Posts by Gena Cox
Where is the reality and science in SCOTUS’ SFFA v Harvard decision?
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) June 29, 2023, affirmative action ruling in SFFA v Harvard lacks a scientific or rational foundation. Today, my professional association, the American Psychological Association (APA), rightly denounced the Supreme Court decision ending the right to consider race in college admissions.” #APA had filed a comprehensive, science-based amicus…
Read More3 career strategies for bouncing back after a layoff
I’ve coached many people after they had been laid off. Most go through stages one can liken to the stages of grief, and each person’s timeline to “recovery” is different. I remind my clients that their negative emotions are normal. I encourage them to take a little break to re-energize if they can. If they…
Read MoreThe State of Workplace Inclusion 2020 to 2023: Part 2 – What I Am Seeing
NOTE: This article is Part 2 of a 4-part series of observations about workplace inclusion between March 2020 and May 2023. Part 1 was entitled “I Came Out as Black.” The subsequent two editions will be Part 3 – “I (Sorta) Don’t Care What You Call It,” and Part 4 – “Educated and Woke.” Over…
Read MoreThe State of Workplace Inclusion: 2020 to 2023: Part 1 – “I Came Out as Black”
NOTE: This article is Part 1 of a 4-part series about workplace inclusion between March 2020 and May 2023. The subsequent three editions will be: Part 2 – What I am Seeing, Part 3 – I Don’t Care What You Call It … (Sorta), and Part 4 – Educated and Woke In May of 2020,…
Read MoreHow to get past the underestimation of your potential that can hinder career progression for women (and people of color)
Women and minoritized employees still fight against the perception that they are less suited to leadership than men. But, according to the research, one barrier to their progress is that men are more likely than women to be promoted on potential versus actual performance. Research shows that women get lower leadership potential ratings than men,…
Read More“Leading Inclusion” is One of the 10 Best Leadership Books for 2023
This year, the folk at CEO Magazine have honored my book, Leading Inclusion, by including it on this list of 10 books “to guide you on the next step in negotiating, leading a team, or making the switch to a new role.” Click here to read the article, Ten of the best leadership books for…
Read MoreHow Black women are pushing back against natural hair discrimination disguised as “professionalism”
“Professionalism” is a term often misused in business life, and it works to the disadvantage of employees and candidates whose physical characteristics do not match those in power. Throughout my decades-long career in corporate life, I often heard leaders use the word “professionalism” to describe people they admired and whose careers they wanted to support.…
Read MoreDon’t make your employees work with toxic clients
Toxic clients exist, and putting them first (i.e., the customer is always right) is a mistake, especially if your employees will have to suffer to deal with them. Toxic clients don’t always show their true colors before the deal is signed, so sometimes, a service provider walks into an unexpected hornet’s nest of toxicity. Once…
Read MoreWhy “quiet hired” is terrible for women and people of color
Just when we thought we had heard enough of the newfangled workplace phenomena that came out of the COVID-19 pandemic, here comes another: “quiet hiring!” Like last year’s omnipresent “quiet quitting,” this term is nothing new. Quiet hiring refers to the phenomenon in which employers get the skills they need by adding new responsibilities or…
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