In Episode 53, Rob, Stephanie, and Mark have a candid conversation with Rick Taylor about unconscious bias & racism in the workplace and how getting comfortable with having uncomfortable conversations may just be the catalyst we need to finally have real, lasting change.

We talked about:

* Why are we still here?* How do we get out of where we are?* The difference between bigotry and racism* Rick’s experience and perspective in IT* Rob shares a story that impacted him and the way he thinks about unconscious bias in the workplace* Engaging our kids (of all ages) in tough conversations* Sharing our fears in engaging in these conversations with each other and why it’s important to have them anyway* Continuing to raise our voices over time and thoughts about what comes next

If you would like to follow Rick Taylor:

@slkrck on Twitter

Rick is a SharePoint architect and has assisted numerous, large companies in their implementations including the US Air Force, Charles Schwab, and Nestle. He is a former Microsoft engineer and has worked on the SharePoint Engineering team as well as the OpsCon division dealing with ITSM and Governance. He is a published author, co-author, and contributing author. His influence within the MCT and SharePoint communities facilitated his being selected to present at the first MCT Community Summit held in Zurich, Switzerland . Rick is currently the Senior DevOps Engineer at Insight.

If you would like to learn more:

Taking Steps to Eliminate Racism in the Workplace: https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/behavioral-competencies/global-and-cultural-effectiveness/pages/taking-steps-to-eliminate-racism-in-the-workplace.aspx

Check on your Colleagues: https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2020/05/9841376/black-trauma-george-floyd-dear-white-people?fbclid=IwAR0UeRp9oI3zdkr_0SxpbwE_YwlmjDUpR2LOm64yVqR6T1F0VOnjTbKHT_o

Guide to being an Ally: https://guidetoallyship.com/