Are you WOKE?

If you work in an organization, you have likely heard the CEO and top Executives say, “Our people are our greatest asset.” Aren’t these words true? People are the engine that keep the ship running. This is true for every organization. At Travelers, our people are how we deliver on our promise to our customers. Our people are how we achieve our ultimate mission, which is delivering shareholder value.

Thus, as leaders we must be WOKE to issues impacting our people. It’s why I’m WOKE! I simply cannot afford to stay asleep. Issues that affect them as people, affect them as employees which impact their engagement and productivity. As I learned at one of my first management trainings, ‘Employees are people first.’

Over the past several years, we have learned a crucial lesson: Our people cannot turn off parts of their lives simply because they walk in the doors to the workplace. Many organizations even encourage their people to bring their whole selves to work. For many, including myself, it is difficult to separate the personal and professional selves, particularly when there are societal issues negatively impacting your community.

As a black woman, the murders of George Floyd, Ahmad Arbury and Breanna Taylor deeply impacted me. It was hard to fully concentrate on work, even as a leader. I’m certain this was true for my fellow Asian American, Hispanic, Pride, Jewish and Muslim colleagues – when societal issues occurred that negatively impacted their respective communities.  

At Travelers, as result of these events, we started hosting Listening Sessions, which offered a forum for our people to share. Many who listened became WOKE – woke to the uncomfortable lived experiences of their people such as the never-ending plague of racism and bias that continue to plague our world and workplaces.

Being WOKE is often a necessary first step and prerequisite to effectuating meaningful change. WOKENESS can bring about awareness, which leads to understanding which leads to Action. After a recent listening session, I became WOKE to the horrific treatment of Iranian girls and women. I became aware and gained an understanding, which prompted me to act.

Maya Angelou is credited for saying, “Before people care about what you know, they first want to know that you care.” As a leader, you can show that you truly care by listening and becoming WOKE to issues impacting your people, who are human beings first. We simply cannot afford to stay asleep to issues impacting humanity IF we want to remain successful. Besides, what affects one should truly affect us all.