Reflections On The Road To Respect

It is five years since this post came out in February 2010 and in that time, the “speak up” piece of the Respect Business continued to expand and grow. It became the most popular and requested of my presentations. In 2012 we released the Road to Respect Speak Up eGuide with tips and tools to empower you to speak up respectfully.The ability to speak up respectfully, the willingness to step into our power, to be our own advocate is the ultimate answer to ending workplace disrespect. A simple solution. Alas, as I have learned over the past 15 years, also something the majority of us are often unwilling to risk doing. Fear of confrontation is mighty powerful. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This post first appeared in Nov 2011. The message is even more relevant today as the explosion of social media platforms, texting and selfies continues to push the boundaries and re-establish “socially acceptable behaviour.”In my experience, the bar is getting lower, not higher, making the requirement for a proactive conversation about what constitutes “respectful, professional behaviour” in your workplace more critical than ever. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Given that Ms. Clinton announced on April 12th that she will be seeking the Democratic nomination for President of the United States, I thought it would be fitting to share this post from 2013.In June I had the opportunity to present at the annual SHRM Conference in Chicago. One of the highlights Iof that experience was being in the audience for the opening keynote delivered by former US Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton.If you’re a regular reader/listener, you will know that the topic of Women, Position & Power is one that I have been increasingly focused on over the last couple of years. I’ve been sharing interviews I have been conducting with local women in the C-suite. Our October post will feature Sue Paisch, former managing partner of Fasken DuMoullin, now CEO of Lifelabs.Forbes magazine recently ranked Ms. Clinton 5th on their 100 most powerful women list. The magazine selects women who “go beyond the traditional taxonomy of the power elite (political and economic might). These change-

March 8 was International Women’s Day, first celebrated in 1911. It seems only fitting, then, that this month’s "Best of "article features the first interview for Are We There Yet? Women, Position & Power done in February 2012. The introduction to the interview highlighted the sad reality that the answer to the question Are We There Yet? was a resounding NO in 2012. I wish I could say something has shifted in the last 3 years, but the fact is that it hasn’t. Unless something radical happens, my 18 year old daughter will not enjoy pay equity, or equality of opportunity in her lifetime, nor will any daughters she may have. The International Women’s Day theme this year is Make it Happen. The good news in this story is that since I started this series, this conversation has gained a lot of momentum. Let’s keep the momentum going, and use our collective energy, power and will to Make Equality Happen for women and girls in our world community in our lifetime. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-o

This is the full interview with Anne Kinvig See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I was prompted to write this article in June 2007 when Jim Chu became the first non-white chief of police to be hired in Canada. In January 2015 Chief Chu announced he will be retiring in the spring, after 36 years as a member of the Vancouver Police Force. Oh, and if you’re curious as to who are the front runners for his position, they are 3 white guys. Plus ca change… See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In July 2007, my 11 year old daughter Abee and I went to San Diego where I attended a National Speakers Association event while my daughter took part in a Youth Leadership Conference. At the end of each day, my daughter was bubbling over with news about the exciting speakers she had heard.One of these presenters, Canadian motivational speaker Alvin Law, had made a huge impression on Abee. Born without arms in the early 1960’s, Alvin was one of the unfortunate group of “Thalidomide” babies. Doctors advised his birth parents that Alvin, being so severely deformed, was doomed to a life of hardship and limitation. Alvin was given up for adoption. Happily for him, his first foster family took a different perspective on Alvin’s potential. They chose to focus on the “ability” in disability - long before that concept became mainstream. Alvin’s foster parents encouraged him to use his feet as hands. That first night, my daughter couldn’t wait to recount all the amazing things Alvin can do that we can’t. See ac

