In the final episode of Season 3 of the podcast, "The Fullest Circle," host Joanna Shoffner Scott reflects on this season’s pivotal moments in her business while navigating the challenging landscape faced by nonprofits, government agencies, and foundations. Joanna reflects on her recent "Racial Equity for Adaptive Leaders" series with Anthony Armstrong of Make Communities and encourages organizations to be clear on their values, given today’s challenges. The episode touches on the emotional toll...
Apr 08, 2025•14 min•Season 3Ep. 12
Today's episode wraps up the series “Let’s Get REAL: Racial Equity for Adaptive Leaders” with Joanna Shoffner Scott and guest Anthony Armstrong from Make Communities. The episode explores the rapidly changing landscape of racial equity in organizational leadership. They discuss the challenges leaders face amid uncertainty, drawing parallels to past experiences like the early days of COVID-19 and examining what lessons can be applied today. Throughout the episode, the discussion unpacks the vital...
Mar 25, 2025•30 min
In this episode, "How to Lead When It Feels Like the World Is Burning Down," Joanna talks about the importance of leadership that is both self-reflective and team-focused, as leaders do the hard work of maintaining racial equity commitments in an anti-DEI climate. Joanna provides insights into current anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) movements and their implications for the workplace. Additionally, she points to the power of structural storytelling as a tool to shift anti-DEI narrativ...
Mar 06, 2025•15 min
Personal growth for leaders is more than just a buzzword. It's a necessity for anyone striving to align their actions with their values. In this episode of the Race in the Workplace Podcast, host Joanna Shoffner Scott is joined by guest Anthony Armstrong to discuss the opportunities and hurdles leaders most commonly face in equity work. Joanna and Anthony explore the unique challenges leaders face, especially those of color, and the importance of building robust support systems. Using personal s...
Feb 20, 2025•34 min•Season 3Ep. 9
In this episode of the Race in the Workplace Podcast, host Joanna Shoffner Scott is joined by guest Anthony Armstrong to unpack strategies for designing an equity program. Together, they discuss the factors that leaders should consider before starting on an equity journey, addressing both the opportunities and challenges that can arise. From assessing organizational readiness to aligning aspirations with actionable steps, this thought-provoking conversation aims to provide listeners with insight...
Jan 28, 2025•36 min
In this episode of Race in the Workplace, Dr. Joanna Shoffner Scott and Anthony Armstrong continue this season’s leadership series called Let's Get REAL: Racial Equity for Adaptive Leaders. This week’s discussion explores how to plan for leadership transitions. As Joanna and Anthony unpack the complexities of leadership transitions, they discuss the opportunities and challenges accompanying these shifts, emphasizing the importance of mindful and equitable practices. Whether you're a leader prepa...
Jan 14, 2025•19 min
This episode is the second conversation in their series, Let's Get REAL: Racial Equity for Adaptive Leaders. In it, Dr. Joanna Shoffner Scott talks with longtime colleague Anthony Armstrong about the difference between transactional and transformational leadership. The distinctions between these two leadership styles matter, particularly in building racially equitable organizations. They also discuss their collaborative journey, the frameworks they've developed to help organizations approach rac...
Dec 11, 2024•23 min•Season 3Ep. 6
In this mini episode, host Joanna Shoffner Scott highlights the significance of systems and processes in creating racially equitable organizations. Drawing from her extensive experience as an organizational development consultant and founder of the Stamey Street Consulting Group, Joanna explains why clear systems and processes are foundational to equity work. She unpacks the often hidden but crucial role systems play in fostering an inclusive workplace. Whether you're a nonprofit leader, executi...
Dec 03, 2024•12 min
In this episode of Race in the Workplace (S3, Ep 4), host Joanna Shoffner Scott explores the necessary components for building a racially equitable organization. From her extensive consulting experience and personal experiences as a Black woman in professional spaces, Joanna identifies and unpacks four foundational elements critical to building and sustaining racial equity within organizations. Whether you're a leader just beginning your journey or navigating ongoing challenges, these insights c...
Nov 05, 2024•15 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Let's Get REAL: Introducing Racial Equity for Adaptive Leaders | S3, Ep 3 In this episode of the Race in the Workplace Podcast, host Joanna Shoffner Scott shares a discussion with Anthony Armstrong, founder and lead consultant at Make Communities, to explore the intricacies of adaptive versus technical leadership strategies, especially concerning racial equity and its role in practice transformation in nonprofit organizations. The discussion explores the realities of imperfection, the importance...
Oct 15, 2024•34 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Episode Summary In this episode of the Race in the Workplace podcast, host Joanna Shoffner Scott discusses a significant change in her professional journey. She has decided to move away from using the term DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) and instead focus on racial equity as a core organizational practice. Joanna believes this shift better aligns with her principles and brings more clarity and effectiveness to her work in organizational development. Whether you are leading a nonprofit or ...
