Simma Lieberman

Simma Lieberman, "The Inclusionist," helps leaders build inclusive cultures that last, from start-up to scale. She creates environments where people do their best work, and customers love to do business. The author of three books on diversity and inclusion and one on resilience, Simma is also a consultant, speaker, leadership coach, and hosts the podcast "Every Day Conversations on Race for Every Day People."

You can reach Simma at simma@simmalieberman.com. Her website is www.simmalieberman.com, and the podcast can be found at www.raceconvo.com.

Articles by Simma Lieberman

• What ‘business ghosting’ says about your leadership, and why real leaders don’t ghost

  Tuesday, December 22, 2020

  One would think that during this time of COVID-19, work from home, and high unemployment that people who have the title of "leader" would make an extra effort to be kind and caring to their employees and other people with whom they come in contact. While I’ve seen some amazing leaders who practice that kindness, caring and respect for others, there is another group of people who have the title of leader but whose actions are just the opposite. For them, they practice what I call "business ghosting."

• Why the federal ban on diversity and inclusion training is bad for business

  Wednesday, December 02, 2020

  A September executive order by the White House bans diversity and inclusion training for the federal government as well as for contractors and anyone who does business with the federal government. The letter that accompanied the order calling for a halt to any scheduled diversity training described it as divisive, propaganda and unpatriotic. We live in a diverse society, our workplaces continue to be more diverse, and business continues to be global. In order to do business on a global level and provide the best products and services to a diverse customer base, organizations need to help their employees learn the right skills.

• 5 ways to show your employees you care

  Monday, August 03, 2020

  Since the end of February, we've been dealing with COVID-19, shelter in place, work from home, social distancing, less contact, and an ever-increasing awareness of racial inequities in the workplace, the community and across the globe. What worked before will no longer work in the same way. It's not enough to do one-time training on leadership, inclusion or communication. Employees want to know that that their organization cares about them.

• 10 ways to start promoting equity and stop racism

  Wednesday, June 17, 2020

  I've worked in diversity, equity and inclusion for over 25 years. Because of my work, I get calls and emails every day from non-black, mostly white people who want to know what they can do end racism and inequality, particularly in the workplace. The people who contact me range from hourly employees to clients who are CEOs of corporations and executive directors of nonprofits. In response, I decided to put together a starter list of actions. Below are 10 basic actions you can begin taking.

• How leaders can help employees feel safe

  Tuesday, May 19, 2020

  As recently as February, it was easy to think that what happened in the "outside world" was not relevant to the business world. That's no longer true. Lines between work, home and community are blurred because our homes are our workplaces and our workplaces are in our homes. Even essential workers who work on-site for the most part go home at the end of their shift and stay there. Even as cities and states begin to open up, people will still spend most of their time inside for now.

• How to stop biases from running amok during the pandemic

  Wednesday, April 22, 2020

  We're in the second month of the nationwide COVID-19 pandemic in the United States and most of the country is "sheltering in place." The lack of a unified message, the uncertainty of the future and what we have the power to control have created a lot of stress for people. When we're stressed, anxious or fearful, we look for causes that are outside of ourselves and look for comfort in old ways of thinking. We're less likely to be aware of our biases or interact with people who challenge us.

• 5 ways leaders can stop people from panicking

  Thursday, March 19, 2020

  If I get one more email from someone telling me "don't panic," I'm going to freak out. There are other ways of helping people calm their fears. I don't know about you, but whenever someone tells me not to panic or be afraid, I become more frightened. I feel that the person uttering those words is either not hearing me or trivializing my concerns. The coronavirus has interrupted our lives and businesses as we know it. As a leader, I want to share five ways you can help people remain calm and be present in their lives.

• How leaders can stop loneliness and create community at work

  Monday, March 09, 2020

  According to an article in Scientific American, loneliness in the U.S. and other parts of the world has reached epidemic proportions. Former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said that loneliness is a significant health issue and has the potential to shorten a person's life by 15 years. Loneliness affects people of all ages in different ways. When people feel lonely, they feel disconnected and disengage. It becomes a cycle and can be hard to break alone. However, there are many solutions.