One of the most gratifying things for me, and the main reason I continue to write these monthly articles, is that I always receive comments from you, my readers and listeners. A Christmukah Story, first posted in December 2007, generated a flood of feedback. We reposted it in 2009 and 2012 and again got loads of comments. The article has also been picked up and reprinted in numerous online publications. It remains my most popular post to date.As you many of you are new subscribers to Reflections on the Road to Respect, I have decided to share this article again this year. I am so grateful to each and every one of you that has chosen to become a member of the Road to Respect community. It has been my joy to get to know you, to work with you, and to serve you. You inspire me to continue working to ignite the respect conversation.Wishing you and those you cherish, respect, love, good health andpeace for the holiday season and the New Year. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Yesterday I spent a good deal of my day struggling with an article for this edition of Reflections on the Road to Respect. I had what I thought was a good idea. However, as sometimes happens, the more I wrote, the less I progressed. By about 4 pm I was feeling quite frustrated and discouraged. The fact that I burned the roof of my mouth a few days ago and have not been able to eat, something I normally quite enjoy doing, did not help my mood any. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Let’s Talk About Sex – Popular Fashion and Respectful Workplace CultureI am not a prude. Those that know me would laugh at the suggestion. However, lately I find myself on the far right when it comes to the topic of appropriate attire in the workplace. I am, in fact, now advising all of my clients to adopt and enforce a Dress Code.How come? Well, quite honestly, I often find myself in a difficult position these days. More than once, I have arrived at the corporate offices of a client with whom I am working to promote respectful workplace culture (the cornerstone of which is a workplace free from discrimination and harassment), and the first thing I see is … cleavage. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Best of EricaHope you’ve enjoyed our brief but glorious summer season. Out here on the “Left” coast we had an unusually hot and somewhat humid summer, making me exceeding grateful that I chose to install central air when I moved into my home.By the time you read this, I will be on the other coast, visiting family and friends in Montreal and Toronto after helping my daughter get settled in the room in residence that will be her home for the next few months.I officially started my sabbatical on August 1st. What I have noticed thus far is how challenging it can be to live an unstructured life; to do what I feel like doing rather than what I “should” be doing; to focus on being rather than doing; to be “unproductive” rather than checking things off the ever expanding to do list.One of final tasks on my list was to select the “best of” Reflections on the Road to Respect posts for the fall distribution dates. This month I am sharing the very first enews article I wrote back in March 2006.What struck me upon r

August 2014 will mark the 16th anniversary of The Respect Business. A lot has happened in those 16 years. When I started this business in 1998 I was still “young.” “You are no longer young by the time you realize your youth is over.” I’m not sure where I heard this expression or who said it, however, it has stuck with me over the years. There can be no doubt that my youth, along with numerous other life stages, is now over. I am firmly ensconced in middle age, rushing, it feels, towards becoming a senior citizen. While I resonate with the word elder, being a senior conjures up visions of gumming my food as I drool and mutter incoherently. A bit extreme maybe, but I’ve never been one of those middle of the road kind of people. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In May 2012 I participated as a community leader in the Minerva Foundation’s Learning to Lead weekend. Jen Schaeffers, executive director of the CKNW Orphans’ Fund was the Keynote speaker on Sunday morning. What struck me about this young, energetic, and at that time pregnant woman, was her willingness to talk openly about the challenges she was facing as a working mom, a particularly relevant message given that a third of the audience were Grade 11 girls.It is important to remember that this was before Sheryl Sandberg created a forum for this conversation with the release of her book ‘Lean In.’ My experience is that far too many women choose to stay silent with respect to how hard integrating family, life and leadership actually is. After hearing Mrs. Schaeffers, I knew she was someone I was interested in getting to know and at some point, featuring in this series. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In May 2012 I participated as a community leader in the Minerva Foundation’s Learning to Lead weekend. Jen Schaeffers, executive director of the CKNW Orphans’ Fund was the Keynote speaker on Sunday morning. What struck me about this young, energetic, and at that time pregnant woman, was her willingness to talk openly about the challenges she was facing as a working mom, a particularly relevant message given that a third of the audience were Grade 11 girls.It is important to remember that this was before Sheryl Sandberg created a forum for this conversation with the release of her book ‘Lean In.’ My experience is that far too many women choose to stay silent with respect to how hard integrating family, life and leadership actually is. After hearing Mrs. Schaeffers, I knew she was someone I was interested in getting to know and at some point, featuring in this series. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

