How to navigate work as a minority | Hannah Huesman | TEDxOCU

TL;DR

Learn how to succeed in a workplace where you are the minority or different by knowing, owning, and preparing yourself.

Transcript

so it was a regular Monday morning and I was getting ready to head to work and I had my English breakfast Tey in one hand and I had my sandwich in the other and I had my everything packed my backpack was packed it was in the passenger seat and I headed off to work and at the time I worked about 20 minutes from where I was going to my office which w... Read More

Key Insights

• ❓ Workplace experiences as a minority can be challenging and make individuals feel like they don't belong.
• 🤳 Self-awareness is the foundation for success, as it helps identify strengths, weaknesses, and behaviors that impact oneself and others.
• 🙃 Owning oneself means having confidence in one's abilities and embracing strengths and weaknesses.
• 🤳 Negative self-talk can be detrimental to success, and reframing it is essential for personal growth and resilience.
• 👻 Preparation plays a crucial role in navigating workplace challenges and allows for a calm and effective response.
• 🙁 Belonging in a workplace is not determined by others, but rather by knowing, owning, and preparing oneself.
• 😀 Confidence in oneself is essential when facing adversity and negative assumptions from others.

Questions & Answers

Q: How can self-awareness help in succeeding in a workplace as a minority?

Self-awareness is crucial because it allows you to understand how your thoughts, behaviors, and characteristics impact both yourself and those around you. It helps you identify your strengths and weaknesses, allowing you to make necessary adjustments and highlight your strengths.

Q: What is the importance of owning oneself in a workplace?

Owning oneself means having confidence in your abilities and believing in who you are. It is essential because if you don't believe in yourself, others won't either. By acknowledging your strengths and weaknesses, you can confidently navigate challenges and work towards improvement.

Q: How can negative self-talk affect success in a workplace?

Negative self-talk can severely impact success. It is a result of our brain's natural negativity bias, which focuses on the negative and dwells on it longer. By reframing negative self-talk and speaking to ourselves as we would to a best friend, we can be more productive, confident, and resilient.

Q: How does preparation contribute to succeeding in a workplace?

Preparation is key in handling challenges and responding effectively. It allows you to gather your thoughts, respond calmly, and make necessary adjustments when faced with unexpected situations. By being prepared for potential challenges, you avoid panic and can reset and move forward confidently.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The speaker recounts a personal experience of forgetting her badge and feeling like she didn't belong in her workplace.

• The speaker offers three ways to succeed in a workplace where you are not the norm: know thyself, own thyself, and prepare thyself.

• Knowing yourself involves understanding your thoughts, behaviors, and characteristics, as well as your strengths, weaknesses, biases, and breaking points.