• How to prevent ‘passive clone syndrome’ in your organization

  Monday, February 03, 2020

  I recently watched a Bruce Willis movie called "Surrogates" for the second time. People stay home, send their surrogates to work and use remote controls to interact with them. The surrogates are exact clones of their "owners." Although "Surrogates" is in the future, it made me think about workplaces today. Willis is an FBI agent who sends his FBI surrogate to solve a murder, until he realizes that he needs to personally be involved. He leaves the house and takes his true self to work to find the killer. Are your employees sending their clones to work?

• Lazy thinking perpetuates stereotypes. Here’s how to stop it

  Friday, January 17, 2020

  It's all around us, the idea that we are a divided country. Articles and books offer solutions for what we need to do as a country to close racial, gender and any other divisions based on demographics. But all those solutions go nowhere if we're not looking at ourselves and taking responsibility for our actions. Whether we want to hire the best people or close demographic divisions, we need to stop practicing lazy thinking that leads to stereotyping, labeling people with generalizations and missing people with whom we can connect in our workplaces and in our communities.

• 3 tools to help limit or stop your anxiety

  Wednesday, January 08, 2020

  I know how debilitating anxiety can be. I've experienced the discomfort of anxiety at different times in my life. Even now, I've found myself feeling anxious about the future, making the right decisions about business and where I want to live. After getting help for extreme anxiety years ago, and learning how common it was, I decided I wanted to help other people. I got trained as a stress management consultant and began working with leaders in organizations to manage their stress and anxieties and support their employees. To this day, I continue to use the techniques I learned and have taught others. I'm sharing three of them with you.

• 3 winning strategies to hire for diversity of thought in your organization

  Tuesday, December 17, 2019

  Clients often tell me that they think hiring for diversity of thought is more important than demographic indicators. The problem is that some people use the term "diversity of thought" as a way of not seeking out more people of color and women from different backgrounds. I agree that diversity of thought is essential and, yes, everyone is different. However, if everyone looks the same you won’t get the diversity of experiences and perspectives that result in the kind of diversity of thought that gives rise to breakthrough products and services.

• 5 ways to sustain association membership

  Friday, December 06, 2019

  According to social psychologist Abraham Maslow, everyone has the need to belong, to be connected to others, and to feel accepted. In my consulting practice, I've seen that no matter how long people are at work, they want to feel valued and part of a community. Peggy Smith, director of marketing, membership solutions and community brands at YourMembership says, "Most people decide if they’re going to participate in your association long-term within the first months, days and even minutes of joining. The first interactions with your organization make a lasting impression on a new member."

• How to end the divide between generations in the workplace

  Wednesday, November 20, 2019

  For over 10 years, I’ve been facilitating cross-generational dialogues. I started them because I was tired of one-dimensional conversations filled with bias and wrong assumptions about people who were older or younger. After the first three sessions, it was clear to me that we have a lot to learn from each other. Cross-generational mentoring became an integral part of my inclusive leadership coaching process. Here are some of the generalizations that are permeating the mainstream media and examples of assumptions and stereotypes based on age that I find irritating.

• 5 ways to leverage this holiday season to build community at work

  Thursday, October 31, 2019

  Around this time of the year, I begin to get calls and emails from managers desperate to figure out how to celebrate the holidays inclusively. One CEO forbade their employees from posting any kind of decorations, or even mentioning the holidays. "We just told everyone that since some people might feel left out if we had a Christmas party, we were going to do nothing." He was surprised when I told him that might not have been the best idea. Not all employees are Christian and not everyone celebrates Christmas. But pretending Christmas and other holidays don’t exist doesn’t make people feel more included.

• How to stop being a stressed-out, compulsive micromanager

  Monday, October 21, 2019

  Do you find yourself hovering over your employees to make sure the task, project or job gets done right? If you have to hover and micromanage, then you either have the wrong employee or don’t trust anyone but yourself. If the latter is the case, then do it all yourself. See how that works for you. Micromanaging and trying to control every action of an employee, colleague or a family member is exhausting. Do you really have the energy? Don’t you need to use your time better?