My 17 year old daughter was thrilled when she recently started her new job. She liked the work and the people, at least everyone she met until her shift last week. She made a couple of mistakes, she told me, and was “called on them” by two supervisors.Her immediate reaction was to feel anxiety, shame, and worry. Her confidence was momentarily shaken she said. She started to feel badly about herself. She started wondering if she really liked her job as much as she had originally thought. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Are We There Yet? - Women, Power & Position - An Interview with Janet AustinJanet Austin was recommended as someone to interview for this series by a number of former participants. In addition to being the CEO of the YMCA Metro Vancouver, “one of the largest and most diversified non-profits in Metro Vancouver, if not the whole country” Ms. Austin is the incoming Chair of the Vancouver Board of Trade and serves on the Board of the Canadian Pediatric Society, Big Sisters BC and the Telus Community Board, among others. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Are We There Yet? - Women, Power & Position - An Interview with Janet AustinJanet Austin was recommended as someone to interview for this series by a number of former participants. In addition to being the CEO of the YMCA Metro Vancouver, “one of the largest and most diversified non-profits in Metro Vancouver, if not the whole country” Ms. Austin is the incoming Chair of the Vancouver Board of Trade and serves on the Board of the Canadian Pediatric Society, Big Sisters BC and the Telus Community Board, among others. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Elephant in the RoomIn 1998 I quit my corporate job to start the Respect Business. When people asked me why I made that choice my standard response was:I want to see change in my lifetime.Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook COO and author of the bestselling book Lean In, shares that interest. She is working to challenge the status quo with respect to gender inequality. Like many of us, women and men alike, she envisages a world where women can live life on their own terms.A pivotal point in her journey occurred in 2010 when she was asked to speak at TED Women on the topic of women and leadership. She arrived in Washington prepared to deliver a well-researched, unemotional speech “chock full of facts and figures.”As she stood backstage Pat Mitchell, CEO of the Paley Centre for Media and co-producer of the conference, asked how she was feeling.Rather than make a choice many of us do and say ‘oh fine,’ Ms. Sandberg disclosed that she was having a hard day. Her 3 year old daughter had been clinging to her leg cryi

One of my great joys in life is reading novels. Call me old fashioned, but I prefer reading a physical book rather than an e-book. I bike to my local library, and head straight to the staff picks section where I consistently find great reads. Given the recent announcement about the phasing out of mail delivery to private homes in Canada, I no longer take the gift of a public library for granted. As I scan the barcodes I always feel grateful to have access to these wonderful books.On my last visit to the library for some reason I was compelled to turn left and peruse the shelf with the non-fiction staff picks. I immediately noticed “Who Says It’s a Man’s World – The Girls’ Guide to Corporate Domination,” by Emily Bennington. As a member of the Road to Respect™ community, you know a book with a title like that would be irresistible to me.Who Says it’s a Man’s World is worth reading for a whole host of reasons, not the least of which is Ms. Bennington’s straightforward and witty writing style. I love the t

For many of us December means holiday preparations and celebrations. For me, it has also come to mean the rather demoralizing task of having to read story after story of disrespect and abuse Now you might be wondering, Erica: why on earth would you want to subject yourself to such a depressing task during the season of light and joy? The short answer is that I am a panel member charged with the task of ranking America’s worst leaders for the eBossWatch America’s Worst Bosses LIST.Our task as panel members is to read through the hundred or so cases of leaders who harass and bully those they are hired to lead, and rank them from 1 – 10: 1 being worst, 10 being the best.Let me be clear here. When I say best, I don’t actually mean best as in good; I mean best as in the least awful.I have to tell you this is a challenging task. I can’t help being reminded of something Woody Allen said in the movie Annie Hall.“I feel that life is divided into the horrible and the miserable. That's the two categories. The horr