Oct 01, 2024•12 min•Season 3Ep. 2
To Take Action: If you learned even one thing you didn't know before listening to the episode, leave me a + review on Apple Podcasts . 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 If you liked this episode, you will LOVE my Race in the Workplace newsletter. Check it out here: https://newsletter.stameystreet.com/ Want to learn more about my work with leaders? Visit stameystreet.com About Your Host Dr. Joanna Shoffner Scott is an organizational development consultant who helps leaders of nonprofits, philanthropies, and businesses ...
Sep 17, 2024•2 min
Welcome to the first episode of Season 3 of the "Race in the Workplace" podcast, where host Joanna Shoffner Scott, an experienced organizational development consultant and founder of the Stamey Street Consulting Group, provides fresh insights and practical strategies for creating equitable workplaces. In this new season, Joanna shifts her focus from DEI leaders to broader organizational leadership, emphasizing the importance of committed leadership, clear values, systematic processes, and aligne...
Sep 17, 2024•3 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Topics discussed in this episode: 1- Where to hear more about the Changing the Conversation series. [0:01:56] 2- My jagged journey background: the reluctant consultant. [0:02:36] 3- Common communication roadblocks in the workplace. [0:04:45] 4- Why the workplace is a microcosm of our society. [0:06:18] 5- Things to establish before going into a conversation in the workplace. [0:08:46] 6- Defining respect and how it can become a communications roadblock. [0:11:50] 7- Confusing intent with impact ...
Oct 06, 2023•34 min
Topics discussed in this episode: 1- Sean introduces his role at the Building Movement Project. [0:02:37] 2- How Sean found himself in this line of work and the influence of his parents. [0:04:45] 3- Opportunities and challenges that Sean has encountered related to race, racism, and leadership. [0:09:04] 4- Prioritizing solutions to central questions and moving past mere deconstructive analysis. [0:16:11] 6- Identifying the most notable barriers to leadership for people of color. [0:19:02] 7- Un...
Aug 08, 2023•44 min•Season 2Ep. 12
Topics discussed in this episode: 1- The dangers of moving too slowly in equity work. [0:01:24] 2- The importance of listening to staff feedback and taking intentional action. [0:02:20] 3- Why you have to communicate clear expectations of what staff needs to know. [0:05:29] 4- What racial equity fatigue is, and how to overcome it. [0:05:42] 5- Practical, actionable tips to avoid the slow-moving equity work trap. [0:08:09] One: ask and act. [0:08:28] Two: acknowledge areas where people need suppo...
Jul 25, 2023•15 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Topics discussed in this episode: 1- Today’s topic: encouragement to those who do DEI-related work, regardless of title. [0:00:49] 2- The moment that’s happening in our field and our two options for responding. [0:01:22] 3- Unpacking the pressure that we're under right now in this historical moment. [0:02:00] 4- Retrenchment, structural challenges, and layoffs inside organizations. [0:03:42] 5- How the work of others like that of Tema Okun on white supremacy culture is misused. [0:05:05] 6- Why ...
Jul 11, 2023•15 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Topics discussed in this episode: 1- The article this episode is based on: Nonprofit Execs: Are You Constantly Losing Staff of Color? [0:00:45] 2- An outline of the problem and what it might look like for your company. [0:01:40] 3- The problem of naming without action. [0:02:36] 4- A metric for your organizational identity: how your Black staff are faring. [0:04:01] 5- Acknowledging that your workplace environment may be toxic for Black people. [0:05:01] 6- Accept that your staff might have diff...
Jun 22, 2023•9 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Topics discussed in this episode: 1- Today’s topic: Turning the fire inward [0:01:12] 2- Framing the current context: DEI as a target [0:02:07] 3- The dominant narrative that DEI is responsible for inequity and the efforts to “return to colorblind equality” [0:05:38] 4- An explanation of what is meant by the phrase “Turning the Fire Inward.” [0:07:53] 5- The root of much of what is happening in progressive spaces: the disingenuous disconnect between being willing to name racism but not disrupt i...
Jun 06, 2023•21 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Topics discussed in this episode: 1- What an equity assessment or equity audit is, and what it includes. [0:01:24] 2- The standard process my firm uses to do these assessments. [0:02:49] 3- Why you should only agree to an assessment if there is a commitment to act on the results. [0:06:02] 4- When it’s important to add a policy practice review to the assessment. [0:07:20] 5- When not to do a racial equity assessment or racial equity audit [0:10:54] 6- Why the executive leadership should know in ...
May 16, 2023•21 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Topics discussed in this episode: 1- McKay's focus: the conditions needed for transformation and the head and heart work involved [0:03:08] 2- McKay has identified trends and patterns as leaders transition out of organizations. [0:04:46] 3- What it’s like for newly hired leaders to enter environments with lots of pent-up demands and frustrations [0:06:11] 4- How the leadership context has become a racialized process. [0:07:20] 5- Why the same levels of grace aren’t given to new Black executives ...