• 3 ways to stop good employees from leaving

  Friday, October 04, 2019

  I was recently hired to coach a COO who was having a hard time retaining people on his team. When I interviewed his current direct reports and people who had left, I heard the same complaints. "Working for him is like a guessing game. We don't know what our roles are or what we are supposed to do." We presented our findings along with our recommendations for change. Below are three reasons employees were leaving, along with ways to get them to stay.

• Why color blindness is not a compliment

  Monday, September 23, 2019

  In the 1950s, it was common to hear the term "melting pot," which meant all cultures and people melting together. That concept resulted in exclusion, inequality, undue pressure to give up identity, and hampered the expression of new ideas. Today, instead of "melting pot," we think "salad," where different ingredients with their own flavors, colors and textures offer a new experience that’s even better. In our communities and in the organizations where we work, recognizing and leveraging those differences can result in breakthrough products and services that meet the diverse needs of a global population.

• 10 ways to measure employee happiness and belonging at your organization

  Thursday, September 12, 2019

  During the last 25 years, I’ve spoken to thousands of employees and leaders in organizations about what makes them happy and able to do their best work. It’s not uncommon for people in leadership to be disconnected from their employees and not really know what makes them happy and able to do their best work. What are some of the indicators that employees are happy, invested and like coming to work? Based on research, observation and hundreds of interviews and focus groups, here are 10 observable dynamics amongst employees.

• Steps to help close the divisions in our society

  Tuesday, August 20, 2019

  According to Forbes magazine, hate crimes in 30 major U.S. cities rose by 9% in 2018. Most of the victims were black, Jewish, LGBT or immigrants. This is serious and not only impacts us in our communities but also in the workplace. Racist rhetoric is on the rise, along with the perpetuation of stereotypes and bullying based on religion, skin color, ethnicity and sexual orientation. What impacts the community impacts the workplace. If people are afraid of being verbally or physically attacked outside of work, they can't be productive at work.

• Why cultural-fit hiring is the enemy of diversity

  Monday, July 29, 2019

  A study by Cubix International of 55 organizations, including Ikea, found that 9 out of 10 recruiters passed over applicants that were not a "cultural fit." Hiring for "cultural fit" has become somewhat of a trend and buzzword. It usually applies to values, visions, norms and the way a company does business. Some people have told me that hiring for "cultural fit," as opposed to just skills, is a way of ensuring that the new hire gets along with everyone and be a "team player." I’ve also been told that it is a way of increasing diversity since you’re not just hiring based on degrees and grades. But what if this is part-fallacy?

• Don’t let your business survey be one-and-done

  Wednesday, July 10, 2019

  Some days it feels like it's raining surveys and certifications. That's when my inbox is flooded with solicitations to get certified in yet another survey methodology. For over 25 years, I have been helping to create organizations where employees love to do their best work and customers love to do business. I use surveys and other methods to measure diversity, equity, and inclusion in organizational cultures. While surveys are useful, they can also be misused and create problems.

• Inclusive culture starts with foundation, so don’t fall into diversity quicksand

  Wednesday, June 19, 2019

  If you want to create an inclusive culture that lasts, you have to start with a strong foundation. Too often, organizations spend too much money on training without a clear direction, no defined measures of success, and no alignment with their short- and long-term culture objectives. While training is essential to increase diversity, create equity, and build inclusion throughout the organization, training alone is not enough for systemic change and to get the results you want. Working without a foundation and a road map is like building a house on quicksand. It won’t last.

• How VMware practices inclusion from the top

  Thursday, May 30, 2019

  I've been working with leaders in organizations of all sizes to build inclusive cultures that last, from startup to scale, for over 25 years. I've seen leaders and companies come and go. So, I'm a bit skeptical when I hear an executive talk about how inclusive their organization is, how much they love diversity, and everything they're doing to promote equity, and then everyone looks alike, sounds alike and lawsuits are piling up. But two events made me think that maybe VMware is different.

