While finalising the content for our first cohort starting in just under two weeks! - we got to revisit some of our research and came across this great quote from Hult Ashbridge in 2019: ‘ The Do’s and don'ts of employee activism: How organisations respond to voices of difference', This line caught our attention:
“Employee activism is not only here to stay, it is expected to become a defining feature of the workplace. Leaders and organisations are unlikely to be able to continue to avoid or superficially engage with contentious social and environmental issues."
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The quote goes on to say that dialogic skills are necessary for employers, managers and leaders. The study is aimed at employers and gives recommendations on how to deal with employee activists. At the Undercover Activist, our starting point is different. We start with the employee and their needs. How do you tackle “previously unchallenged organisational hierarchies and power structures?”. If you’re curious and want to know how to do that, there are places available on our May cohort!
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Our learning approach focuses on different areas of leadership. One important area is about leading yourself. Understanding what drives you, your passion and purpose, can also help you recognise your triggers and resistance. In module 2, we go deeper into understanding activism in general and guide you to become better acquainted with your inner activist. To inspire you, we’d like to share this beautiful poster - made by Ana Germano a designer at BeAPeach. Do you ever feel like that one person who feels different, strongly different about something?
JOINING OUR TEAM
This week, we received a newsletter for Human Dimensions an organization focused on corporate anthropology, stating “Why it's important to always have an anthropologist in your organization”. Anthropologists are trained to map and dissect power structures; the dominant culture in the workplace; rituals and manners and interaction between colleagues. By using anthropology as a way to view an organisation you can get to the heart of it.
We couldn't agree more, which is one reason why we welcome Minke van Oeffelt to our team, who, as an anthropologist, can help us get to the heart of our own organisations and better understand how positive workplace activism can become a force for change. She will be helping the team with digital comms and course content. Welcome Minke!
STUFF THAT INSPIRES US
Classics and new stuff in the world of video, audio and books.
Vandana Shiva, Maria Mies - Ecofeminsm, what are the connections between women and nature?
Justin D. Henderson - Self-Care is Not the Solution for Burnout. We have to widen our perspective to truly understand the contributory factors of burnout.
My octopus teacher - A heart warming documentary that shows when in time burn out or stress, animals can be the perfect guide to get back on track.
This Anthro life - a podcast by Adam Gamwell. An experimental narrative podcast that takes a unique cross-cultural and time spanning perspective on what makes us human.