May 02, 2023•39 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Topics discussed in this episode: 1- Topics that this conversation will cover: tiredness, time, and takeaways. [0:01:01] 2- The state of fatigue in which many advocacy workers find themselves. [0:01:35] 3- Fannie Lou Harmer’s words in response to inequality. [0:02:19] 4- The suffering and struggle coming at all of us in 2023. [0:03:06] 5- Three kinds of fatigue you can experience in DEI work. [0:03:47] 6- The purpose of this episode: to encourage, not complain! [0:07:09] 7- Approaching the arc o...
Apr 18, 2023•19 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Topics discussed in this episode: 1- Outline of today’s topic and Sheri’s professional career background. [0:00:39] 2 -Details about Sheri and her current role at the Children's Defense Fund. [0:03:35] 3- Important considerations regarding the topic of racial equality. [0:08:03] 4- We discuss the concept of collective impact and how Sheri ties it into her work. [0:15:12] 5- The important questions Sheri raised, how they were received, and the definition of diversity. [0:20:20] 6- Sheri explains ...
Mar 28, 2023•40 min•Season 2Ep. 4
1- An introduction to today’s topic, creating inclusive work cultures, and guest, Dr. Michael Baran. [0:00:52] 2- Dr. Baran’s company Iris Inclusion and some of the services it offers. [0:02:50] 3- How Dr. Baran went from being a cultural anthropologist to landing in the DEI space. [0:05:34] 4- How Dr. Baran approaches DEI work at Iris Inclusion from a place of deep understanding. [0:11:07] 5- How he builds that deep understanding through research. [0:12:56] 6- Why Dr. Baran uses the term “subtl...
Mar 14, 2023•44 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Here is a Glance into this Episode: 1- The five questions Joanna is asked most often about Board engagement. [0:01:32] 2- The two roles that the Board should play as the organization is figuring out its “Equity Why.” [0:02:14] 3- Figuring out your Board's “Equity Why” and why this is an adaptive question for each board member to grapple with. [0:04:00] 4- Ensuring that board members have time to commit to this work. [0:05:52] 5- The best time to engage the Board in these matters. [0:07:06] 6- Wh...
Feb 28, 2023•14 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Topics discussed in this episode: 1- What you can expect from this season of the podcast. [0:00:50] 2- Why do organizations ask for ten years of DEI experience when hiring for DEI roles [0:02:13] 3 - The three categories of DEI experience that Joanna has identified. [0:02:34] 4- Why function or an organizational ‘why’ should be used to frame hiring decisions for DEI roles. [0:03:08] 5- Organizational development is the first of three capacities that Joanna believes are important in DEI roles. [0...
Feb 14, 2023•24 min•Season 2Ep. 1
"What does it take for an organization to cultivate a sustainable racial equity practice?” This is my guiding question for this season of the podcast. In Season 2, I will use a mix of solo and guest episodes to explore leadership opportunities, strengths, and challenges to maintaining racial equity as a practice. My guests will share their leadership experiences and stories of how they came into racial equity work. I'm excited about the season, and I hope you'll join me.dr. joanna shoffner scott...
Feb 09, 2023•40 sec
Here is a Glance into this Episode: 1- Why it’s important to spend more time on adaptive work upfront. [0:02:12] 2- Two significant sources of trauma in the workplace. [0:05:11] 3- The lack of support for DEI work. [0:12:04] 4- The positive progress many organizations are making in their DEI journey. [0:15:42] 6- What Joanna learned about walking in courage. [0:17:11] 7- The importance of understanding the difference between relationships and transactions. [0:18:46] Click here for a transcript o...
Dec 20, 2022•22 min•Season 1Ep. 12
1- The important question organizational learning spaces pose: The equity ‘why.’ [0:02:34] 2- Always connect learning to larger organizational priorities. [0:06:00] 3- Why staff of color should not teach others from their lived experiences. [0:06:57] 4- The questions you need to ask yourself when planning learning spaces. [0:11:25] 5- The importance of holding staff accountable for organizational learning. [0:12:11] 6- Why not all learning should be shared. [0:13:36] 7- How shared learning exper...
Dec 07, 2022•16 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Here is a Glance into this Episode: 1- An introduction to McKay Chamberlain. [0:01:17] 2- McKay’s connection to justice and belonging and how this led them into this line of work. [0:03:03] *3- TW: For listeners who wish to avoid the topic of infant death and loss, skip audio from [0:05:49] to [07:53]. How infant mortality in Kansas impacted McKay’s journey. [0:05:49] 4- The difference between technical challenges and adaptive challenges. [0:12:39] 5- The term “connective tissue” and what it mea...
Nov 22, 2022•39 min•Season 1Ep. 10