• Why great leaders must be great detectives

  Friday, May 17, 2019

  Great leaders know how to find and leverage the brilliance in their organization. They know how to go beyond the "usual suspects," and bring out the best work from people who may not be seen, "popular," or outspoken. They are the hidden geniuses. Are you missing the hidden geniuses in your organization? Who are these hidden geniuses? They are potential game-changers, innovators and revolutionary thinkers once discovered. They are the employees that don't look like you, sound like you or think like you.

• Are your employees afraid to work together?

  Thursday, April 18, 2019

  Gender equity and opportunity are still lacking in many organizations. Awareness, strategy and intentional actions to close the gaps are also lacking. Most organizations I've spoken with have statements, posters and resource groups that support gender equity. This is good, but not enough. Without behavior changing at every level, there will be no real lasting change. We need everyone to ensure workplaces and communities practice gender equity and develop strategies that build trust, prevent harassment, and eliminate bias every day. When people don't work with someone from another gender or get to know them, it seeds distrust.

• 3 ways to avoid new leadership failures

  Monday, April 01, 2019

  Recently, three distraught managers from three different organizations called to ask my advice with the same issue. New senior leaders were brought into each of these organizations with devastating consequences. They may have been hired for the great results they got in their old organizations, but they were all on track to lose their best people in their new organizations. Does this sound familiar? Have you experienced this in your organization as an employee or as the new leader?

• How to organize a conference that provides lasting value

  Wednesday, March 06, 2019

  As much as I enjoy meeting new people and connecting with old friends, I don’t have time or energy to attend conferences that rehash the same ideas or leave me exhausted and wishing for a bar of chocolate to make me feel better. But not all professional development conferences are equal. Some conferences are showcases for mediocre speakers, not a lot new information and boring workshops. Other conferences provide opportunities for learning, transformation and growth. The Watermark Conference for Women on Feb. 22 in San Jose, California, was an example of the latter.

• Don’t let wrong assumptions ruin your business

  Friday, February 15, 2019

  Everyone has some kind of bias. Our biases are based on how and where we were raised, what we heard growing up, and images and depictions of different groups in the media. I've spoken countless times on how to prevent or break through conscious and unconscious bias. Too many people still believe we can't do anything about them, but we can. Once we become aware of our biases, the next step is to reframe our internal messages and look at people and situations in different ways.

• How story-sharing creates connections and empathy in organizations

  Thursday, January 31, 2019

  Growing up in the Bronx before the internet, we spent a lot of our recreational time "hanging out" on street corners with other people telling stories. It’s how we got to know each other, and it kept us busy. Sharing stories built trust, connections and long-term friendships. When new people moved into the neighborhood everyone wanted to know their story. But when I entered the workforce, I remember my manager telling me on my first day, "Leave your personal life at home, and just do your job." That thinking is no longer the accepted norm as more organizations realize how important it is to build relationships inside the organization and to develop relationships with customers.

• 3 behaviors that bad bosses do well

  Friday, January 11, 2019

  We often talk about the traits of great leaders. Harvard Business Review, Inc. magazine, Psychology Today, and numerous best-selling books often share the latest research on leadership. Great organizations sustain themselves with great leaders at every level when they employ the right practices. But what happens in organizations with bad leaders? There is a misconception that just because someone has the title of leader and a great product that they are good at leading people. Here are three behaviors that bad leaders do so well, their employees end up hating them, retiring in place or just quit.

• Let go, and live your best life in the new year

  Monday, December 17, 2018

  As the year comes to an end, many of us are thinking about what we’ve accomplished during the last 12 months and setting goals for next year. Organizations are looking at bottom- and top-line profits and measuring success and milestones. A recent conversation with the CEO of a midsized company reinforced how crucial it is for leaders to take care of themselves and encourage their employees to do the same. When Andre contacted me for my advice, he was feeling overwhelmed and anxious about the future of his organization.

• Dealing with political differences at the dinner table or at work

  Wednesday, November 21, 2018

  It’s post-midterm election season and the holidays; the time of year when people tend to socialize more. Common questions are, "How do I deal with differing politics at the dinner table?" and/or "How do I deal with political differences at work?" It would be easy to say, "Just don’t talk politics." This isn’t so easy when you and the people who disagree with you feel very strongly about what you believe in. There is an inclination to want to share your views and even assume everyone agrees.

