward He takes a year off, his value in the NBA has is dropped. He’s a baseball player, he decided to go into baseball. And so his value in the industry looks quite different. And fast forward a few years later, he wins three more titles, and what is his value at that time, it’s quite significant. Fast forward to today, he’s an owner. In the NBA, he owns a team, his value looks quite different. And so the value that you have can change. But with Michael Jordan, he didn’t maximize his value by playing. And in fact, it wasn’t until his last couple of years that he was the was getting recognized for being the league’s best player. Magic Johnson similar story spent all this time with primarily with one team. And so he certainly garnered value and you see that but when he came out of college, he had a value when he won five NBA championships, he has value. And now he has several businesses and teams that he also is owner or part owner of and his value looks significantly different. But while he was a player, he didn’t maximize his value. But you could argue the difference with LeBron James, who has continued to maximize value from one team to the next, and continues to insist on being you know, paid, what is the market rate and won’t just stay at one team because the loyalty so he continually drives his value in that is what I would say is we ask the question of what is your worth? I would answer the market determined your work. And so when we talk to people and say, Hey, what’s your worth, and they say, it’s what the company pays me, I would push back on that. And that’s where we would have really good conversations, because the company pays you what it determines your worth is. But let’s say that you want to test the waters and apply for new positions outside of your company, well, then you really find out what your worth is. Because if you go through an interview process, you’ll understand that maybe they would offer you the same amount of money you’re being paid right now. Maybe they’ll offer you more, maybe they’ll offer you significantly more. So your value is different, your worth does look different. If a company can do that, and the market will determine that for you. But on the flip side, what if you never get an interview? So what is your What if your resume is never reviewed, or you never hear any feedback and you apply for quite a few positions? Well, maybe your worth, is exactly what their current company is paying you for. And maybe it’s different. But this idea of worth i think is an important one. And I spend a lot of time talking through that in my book. And in my book, my book worth insights, I really talked to corporate truths and worth it insights is split up into two parts. And the corporate truths are essentially the rules of the road. And I want to bring this back to an earlier point that I had made. Because when we’re talking about the workplace revolution, your corporate America or any corporation, they have these rules, they have these guidelines. And it’s important for people to understand that. And so the first half of the book, I take you through some of those corporate truths, like one of the corporate truths is a company will always do what’s best for itself. It’s corporate truth. Number one, it can sometimes be a hard pill for people to swallow. But the reality of it is, is the company is here to make profit. They’re here to run an organization. And so we’re talking about workplace revolution, it’s important to understand the rules of how organizations work. Because while we have our own agendas, we need to ensure we need to ensure and be aware that the corporation has this agenda. And so and that is to either make money or to prevent from losing money. And that’s one of the things that I get to do in my my career as an HR professional and over 20 years as an HR professional is, we also find ways to save the company money. And that could be to prevent lawsuits or things like that. But at the end of the day, it’s helping the company maximize profits. And so it’s important for people to understand the landscape. And that’s why we talk about the corporate truth. The second half of the book is really focused on the work that insights. And it’s really helping you understand your worth your value and how to achieve and maximize it. And so I spend the time to get this idea of what is your worth. Because one you need to understand what your worth is so that you can maximize what that is and then do something with it, which I think is an important message that comes out of our conversation today on the forum and workplace inclusion in our focus for 2021 on driving the workplace revolution.
