What I Learned From Narrating Inclusion on Purpose, the Audiobook
“Women should be seen and not heard.” That was the message I heard growing up. I was taught – in ways both overt and subtle – that it was...
Search
- Sep 6
- 3 min
Colorism: the rarely-talked about workplace bias that affects millions
A painful truth: my lighter skin afforded me a certain level of acceptance within society when I was growing up in Singapore. But. I was...
- Aug 30
- 3 min
Why Inclusion Can’t Exist Without Psychological Safety
In 2019 (before the world went topsy turvy), I flew to London to attend the prestigious Thinkers50 gala. Completely unexpectedly, I had...
- Aug 24
- 3 min
You call it nepotism, I call it bias. Here’s how to deal.
I’m familiar with going above and beyond at work: taking on extra assignments; picking up the slack for sick co-workers; even doing some...
- Aug 16
- 3 min
The Great “Culture Fit” Lie
Hiring for “culture fit” is among the most widespread and exclusionary practices in hiring today. And it is pervasive! One study found...
- Aug 9
- 3 min
Women Don’t Need to Lean In. Leaders Do.
The advice for women to “lean in” never resonated with me. I was always an ambitious, confident person, in my eyes. I was proud of my...
- Aug 2
- 2 min
Why Brené Brown Loves My Bridge Framework (!)
If I could boil down the answer to why we are so terrible at being as inclusive as we think we are, it would be one word. Discomfort. We...
- Jul 26
- 3 min
Why aren’t there more Asian women leaders?
Have you ever been expected to act grateful for having a job – even if the toxic workplace treats you like a stereotype? I have! When I...
- Jul 20
- 2 min
5 Red Flags Your Company’s Hiring Process Isn’t Inclusive
Job seekers today are actively looking for clues that a company’s culture will be inclusive. I recently shared the story of Hilliary...
- Jul 13
- 4 min
Inclusive Leadership in an America that’s Less Free for Everyone
“I want to paint my nails blue,” my son said to me a few months ago. When I protested (more to do with my concerns about the toxicity of...
- Jul 5
- 2 min
Take a pay cut for a job that doesn’t break your soul?
Hilliary Turnipseed’s new job pays $30,000 less than in her last job. And she couldn’t be happier. Hilliary could do a lot with an extra...
- Jun 28
- 3 min
Empathy Is More Than a Buzzword
Workplace empathy is getting trendy. What I mean is: building empathy is a nonnegotiable component of inclusion. But empathy is one of...
- Jun 14
- 3 min
Why I want to eradicate “cultural competency”
Only a quarter of white Americans have a friend of color. And for most, their first meaningful interaction with someone of a different...
- Jun 7
- 2 min
How My Baby Niece Gave Me the Strength To Carry On
It’s amazing — but also clearly a lesson I need to keep learning again — how different I feel after I rest. I was lucky enough to have...
- May 31
- 2 min
Stories like this are *exactly* why I wrote my book
I grew up subscribing to the ideals of meritocracy. I was born in Singapore, a tiny island-city-state founded on the principle that if...
- May 25
- 2 min
When We Underpay People, We Don’t Believe They’ll Succeed
I’m often expected to be grateful for what I’m offered. I also risk facing harsher penalties if I try to negotiate a raise or salary...
- May 10
- 4 min
30 publishers rejected my book.
My book Inclusion On Purpose was rejected by 30 publishers. And all it takes is ONE good yes. ONE good yes later, and Inclusion on...
- May 3
- 2 min
Why Women of Color Don’t Need (more) Training Programs
Tell me if this sounds familiar: “I’m so supportive of what you’re doing. I’d love to have you join a training program we recently...
- Apr 26
- 2 min
Two Big Lessons From Justice KBJ’s Confirmation
I––like so many of you––was overcome with emotion when I heard that Ketanji Brown Jackson’s appointment to the Supreme Court of the...
- Apr 20
- 3 min
Ally is a verb. Not a noun.
I received some disappointing feedback recently. After a presentation I was excited about, I learned that one of my favorite cartoons was...