Interpersonal skills

In my day-to-day work with low-income communities and communities of color (in a land trust), I learned to build relationships of trust and became close friends with many community partners. In order to help communities address the root causes of environmental degradation (poverty, racism, classism, disenfranchised communities), I had to better understand—to the extent that an outsider could—the various dynamics in the community: race, class, power, privilege, historical contexts, even who the high school football rivals were. I learned to listen first and then to deal with my own discomfort so I could talk openly and honestly about race, class, power, privilege and the many other challenges community members face in their daily lives.

Many of my colleagues in conservation, though, worked with homogeneous stakeholders—primarily white, affluent individuals with significant power—and had very different levels of comfort in having similar conversations internally, either one-on-one or in small groups. Some professed great book knowledge but were highly uncomfortable saying or hearing someone say “race” or “white supremacy.” Some really wanted to talk about DEI, racial equity and the organizational culture, others felt defensive quickly and thought they were being personally attacked if someone said “sexist” or “racist.” Others asked what DEI has to do with the environment or with conservation or the organization’s mission and felt that it was mission drift.

Some colleagues and friends in peer organizations wanted to hear about the business case for diversity. Others were interested in DEI as “the right thing to do” and still others wanted to talk about what it might look like in our organization and what we could do to “get there.” Some felt that it would take too long, others that they wouldn’t be able to do their jobs as well. Some saw it as a “zero sum” game: If more diverse colleagues were hired, they might lose something (position, standing, power, etc.).

I can’t really claim “results” as if I did something and now everything has changed for the better. I have seen many shifts—some subtle, some significant—in some peers’, colleagues’ and friends’ willingness and openness to have a conversation and growth in comfort levels in those conversations. Some started by reading books, especially books or articles about the systemic and structural barriers that have gotten our country and organizations to where we are today. Some are asking questions and having more conversations, while others are working intentionally on their own personal journey and integrating DEI concepts into parts of their work that they can impact, such as hiring (and paying) interns from the community or from different backgrounds. Some have turned away from it completely, saying it wasn’t in their job description.

I didn’t have any answers either, but learned that it might mean starting small, such as putting on your website pictures of people of color who are enjoying or working in the landscapes that your organization has protected. In general, if people see people who they know or who look like them or who they can relate to, they are more likely to want to know more about your organization.

It might mean spending time in the communities where your organization works, listening to what community members care about, or offering special programs for children, youths and teens. It might mean seeking out the shared interests and connections, the differences and the opportunities to leverage the access your organization might have to funding, knowledge, resources, power that could help the community and protect the landscape. It might mean having internal conversations about your organization’s culture, and the gender and power dynamics that make it a comfortable workplace for some but a toxic environment for others.