Hello all,
This week we are focusing on Grievance. You know, that feeling that the world — the system — certain people — are against us. And working in this WIT space, where our focus is on empowering the underrepresented, I've been feeling worried and defensive. Even though I firmly believe that "perpetual optimism is a force multiplier" as former Secretary of State Colin Powell was known to say, it can be hard to maintain optimism under some circumstances.
What drives that grievance feeling? When does it surface? Does it have any value? According to a recent interview from the podcast Hidden Brain, "Holding a grudge can feel like a form of justice, a way of punishing those who have wronged us. But psychologist Fred Luskin says that more often than not, grudges don’t hurt the targets of our anger. Instead, they only hurt us. This week, we explore the lingering effects of long-standing animosities, and how to let them go." I found this episode really enlightening, and think you will too.
One of my other regular "try to think outside the box" news sources is TrendWatching and their recent summary of the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer called Grievance soars, anger is trending and discrimination reaches new heights ...led me to this consideration of grievance and its role in our lives. There's also a short video summary on the Edelman website that's worth watching. I grew up with three sisters, and believe me there were a lot of grievances in play all the time!
But these everyday grievances are nothing compared to what faces us now. And what's the remedy? According to the Edelman Trust, "Listen to Lead."
"There are some specific, and data-backed, guidelines that institutional leaders can leverage to build trust and reduce grievance – all of which are predicated on one seemingly straightforward but often challenging first step: listening. Listening to stakeholders – especially those consumers or employees who have a high level of grievance – about their fears, expectations, and needs must be the foundation for all action within the organization or outward into society.
These are some next steps to take:
Leave your information bubble: To learn how the public and your stakeholders are really feeling, you cannot stay comfortable. If you are used to getting information from certain news outlets, add some from a different perspective to your media diet. Search current events on social media platforms to read users’ authentic reactions in those moments. Listen to podcasts or watch YouTube series perhaps not aimed at you, but aimed at those you sell to or serve.
Keep your values consistent: Hearing what people really have to say doesn’t mean you should immediately respond to every criticism or demand. Take in the feedback and decide how to move forward based on a thoughtful and consistent set of values that are foundational to your organization. The context in which you and your organization exist is volatile – being clear on your values can steady the ship.
Act where it makes sense: Those with a high sense of grievance do not want business and its leaders to back away – they just want them to lean in where it's most effective. Regardless of grievance level, respondents believe business leaders have permission to engage with a societal issue if the company contributed to the problem, the issue harms their stakeholders, they can have a major positive impact on the issue, or if taking action would improve the business’s performance.
The sense of grievance in society has reached a breaking point: Four in 10 see hostile activism (attacking people online, intentionally spreading disinformation, threatening or committing violence, and/or damaging property) as a viable means to drive change. Wow!
My hope is that we can learn to listen more and work our way through and out of these challenging times.
Finally, exciting news... WIT is ready to start collecting stories from you for our upcoming Mythbusting series that will run in March.
As a reminder, these are the myths we will be busting in 2025:
- Myth #1: Women are not interested in or passionate about technology
- Myth #2: Tech careers are only for individuals with strong mathematical or technical skills
- Myth #3: Tech is a male-dominated field and not welcoming to women
- Myth #4: Women cannot balance family and personal life with a career in tech
You can email your stories to me or submit them to this online Google form. I know that there are a lot of myth busting SUNY folks out there!
All the best,
Holly
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