Ha-Keem Abdel-Khaliq 19:45
Okay, so we’ve talked about a little bit about the idea of what is your worth, and how does this align with the workplace revolution. So I want to ask you a few questions. I want you to think about this. And this may apply to some of you, it may not apply to any of you, it, but it may apply to all of you. But one of the things that I’ve started to see, and the reason why I want to ask the questions, because as we think about this workplace revolution, as we think through the jobs that had been created, and so the the new positions on inclusion and diversity, the new roles that were being asked, and so a lot of my colleagues, in the past six months, I’ve been asked to do things that maybe they they weren’t in, weren’t doing before. And so, as we think through that, have you been asked in the last six to nine months? How are you doing, as you know, after the death of George Floyd? And, you know, with Black Lives Matter, you know, how are you doing, personally, people genuinely interested, in your point of view? Have people asked you, Hey, can you participate or lead this discussion? On social justice? Can you provide your point of view to our leaders? Can you share this information? Have you been asked to give your opinion on solutions that the organization is looking to drive and make changes on as it applies to corporate inclusion? In this movement around social justice? Have you been asked to participate on an inclusion panel, and to either facilitate lead participate with other leaders to discuss the idea of inclusion and what it means in your organization? Have you been asked to help the VA hire diverse employees? So to be the part of the panel, the interviewing panel, or to provide your ideas on ways to improve the recruitment process to ensure that we’re able to help hire additional diverse employees? Have you been asked simply just to do more? And the reason I asked these questions are because this is a change from what you were hired to do. And it’s a challenge because it hits where you are passionate, and I brought the point about areas where you’re passionate. The one of the things I personally experienced in starting this journey post, the death of George Floyd was I was being asked some of those questions, people were asking for my opinion, they were asking me to participate in things, and it’s it, I will tell you, it was it’s a difficult decision, you know, to decide to participate in these, these events, because it’s no longer just about the work that I’m being asked to perform. In my day job, it’s about my personal feelings, and explaining my personal point of view, with a group of people with many I know, and many I don’t know. And so it’s a decision point. And because not because it’s not something I’m not passionate about. But because it requires a level of vulnerability. I’m opening myself up and sharing my points of view in areas that are highly sensitive, and have been going on for years, to an audience that may or may not know me. And that isn’t exactly related to my work. So in essence, I’m taking on a larger role. I’m asked to share my opinion with others that don’t know me. And I’m putting myself in a vulnerable position, because I don’t know exactly how it will be received. And so your role your job when you’re being asked to change. And that’s okay. Because I am passionate about the topic, and it is something I want to ensure that people have some perspective on and so I do want to share that point of view. But it’s also fair to say that my value to the organization has changed. In my mind, because of these topics, the value to the organization has increased. This is a key way for the organization. It’s a key topic for the organization to address. Understand, when we think about engaging your workforce, a lot of employees want to see what the organization’s point of view on this and therefore they want to hear your point of view. And so if you’re being asked to participate in those meetings, if you’re being asked to speak at those events, if you’re being asked to help lead these policies and change them, your value has changed in the organization. And in fact, it is increased, I would argue. And so my question to you is, as you think Through that worth, how have you capitalized on that value.
Ha-Keem Abdel-Khaliq 25:06
And I pause there on purpose, because this is the entire idea of you’re worth of understanding what your worth is. A lot of times we speak with individuals, and I speak with them personally. And they do it out of goodwill. And there’s nothing wrong with that, again, because I’m passionate about the topic. It’s important for me that people understand it. So I’m very willing to share this information. But I think it’s also fair to say, as you speak at more events, you are becoming a voice of change, you are leading a bit that workplace revolution you’re doing out of goodwill, I would argue, maybe you shouldn’t just do it out of goodwill, then maybe you should do it and continue to drive and understand and capitalize on the value that you’re driving in the organization. And, to give you an example, many times, and this isn’t, this isn’t everyone. And so I don’t want to paint with a broad brush. But many times when leaders are asked to speak at certain events, they’re given some form of compensation, a better flight is paid for maybe the hotel is paid for, maybe they’re given a fee for participating in the event. In this case, you’re being asked to present your information. And the idea here is that you’re creating goodwill, and you’re doing it for goodwill on something you’re passionate about. Maybe that’s okay. Maybe it’s not I think if the opportunity is for you to sit back and think, is this driving the value, and am I maximizing on that maybe the value is the increased access to leaders within the organization, and that increased access to leaders provide you and put you in conversations that you wouldn’t have been in, that can help drive your career, well, then you are, in fact, starting to realize some of that value, you are in fact starting to increase your worth. And you are in fact starting to understand the impact of what that is. And so if that’s what you’re doing great. But I do caution people and I do say, hey, goodwill is great. And we should do those things that we’re very passionate about. But in the business context, we should be aware rule number one, corporate truth, number one, Corporation will always do what’s best for itself. And I encourage employees to do the same. So while you’re leading a workplace revolution, be it a small part, or a large part, maybe you’re leading the whole change, maybe you’re leading part of the change, maybe just some of it, I encourage people to drive that understanding of that value of that worth, so they can start to maximize. And that, to me starts that journey on not only are you leading the you’re part of the revolution, but you are driving value by doing it. And I would argue the driving of the value will increase your ability to be more impactful, and to lead even better as it applies to the revolution.
