One commanding officer let me push the envelope when conducting equal opportunity training in the Marine Corps.
After approval from my CO, I started the class by dividing the room.
“If you are the majority, go to this side.”
“If you are the minority, go to this side.”
I saw some majority push a man to the minority side and vice versa. Finally sides were chosen. Some were not happy where they landed because of peer pressure.
I had them face a dry erase board. Without looking at what the other group wrote, they answered the same questions.
The so called majority and the so called minority basically replied the same way to each question.
The questions were about the opposite group. The one they did not claim to be in.
I remember some of the sample questions:
1. What are some of the advantages the other group has in life?
2. What are some of the disadvantages?
3. What challenges do they have when applying for college?
4. What societal benefits are offered to them?
Again, when they turned around and not just read each others answers, but listened to the justification shared, eyes were opened wide.
What was to be a one hour class turned into a compassionate and empathic two hour respectful conversation but with a lot of emotion in the beginning.
Ready for this…. the class took place in 2008 and it was with senior military leaders.
When we stop and listen, we learn. Sometimes we are saying the same thing. Find unity in humanity. Acknowledge the struggles. Encourage the discussion. Promote change. Learn from each other.
The change made that day was a leader, the CO, taking a chance and allowing a safe space for both sides to explain their experiences. So much prespective was shared. People wanted to stay longer and hear from each other more but the room was reserved by another. All life experiences shared were different.
I mentioned the same answers were shared on both sides. Believe me, they were not great well thought out responses. They caused tension. They pi$$ed people off. There was hatred in the answers on the dry erase board.
I won’t say emotions calmed down immediately but people started to listen.
Listening turned to care and love for each other.
People committed to stop believing the hate they were taught. These leaders realized what BS the media shared. Many had never heard pain like some shared from both groups.
This video takes me back to that EO class. Many YouTubers are dissecting this rapper/song. Most of these videos start like my class:
-He said what?
-He LOOKS like he was maybe going to say something else.
-He is right about that but wrong about that.
-You don’t get to say that.
-Who taught you that?
Why did I place this on LI? Consider it free leadership training and a glimpse of what that class back in 2008 looked like.
Note: EO training is referred to because that’s what it was called.
#racewar
#leadership
Senior Director of Strategy and Development at Real Time Medical Systems
1moProud to represent Real Time and cheer on my team! Thanks for the shoutout 😁⚾