Posts by Gena Cox
The 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 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 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…
Read MoreGena’s Free Coaching Session: My manager and colleagues caught me telling a lie. What should I do?
Periodically readers bring up thorny workplace situations and ask me, “What should I do?” These “Free Coaching Sessions” are how I document that advice so others can learn from it too. What is the best thing to do when you make an honest mistake like waking up late for work? What if you have a…
Read MoreExecutive Vulnerability is Cool: Handle negative feedback like an asset, not a liability
This article summarizes my recent responses to a reporter on background for a story. It deals with how executives respond to negative feedback and offers suggestions for using this feedback to enhance an executive’s brand. Historically, how have senior executives, as a group, handled negative feedback on the job? Do you see any difference today?…
Read More“Leading Inclusion” book launches on October 11, 2022!
MEDIA RELEASE Organizational Psychologist and Executive Coach Helps Corporate Leaders Respond to Calls for Meaningful AND Visible Diversity and Inclusion Outcomes Clearwater, FL – Corporate executives and board directors have a new resource and trusted guide to help deliver meaningful inclusion and diversity outcomes in their organizations. A recent Edelman poll of Americans shows that…
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 MoreWhat is “quiet-quitting,” and what to do about it?
“Quiet quitting” is an employee’s voluntary decision to intentionally withhold some aspect of their typical job performance in response to a perception that their employer is taking advantage of them. Quiet quitting is an employee power move to regain or retain their self-respect when they feel a psychological threat in the workplace from those who…
Read MoreQuiet-quitting is a bad career strategy
Since the Spring of 2022, there has been a lot of media coverage about a phenomenon called “quiet-quitting.” While some content creators suggest that quiet-quitting is a viable strategy for getting what you want in your career, I beg to differ. It’s a bad idea for anyone to leave their job for another job without…
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