Ha-Keem Abdel-Khaliq 28:15
So, let’s take a moment, let’s take a quick step back. You are leading a revolution. Is that less stressful? Or more stressful? Are you making more money as a result of it? Are you more vulnerable? Are you being judged now by more than just your work? Has your resume changed? I think this is an important one. And all these things could be true or not true, maybe you are stressed. But sometimes getting out and speaking in front of people makes you stressful. Sometimes thinking of the weight of the impact of your words. And what it has on the organization, as it applies to social justice can create more stress can make you feel uncomfortable or more vulnerable. And so I tell people all the time, as you take on more, make sure your resume reflects that. Because again, your value as we would see in today’s society has changed, it’s increased. And so should your resume should change. Make sure you’re letting people know some of the things that you’re working on. And so if it’s changed, make sure that you have an idea of how that impacts the way that the market sees what you’re doing. And I want to bring this idea of the market back into your worth. The market determines your worth as it applies to your career. So make sure that the market is aware of what you’re doing and maximize at work. So I spent all this time kind of talking through this idea of work and maximizing your value. And, and I would tell you, objectively, if I were to take a step back, I’d say, Wow, maybe this sounds selfish. And it sounds selfish, you’re talking about something that we’re very passionate about driving change in organizations. And I’m talking about maximizing your work. And this is where I talk about examples in my book, where it’s selfish, if you think about it in terms of relationships. And so if I’m in a relationship, and I’m dating someone, and all we ever do is focus on what’s good for me, that comes across as selfish. But the reality of it is organizations pay you for the work that you’re doing. And so you do work, you do that, and you get paid for that work. That’s a contractual relationship, not a personal relationship. It’s contractual. And so by doing my job, I’m meeting the terms of that contract. Well, when I’m asked to do more, then it the terms have slightly changed. And I’m not saying that that’s not okay. I’m just saying, ensure that you’re thinking about the value that that’s creating for you and in the market. And so while it may sound selfish, I think it’s in or self serving, it may be self serving, but it’s not selfish, because I think opera corporations are operating in the same way. And that’s okay. I get paid for the work I do. That’s great. I’m creating value for the organization. That’s also great. But I should also be thinking in terms of how do I create value for me? And how am I impacting change in the organization? And can I continue to increase that influence? Because at the end of the day, we do want to be the change we want to see in the world? And how can I do that by increasing my value influence, I can also start to have a greater influence within the organization. So what are some ways that I can maximize my worth? I wrote an article here last week, that was really focused on top five tips to show your employer that you’re worth it. And the examples I gave or putting it in your annual review. And so just making sure that throughout the year, you captured the things that you’ve done. So if you are participating in these events, if you are leading change, put it in your review, making sure that it’s documented and known.
Ha-Keem Abdel-Khaliq 32:39
Speaking the language of business a lot of times the you know, so point number two is really speaking that language of business, and that is the language of businesses money, profit. What are things that I’ve done to help drive organizations profit, or save the corporation money, those are things that I try and think of examples that really show profit, and how I should and how I say, and so I encourage you to do the same. This seems obvious as as a third point, but making your supervisor look good. The one of the things that I’ve seen over time, quite often is a successful leader who goes into another company and reaches back into the organization they came from, to bring in someone that used to work for them, because they know their work. They know that the level of service and the value that they’re creating, and they see the value and they want to help. They want to bring that value into the organization because they know that person will help them be successful. Making your supervisor look good, is something I’ve seen time and again, that helps you in your career, and it helps drive your worth. And because it makes them look good and good supervisors, good supervisors know and reward those employees. And that can be in bonuses that can be in new careers, that could be a lot of things. The fourth, as I say is the in terms of tips to show your employer that you’re worth it is to be in demand. And by then, I mean by that I mean understand the market. So by updating your resume and updating your what I’ll call what I’ll say, your LinkedIn profile, you’re also allowing people to see the changes that you’re doing in the organization, and it’s helping, it’s helping your visibility. If you applied to a new position, and you get an offer, well, you’re certainly in demand. And that leads to number five is have a job offer. If you have a job offer, I think your employer knows your worth. You’re worth it right away. And so a lot of times that starts the conversation into in terms of Hey, do I want to stay with this company or not? This other company does see the value of what I’m bringing that spark conversation now you may decide that you’ve already ready to take the next step in your career. But that is a great way of showing your employer that you’re worth it. Now, it doesn’t have to be that. But I certainly think that that can, it can start the conversation. But it’s a great way for you to understand the market, and your worth. And so we do all those things, in terms of those are some ways that I would encourage people to maximize your worth. Other things you can do is ask for help. In as we think through our careers, we can get stuck. And sometimes the hardest thing to do is to ask for help, I don’t know where to go next. And so it’s very important to have a network of people that you trust and ensure that you can go to them to help guide you in your career and help you maybe see worth that you don’t even realize, a lot of times one of the roles I think that I love to play the most is that of like, not just a coach, but a cheerleader, if you will. And sometimes I say that because people don’t see the value that they drive, they’re driving value and change within the organization. They’re truly leading a revolution. And you’re just like, Oh, it’s okay, no, that’s just what I do. No, you’re great.
