It’s no secret that melanin is the source of our superpowers as Black people. But if you let idiots like sports announcer Tim Ryan tell it, it also gives black NFL players like Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson an unfair competitive advantage.
Ask most black professionals what they do to fit in at work, and you’ll get a knowing head nod. Many of us are so used to changing up how we speak, look, and act to make others comfortable that we’re hardly even aware we’re doing it anymore. It’s called code-switching. And even though it often helps us get ahead, it’s taking a toll on our well-being, according to an analysis published recently by Harvard Business Review.
A handful of African-American academics are highlighting the “social and psychological repercussions” of code-switching, noting that previous research has shown it can “deplete cognitive resources and hinder performance” and also “reduces authentic self-expression and contributes to burnout.”
The writers recognize how black professionals are often caught in a dilemma, choosing between their emotional and mental well-being and their career advancement:
“Previous research found that same-race mentoring provides more social and psychological support than cross-race mentoring. Black employees who strive to suppress their racial identity may miss out on these invaluable relationships,” they wrote. “On the other hand, high-profile careers are typically obtained through networking with and being referred by powerful organizational members, who are typically white and male. In this case, code-switching may increase access to important career opportunities.”
The analysis was written by Courtney L. McCluney, a postdoctoral fellow in the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia; Kathrina Robotham, a Ph.D. candidate in psychology at the University of Michigan; Serenity Lee, a research associate at Harvard Business School; Richard Smith, a Ph.D. candidate in psychology at the University of Michigan; and Myles Durkee, an assistant professor in psychology at the University of Michigan.
Given that black professionals have expressed a more negative view of code-switching than their white peers, the writers note that it’s important to “strategically code-switch, if necessary, in a way that maximizes professional gains and minimizes psychological and social distress.”
They offer recommendations for how organizations, leaders, and co-workers can make workplaces truly inclusive, lessening the need for employees to change how they express or present themselves to fit in. And they give the following advice for black professionals who are deciding whether code-switching is right for them:
Assess your environment. During interviews, onboarding, or joining a new team, it is important to assess when and how others are expressing themselves, and whether they believe you will fit their environment. Are employees behaving differently when senior leaders are present compared to their normal behavior? Are you encouraged to adjust your behavior and appearance depending on the context? For example, are you being asked to meet with black clients but are less visible on projects that involve non-black clients? Use these environmental cues to make strategic code-switching decisions.
Assess your values. Because code-switching can be exhausting, it is important to evaluate your workplace goals and values. Are you ambitious? Do you seek advancement no matter the cost? Or is it more important for you to be your authentic self regardless of the work environment? Are you more willing to code-switch for short-term gains but unwilling to sacrifice your authenticity for an extended time? Knowing what you value for yourself and your career is imperative for deciding if and how to code-switch.
A U.S. Navy sailor shot and killed two civilian Department of Defense employees and wounded a third before turning his gun on himself, according to military officials.
David L. Cohen, senior executive vice president of Comcast, will be stepping down from his day-to-day operational responsibilities over public policy, government relations and diversity next year.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Comcast CEO Brian Roberts sent an email around to employees in the Philadelphia-based company explaining that Cohen will keep his executive vice president title, but his current responsibilities will be divvied up to other executives starting on Jan. 1. Cohen is a veteran media executive who has worked in senior roles with Comcast for the past 18 years and has done so within numerous areas – from communications to corporate administration.
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After 2020, Cohen will become the new senior advisor to the CEO “continuing to provide advice and support to me and the other senior executives in the company,” Roberts wrote in the email, according to The Inquirer. Roberts also included this information in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing on Thursday, reported Variety.
The email included a quote from Cohen expressing his reflection on the new post.
“As I look toward my 65th birthday next year, I recognized that I needed to focus on Comcast’s next 10 years – who was going to be by Brian’s side as he continues to lead our company into the future – and on my own personal life which has candidly taken a back seat to my professional life,” Cohen reportedly wrote in an email to staff. “So I’ve decided that it’s time for this transition.”
In another note, Cohen said he was looking forward to the transition because it will allow him more time to focus on civic and philanthropic missions close to his heart.
“I’m excited about this next chapter of my career and I am also looking forward to dedicating more of my time to civic and charitable activities that I have been so involved with,” he wrote.
Before Comcast, Cohen was a partner at the Ballard Spahr law firm and prior to that, he worked as chief of staff to former Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell.
READ MORE: READ MORE: NABJ condemns Comcast for attempting to dismantle Black people’s civil rights in Byron Allen’s Supreme Court case
In the staff email, Roberts credits Cohen for helping to grow Comcast “into the great company it is today.”
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However, Comcast has come under major scrutiny recently in its legal battle with Byron Allen, CEO, and President of Entertainment Studios, who called out the cable giant for discriminatory practices in business. Allen has received support from media mogul, Sean “Diddy” Combs, who owns the REVOLT network, often held as an example of Comcast’s dedication to diversity. Diddy, however, has said that while starting REVOLT was an important endeavor, he never received the “level of support needed to build a successful African American owned network.”
The post David L. Cohen, Comcast Senior Executive, to step down from daily operations appeared first on theGrio.
