Leading Libraries Series: Leading for Inclusion

Inclusion and inclusive leadership

 

Recognising your own experience: understanding 'intersectionality'

Intersectionality is the term used to describe the interconnected and overlapping nature of social categorisations (e.g. race, gender, class, religion, disability) and how they overlap to create interdependent systems of disadvantage or privilege for an individual, or group. Kimberlé Crenshaw, a civil rights activist and scholar, first coined the term in 1989, where she challenged women’s rights movements that were based on the lived experiences of white women, and therefore not taking into account the additional discrimination faced by women of colour.

In this TED Talk video Kimberlé Crenshaw explores intersectionality. Be aware that it carries a content warning relating to graphic images of police violence against black women and girls.

Kimberlé Crenshaw’s Ted Talk: The Urgency of Intersectionality

 

Considering intersectional needs

Map out the different characteristics of the groups of people that use your services. Then consider how these different characteristics intersect. For example:

• 100 people use this service
• 60% are women (60 people)
• 2/3 of women are from minority ethnic backgrounds (40 people)
• 25% of people are disabled (25 people)
• 10 of the disabled people are also women and from a minority ethnic group

 

What are the needs of the different groups / intersectional groups accessing your library service? If you do not know, how could you find out?

Which needs are you meeting, and which are going unmet?

In what ways could your library service better meet the needs of the different groups / intersectional groups accessing its services?

 

Your own lived experience

Inclusive leadership begins with an inclusive relationship with yourself. By this we mean:

• exploring your own identity and difference
• understanding how this has shaped your life experiences
• recognising the opportunities that were made available to you
• being aware of how you relate to others, especially those who are very different from you.

A helpful way to begin this journey is to create your own Intersectional Lifeline.

In this segment, you can work through an Intersectional Lifelines Activity – either on your own, or, ideally, in conversation with colleagues. This exercise is reproduced by kind permission of our colleague, Dr Sandie Dunne.

The activities below will support you to reflect on your own lived experience of inclusion and exclusion.

 

Individual activity

In this segment, you can work through an Intersectional Lifelines Activity – either on your own, or, ideally, in conversation with colleagues. This exercise is reproduced by kind permission of our colleague, Dr Sandie Dunne. Dr Dunne is an organisational consultant who specialises in leadership development, diversity and equalities, corporate improvement and change management.

You can learn more about her work on inclusion at https://www.dunneconsulting.co.uk

Please read the Intersectional Lifelines document and complete the ‘Individual Activity’ outlined on page 2.

 

Instructions on drawing a 'Lifeline'

'Lifeline' exercises are designed to help you reflect on your life and identify stories that shaped who you are today, the values you have as a person and your motivations in learning. In this exercise, we are focussing specifically on your own lived experience of inclusion and exclusion so you can begin to understand

1. Get a blank A3 sheet of paper – or a flipchart size is even better.
2. Draw a horizontal line across the middle of the long part of a page. Draw a line at the left edge of the page and write “positive experiences” at the top of this line, and “negative experiences” at the bottom of the line. Now write a zero at the junction of the two lines, and your current age at the far right of the horizontal line. You might like to use this Lifeline template as a guide.
3. Now draw your lifeline – as you move from birth to your current age, what were the significant events and relationships? Take time to note the significant changes in your life. Place each roughly in the place corresponding to your age, and above or below the line corresponding to whether you the experience had a “positive” or “negative” impact at the time. Connect the dots with a line.
4. Take time to capture the key moments. As you go, ask yourself these questions:
   • What experiences have I had in my life/career to date?
   • Are there any themes/patterns which emerge?
   • Where have been the turning points?
   • Which have been the happiest times? Which have been the saddest times?
   • What would I pick out as milestones/significant achievements?
   • Which individuals have been most important in my life/career to date?
5. Once you have identified the key phases and events, use the questions in the Intersectional Lifelines exercise to explore your related experiences of inclusion and exclusion.
6. Sometimes it can help to draw multiple lifelines focussing on different aspects of your life (eg. work, personal life, family). You can then pull together the similarities and differences in experience in those different aspects as you go.

Finally – there is no right way to draw a lifeline – it's your lifeline, you can't get it wrong! It's a tool for reflection rather than an objective record so use your imagination to create the best version for you…

When you have completed this activity take some time to reflect on the ‘Coaching Question’: What has surfaced for you in doing this activity that will impact your leadership practice?

 

Group activity

Arrange a meeting with a small group of trusted colleagues for you all to share your Intersectional Lifeline with each other. This is a powerful way to build trust and deeper understanding within a group, and can lead to a healthier team climate in which innovation and performance thrive.

Please remember that talking about your own lived experience can feel exposing, so only share what you feel comfortable with. Also remember that others in your group might be feeling vulnerable too, so make sure you take some time beforehand to talk about how you will support each other through the process and maintain confidentiality.

It is a great honour to hear about another person’s lived experience. This activity is about being open to the experiences of others, not finding fault in or correcting another person’s life story. You are simply required to listen, feel and appreciate.

We recommend you take out enough time to complete this activity, and ensure that each person has equal air-time. Follow the 4 Step process below.

1. Talk about how you will support each other through the process, what you need from others and how you will maintain confidentiality (30 mins).
2. A. Person 1 to share their Intersectional Lifeline with the group (20 mins).
   B. Group to share their felt responses (emotions and thoughts) and reflections on Person 1’s Intersectional Lifeline (10 mins).
3. Repeats Step 2a and Step2b for each person. Remember to take breaks so that you can be fully present for each person sharing.
4. Reflect as a group on how this activity felt for you and what learning you take forward (20 mins).

 

Individual reflection on group activity

Take some time after the exercise to capture your learning from the Group Activity.

• What did you learn about yourself from the exercise?
• What did you learn about others in your group? What most surprised or touched you while you were listening?
• Has the experience made you think differently about how you might work with colleagues or citizens in future?
• How will this shape and influence your leadership going forward?

 

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