Ha-Keem Abdel-Khaliq 36:17
You are driving value, you need to understand you are driving value, and you are worth it. And so that cheerleader that pick em up, that helping people to see the value in who they are and what they’re doing in the market in organizations is important. It’s a very important role to play. But sometimes people don’t know to ask for help. So I’m also looking actively to see if people need help. So not only asking for help, but being on the lookout for people that need help. And then with that, I would say another point is just be true to yourself. And this is sometimes hard because we think of, we think of value in the market. And that sometimes makes us think of money. But sometimes I worth means not just going after money, right? It may mean the taking a step back and saying I need to be true to myself. And so if I’m working for a supervisor that doesn’t see my value and my worth, that may mean I actually need to leave and take something that is actually technically less driving a financial. But it’s more recognition of who I am as a person and more recognition on my word, soulmate. While it may be a financial, we may look at that and say that’s a financial air quotes step back. From a career and personal standpoint, it’s a step forward. And so being true to myself is is an important piece in demonstrating that work. And then asking for what you want. As you were leading change and understanding your worth and maximizing your worth. Sometimes it means asking for what exactly you want. I know one individual, a good friend of mine that was ready for new opportunity ready to make additional changes in the organization wanted to be even a larger leader in the company and impact change in a positive way. But they were constantly not getting selected for position. And finally they just stopped, said to their manager, I would like a new position by this date. And they didn’t have a backup plan. Or I’m leaving. And within two months, they had the new position. And I just find that amazing because it really epitomizes asking for what you want to drive that value. So I’m going to bring it all back. You’re doing all these things you are updating your resume, you are getting recognition, you’re participating in events, you’re driving your worth, you are starting to maximize your value within the organization in the in the market. And you are starting to market yourself even through LinkedIn and your resume or applying for new positions or networking with individuals. So great. You are on the path to maximizing your value or you’ve already started to maximize your value. What do you do with that?
Ha-Keem Abdel-Khaliq 39:30
And so as you think and bring it all back to leading a change in revolution within the organization as it applies to social justice, in in America or in the world today. What do you do with that? So you’re pushing for value influence impacting change, personally, but what do you do with that? And I’m big into comic books and so I know this may sound a little silly and there’s certainly A number of of more ways that this has been communicated. But in Spider Man, Uncle Ben says to Spider Man and to whom much is given much as expected. And we’ve heard that phrase a number of different ways, and certainly outside the comic books. But the idea being here is that as you continue to push, and so I’m an employee, and I work on the front line, I want to push to ensure that we are creating an environment where people are successful, as I get promoted as a supervisor, I want to create an environment where my team feels included and realizes that I am I want to create an environment that they can be successful and that their voice is heard and that everyone that we are creating an environment where we’re leading our own personal change by creating an environment that’s positive within the organization, as I become a supervisor of supervisors, I again, get the chance to drive that value. As I become the leader of an organization or the president of an organization. Now I have a larger area of influence. And so the things that I want to see at each level, where I am in the organization, I don’t have to wait until I become the president to start to make those changes. Each time I am promoted, or in a new position, I have the opportunity to start again, and again be the change that I want to see in the world. And so as I maximize my value, I also create the opportunity to impact change on a larger scale. And that’s why I think, the more you are worth it, the more value you drive. The more you recognize your value, the more that’s expected of you. And I can think of that on a very personal example. And in I mentioned several times, and writing the book, that it’s been a lifelong dream to write a book. And one of the things I was told is, hey, in order to successfully market your book, you should write, you should write articles, you should write a blog. And so I started writing a blog, and it was focused on career development, and career focus. And then, unfortunately, last year, the death of George Floyd occurred in Minneapolis, which is near the city where I live. And I, it took me a few days to wrestle with what to say, I now have this platform, I have my website, cotechino, calm, and I have this platform, that I’m focused on career development. But here’s this again, pivotal moment in time. And what do I think about that. And upon reflecting, I went back to some version of that quote, which is, if I have been given this platform, I need to really share with people as a leader, my thoughts on this and try and share the reason why it impacted me personally, but also what I expect to see in our leaders today.