• Do your employees even know your name?

  Monday, November 05, 2018

  Do your employees even know your name? Do they even know why your organization exists? If the answer to one or both of these questions is "no," you cannot possibly have an inclusive culture in your organization. And if that's the case, you’re not leveraging the skills, talents and experience of everyone in your workforce. Three revealing interactions with employees in the last month caused me to ask these questions.

• Why it’s important for leaders to admit their mistakes

  Wednesday, October 17, 2018

  Having worked with leaders in organizations who value inclusion for over 20 years as an adviser and facilitator, I’ve developed a list of behaviors that are crucial for leaders who want to expand and sustain their influence. Relevant to today and every other day is acknowledging and taking responsibility for past, present and future actions that have negatively impacted others. We talk about courageous leadership, and it takes courage to admit you’ve made a mistake, a wrong decision or hurt another person in some way.

• 5 ways inclusive leaders show support for all employees

  Wednesday, September 26, 2018

  Whenever a CEO or someone in a leadership position makes a public statement in support of diversity, equity and inclusion, people who agree get excited. They point that person out as a true ally, and quote them all over social media. It’s always affirming, inspiring and uplifting for employees and consumers who feel the same way. But ultimately, the test and the business results are in the actions. A real inclusive leader knows how to support employees that may be different than the majority.

• Katrina McGhee continues to empower women on new tour

  Tuesday, September 11, 2018

  Katrina McGhee is the founder of "Loving On Me," a global movement to empower women to love themselves, support each other and take self-leadership of their lives. A former executive of the American Heart Association and the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Katrina uses her own life experiences to help women who have the talent but not necessarily the confidence, self-esteem or strategy to go past the limits they’ve set for themselves, and have the life and career they want.

• Why leaders should never stop being curious

  Wednesday, August 29, 2018

  Sarita, the CFO of a midsized sales organization, contacted me to ask for help with a problem. Her company’s customer base was getting increasingly diverse, with many new clients from Africa and Asia. Her sales team, who had been outselling their competition for the last several years, was starting to lose business. Almost all of the team were U.S.-born, white and male, and, for the most part, had little experience doing business with clients who were not originally from the U.S.

• Developing leadership that builds diversity, equity, inclusion is a learning process

  Thursday, August 02, 2018

  An inclusive leader takes their best practice and inclusion mindset with them wherever they work. While we most often hear about inclusion, diversity and culture in corporations, good leadership is also found in higher education, health care and other industries. I recently spoke with Terri Givens, provost of Menlo College in California, about how she came to be seen as an inclusive leader.

• Leading and leaving an inclusion legacy in 6 steps

  Monday, July 09, 2018

  Everyone’s success in your organization is predicated on how you include employees in the mission of the organization, and how you instill the mindset that their work makes a difference. This is important, as you hire new people in your organization that may be different than the majority of your employees in some way; culture, race, age, gender, etc. Hiring a visibly diverse workforce is not enough.

• Leading inclusive cultures that last: Zingerman’s co-founder Ari Weinzweig

  Thursday, May 31, 2018

  It's my belief that no matter how long people are at work, almost everyone wants to feel part of something greater than themselves. They want to know that their work makes a difference to the organization, no matter what they do. We all have that need and thrive when we are part of a community. Zingerman’s Community of Businesses is that kind of organization, and Ari Weinzweig and other members of Zingerman’s create that community of belonging every day for themselves and their customers.

• Leading inclusive cultures that last: Niki Leondakis, CEO of Equinox Fitness Clubs

  Tuesday, May 15, 2018

  Having worked with more than 100 organizations and spoken to thousands of employees, I’ve seen the difference between organizations that are really inclusive and those that are just good with slogans. I’ve seen leaders who abdicate company culture to human resources, and leaders who have vision and consistently create cultures where people thrive. Niki Leondakis is one of those leaders with vision, who knows how to support a diverse workforce and make everyone feel like they belong.

