[podcast src=”https://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/26243673/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/0083b6/” width=”100%” scrolling=”no” class=”podcast-class” frameborder=”0″ placement=”top” primary_content_url=”http://chtbl.com/track/744833/traffic.libsyn.com/2babestalksupplychain/blended-podcast-classism.mp3″ libsyn_item_id=”26243673″ height=”90″ theme=”custom” custom_color=”0083b6″ player_use_thumbnail=”use_thumbnail” use_download_link=”” download_link_text=”” /]It’s episode 30 of Blended: I’m joined by a brand new panel of inspirational professionals and, today, we’re talking about classism.
Now, some people believe that we’ve left classism behind. But, sadly, studies show that it’s alive and well – and its impacts are huge. The bottom 80% of the United States holds only 12% of its wealth; the bottom 60%, is just 3% of its wealth. And despite this huge disparity, little is being done to drive change.
In a world where we’re working hard to tackle issues around gender, race, sexuality, religion and more – why are conversations around socioeconomic groupings still so often missing from the conversation? Surely it’s high time we address class barriers, build bridges and work harder to become a more equitable society.
So today, our guests will be diving into classism and what it means to them; sharing their personal experiences; reflecting on education, privilege and pedigree; and discussing what organizations can do to tackle classism in the workplace and create more truly diverse communities.
IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:
[01.01] Introductions to our Blended panelists.
- Elise – VP of Customer Experience at Parade
- Courtney – Co-founder and CEO of Renewal Logistics and ReNew
- Amanda – Associate Director at Savills
- Christine – VP of Product Marketing and Go-to-Market at Nulogy
“When I think about classism, it’s really class discrimination. We live in a system where people are valued and treated differently based on their perceived class…. It’s so systemic and it reaches every single part of our system.” Elise
[05.27] The group discusses classism, the complex issues that feed into it, and what classism means to them.
“It goes beyond how others perceive you – classism is also about how you perceive yourself. You grow up in a particular socio-economic group, and often you can self-limit.”
- How others see us
- How we see ourselves
- Self-sabotage
- Imposter syndrome and mindset
- Privilege
- Access to/relationship with education
- Etiquette and formality
- Generational money/mindset/networks
- Communication between classes
- Building communities and relationships
- Meritocracy
- Criminalization of poverty
- Entrepreneurship, financial security as a safety net and how money allows you to take more risks
- Perceptions, and Illusions of social media
- Power of networks
“We would be so much further along as a society if everyone was comfortable talking to other people with an open mind, more like ‘what can I learn from this conversation’ rather than ‘what am I going to disagree with.’” Courtney
[47.17] The panel shares their experiences of classism in the workplace, and the impact of pedigree and education.
“I didn’t think I was enough, I’m not good enough, I don’t have the pedigree – I never saw myself being someone that could be at an elite level. And it wasn’t because intellectually I wasn’t enough, it was because of that class that I was born in and what I saw all around me.” Christine
- Christine’s experience of educational hierarchy and her reflections on classism in the Ivy League
- Elise’s experience of start-ups, the ‘typical’ type of founder, leader and C Suite member, the ‘boys club’ and how she developed her own biases
- How we can work on ourselves and tackle bias
[58.02] The group share their ideas for how organizations can help to tackle classism in the workplace.
- Amanda shares how Savills are helping to support young people entering real estate
- The importance of mentors
- Stepping out of your comfort zone
- Celebrating small wins and sharing expectations
- Creating opportunities for success
- Creating development plans for staff
- Respect
- Thinking about people holistically and making changes
- Innovative thinking
- Potential classism in remote work
- Ensuring class is part of DEI policy
- Team-building
- Education and training
- Translating values into behaviors
- Tackling classism through supplier diversity
“It’s the subtle shift from looking for culture fit, to looking at culture add… we want someone to both support and challenge.”
[1.22.37] The panel sums up their thoughts from today’s discussion.
RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED:
You can connect with Elise, Courtney, Amanda and Christine over on LinkedIn.
If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more, why not check out 215: Blended – Shining a light on social inequality, or 323: Blended – How to Foster an Inclusive Workplace.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