Ha-Keem Abdel-Khaliq 43:23
And so I wrote a series of articles started with a poem sharing kind of the, the focus on on why, you know, for me personally, being a person of color, the impact of the event, and then I went on to share what I think people through a few articles, what I think people could and should think about as it applies to how do we move this movement forward. And so I became personally involved. And I did become vulnerable. And while this particular wasn’t just about me driving my own worth and value, because it was personal, I think, because of the worth of value that I’ve driven. Throughout my career, I had a responsibility, and I continue to have that responsibility of being the change, I want to see an impacting that. And I will tell you, it did and continues to be a source of change. And it a catalyst for change in the organizations that I’m in, and something I’m very passionate about. And I continue to influence. And so as my career changes, and I did just recently take a new career opportunity. And with that career opportunity, I was given more accountability, and it gave me a greater opportunity to influence change in a positive way. And so as we talked about the corporate revolution and bringing us all the way back to where we started this year worth it podcasts on the workplace revolution, and how do we move from talk to collective action. I want to bring us back to What we said in the very beginning is, when we’re looking to make these change, driving and understanding and maximizing your worth, can go a long way towards achieving that. And as you continue to drive and understand and maximize your work, it continues to increase the responsibility, you have to continue to push for the change that you want to see in the world. And so with that, I just want to close and recap a few things. So there’s no better moment in time right now, to go out and capture your value. I’ve seen so many examples here recently, of new positions, new opportunities, a level of understanding around the the challenges that we face when it comes to social justice in America, in organizations. And it may not feel like that if you watch the news. But companies are way more willing and aware and want to understand the issue. There’s no better moment than right now to go out and capture that value in to seek to drive understanding. There are a lot of ways that you can continue to grow and maximize your value. Ask for help. Learn from others, market yourself. Ask for what you want. But I would challenge you don’t wait for a pivotal moment, a single moment of you know of achieving that greatness, every stage of where you are, no matter where you are in an organization today, you have an opportunity to make a change as it applies to social justice in your company for the better. You do need to understand how organizations are run, and that they’re there to make a profit. And there are probably ways within your company to do it better than working outside the rules as a company and organization. But certainly the eyes of yours and organization are more open and they’ve ever been. And so there probably are more avenues for you to go out and go get it at every stage of where you are. And I will just close with the idea of your worth it is as the the role of your coach, I’ve shared with you some insights in terms of finding your worth maximizing it, using that to impact change within the organization. As a cheerleader, I want to say, you know, which is also one of the roles I play is go out and go get it. Go do it Be the change you want to see. Because it’s important. There’s no more important time than in history than it is right now to impact that change, which is why I was so excited. And I’m honored to be a part of this, which is part of The Forum on Workplace Inclusion. And I being asked to participate in this podcast is something that I am passionate about, I am excited about. I will also put this on my resume. And with that, I want to say thank you and hand it back over to Ben. Ben.
Ben Rue 48:18
Thank you so much Ha-Keem for that wonderful podcast, and thank you to our listeners for tuning in and a special thank you to our sponsor Best Buy. To learn more, feel free to contact Ha-Keem at Ha-Keem@CoachHaKeem.com. New episodes of the forum podcasts are available at Forum on Workplace inclusion.org forward slash podcast. You can also find our podcasts on Apple podcasts, Spotify, anchor and Stitcher. Thank you again for listening. Have a great day.
48:45
Thank you again for listening to the Forum on Workplace Inclusion podcast. Don’t forget to subscribe to our podcast to get updates and latest episodes. Also, tell us what you think by reviewing our podcast we’d love to hear your feedback. For more information visit us at Forum on Workplace inclusion.org or search workplace forum on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Thank you very much and have a great day. Forum on Workplace Inclusion podcast is recorded at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, Minnesota, one of the most diverse private colleges in the Midwest. Augsburg University offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and nine graduate degrees to 3400 students of diverse backgrounds and its campus in the vibrant center of the Twin Cities and nearby Rochester, Minnesota location. Augsburg educates students to be informed citizens thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers and responsible leaders in Augsburg education is defined by excellence in the liberal arts and Professional Studies. Guided by the faith and values of the Lutheran Church and shaped by its urban and global settings, learn more@augsburg.edu