• Start doing this to lead a culture that lasts

  Monday, April 30, 2018

  ​It seems like everyone and their dog is now touting their organizational culture and how inclusive it is. But there is often a disconnect between the PR and marketing campaigns and what employees have to say. It takes intention, strategy and vision to build great workplace cultures, and everyone needs to be involved. Workplace culture is a way of doing business. It's not a one-time event.

• Talking about race: Sometimes awkward, always necessary

  Wednesday, March 07, 2018

  Talking about race with people who are different from you can be awkward and uncomfortable, but it's necessary and doable. The fact is racism exists, racial conflict exists, and inequality still exists. Even some people who work in the diversity and inclusion field stay within their comfort zone and still almost only interact with people who are like them.

• Why your employees need community now

  Thursday, February 08, 2018

  Have you ever experienced the feeling of not belonging? Do you remember how awkward, uncomfortable and self-conscious you felt? At some point in our lives, almost all of us will be in a situation where we feel like we don't belong.

• Not all harassment is equal

  Wednesday, January 17, 2018

  While allegations of sexual harassment past and present continue to grow, most attention has been on public figures in Hollywood, sports, politics and the tech industry. We read about huge payouts, firings and suspensions.

• New solutions for an old problem: Stopping sexual harassment and gender inequity

  Tuesday, December 19, 2017

  ​I've worked in the diversity and inclusion field for more than 25 years, yet I'm still astonished by the number of accusations and incidents that are now being reported on a near-daily basis.

• Stop holiday eggshell walking

  Friday, December 08, 2017

  ​Do you feel like you are walking on eggshells during the holiday season? Did someone tell you that you can't mention Christmas and you don't know what to do?

• It’s time for diversity leaders to speak out

  Thursday, November 16, 2017

  "Are you constantly fighting the battle to show and justify the value that diversity initiatives or other diversity interventions are bringing to your organization?" asked Ed Hubbard, a consultant and thought leader in diversity and inclusion metrics, at the recent SHRM Diversity and Inclusion Conference.

• 10 ways to foster innovation through diversity leadership

  Wednesday, November 01, 2017

  In this business era of speed, competition and globalization, innovation rules all. You never know where the next great product, process or profit builder will originate. Good diversity management and culturally intelligent leadership can make the difference between repeatedly hearing mediocre ideas from the same people, or mining the hidden genius in your organization for breakthrough ideas.

• #MeToo and preventing sexual harassment in the workplace

  Thursday, October 19, 2017

  Accusations of sexual harassment and sexual assault against film producer Harvey Weinstein have recently exposed widespread behaviors in Hollywood towards many women and some men. As a result, Alyssa Milano adopted the now-hashtag #MeToo, taking from a campaign that started 20 years ago with activist Tarana Burke. But sexual harassment and sexual assault by men in power towards women is not a new phenomenon. According to a recent ABC News-Washington Post poll, 54 percent of all American women have been subjected to unwanted and inappropriate sexual advances.

• 7 ways to be an outstanding diversity and inclusion ally

  Wednesday, October 04, 2017

  ​At some point in our lives, we all need an ally to support our ideas, decisions or dreams. Championing diversity and building inclusion means being an ally to people who are different.

• Unconscious bias gone wrong

  Thursday, September 14, 2017

  A senior leader at a high-tech company called and told me, "I just spent an enormous amount of money and resources for a training program about unconscious bias. It was well-received, and people are still talking about how much they liked it."

• 3 critical points missing from the Google debate

  Thursday, August 17, 2017

  The debate about whether engineer James Damore should have been fired for his now-infamous Google manifesto misses three critical points.

• 3 ways to overcome diversity stress

  Monday, July 31, 2017

  It may not be considered "diversity correct," but working with people who are different can sometimes be stressful. However, there are ways to stop this diversity stress.

• 3 potential problems with a diverse workforce

  Wednesday, July 19, 2017

  A culturally diverse workforce can be more creative and innovative than a homogeneous workforce. However, it's not automatic. Just having a bunch of people from different races, cultures, ages, etc., does not automatically result in innovation and love and happiness in the organization.