Tips for Decolonizing Your Work Meetings
By Liza Keānuenueokalani Williams & Kristine Zeigler
Planet Women is fostering a new model of leadership, one that embraces power sharing, collaboration, compassion and intuitive wisdom; one that centers women and marginalized voices; and one that seeks to understand and address our history of oppression and colonialism, an unhealed wound that still impacts the way we treat people and nature.
But how do we change the way we do things, you know, the things that happen in our organizations all the time, like meetings?
Take decolonization. Understanding colonialism and creating new visions for the future are one of our goals for Planet Women’s work culture. On a podcast with Kristen Rainey of Northstar Sleep School, Kristine was asked how to decolonize a work meeting. So we figured we should provide some tips for those who would like to give it a try.
Here are five tips for decolonizing meetings at work:
1. Understand colonization. We like Edgar Villanueva’s definition from his book Decolonizing Wealth: “the conquest and exploitation of non-European lands, backed by a claim of divine sanction…using whatever means necessary to amass and consolidate resources and wealth.” Many of us who grew up in the United States learned about the British colonies, the Spanish hunting for gold, the Russians for beaver pelts, and the French for a foothold in the New World. So we’re all somewhat familiar with colonization. Decolonization is the process of undoing all of that through “stopping the cycles of abuse and healing ourselves from trauma,” Villanueva writes.
One colonial practice that happens day in and day out are Western-style meetings: board meetings, committee meetings, task forces, brainstorms, 1:1's. In many organizations we use parliamentary procedures developed in the West, such as the Robert’s Rules of Order. A chairperson or senior leader introduces everyone and facilitates the agenda. Usually the leader speaks for the group.
The way that meetings are run can unconsciously reinforce office hierarchies and perpetuate colonial ways of thinking and interacting. Below are some practices that can help to decolonize meetings, but it’s also important to consider hosting different kinds of gatherings to reach a decision or brainstorm ideas. Try hosting a talking circle or taking a nature walk or sharing a meal. These kinds of experiences open the door for more equitable interactions and the experience might yield more creative results!
2. Give the meeting participants a voice. In many business meetings, attendees listen passively, giving input only when the leader of the meeting asks them to contribute something. Design the agenda to include time for people to tell their stories, share their vision and connect with each other in innovative ways. Make sure to ask each participant in the meeting for their thoughts and reactions. Be mindful of introverts or people who simply need more time to process information. Connect with them after the meeting to find out what they thought, what additional ideas came to mind, what feedback they may have for you.
It may also be useful to come up with a community agreement (or norm) that explicitly encourages people to be mindful about how they each share during meetings. People are usually self-aware enough to know whether they are more comfortable speaking in a group or less comfortable. State in the agreement that as a group we are committing to creating space for everyone’s voices. If people tend to speak more, encourage them to be aware and make space for folks who speak less. For those who speak less, encourage them to share their ideas. Let everyone know that it is important for everyone’s ideas to be heard and validated.
3. Talk about the land. Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada recommends speaking a land acknowledgment at the start of department meetings or events. And please take the time to learn how to pronounce the names appropriately. This is a great way to see the diversity of peoples who have been colonized but who also continue to thrive in many areas of the world.
Go deeper. Learn more about the history and reality of Indigenous peoples in the land where you are sitting — whether that’s your office, your home or a place where you’ve traveled. If you have time, read The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee by David Treur (Ojibwe), an essential and accessible primer. Or visit a web map such as Native Land to learn about the peoples who once lived in your city, suburb or rural area. (Please note that maps such as Native Land are often incomplete because they are works-in-progress. The wider community adds information in real time. Be sure to do enough research to cross-check the information you find.)
To learn more about land acknowledgements and their importance visit the Native Governance Center.
4. Invite Indigenous peoples to your meetings. Extend an invitation to observe your meeting, give a presentation or share ideas and perspectives. Ideally, all three. Indigenous knowledge, practices, cultural heritage and wisdom are intertwined with business, family life and government. Both for governing the colonizers as well as the colonized. Connecting, relating and building strong relationships leads to better solutions and a sense of us belonging to each other, being responsible for one another’s communities. For too long white people have seen themselves as the “saviors” for marginalized and under-resourced peoples and communities. This paradigm is not the truth.
When inviting Indigenous peoples to your meetings, it is important to remember that you’re asking them for a service so you must offer fair compensation. Many times, Indigenous people are asked to perform welcomes, offer information or do other tasks for meetings with the expectation that this work should be offered for free. Too often, Indigenous people are not compensated or are under-compensated.
Remember that, as the Native Governance Center points out, “In addition to normal employment and family obligations, Indigenous people are working to heal their traumas, learn their languages, and support their nations. If you reach out for help, lead the conversation by asking an Indigenous person what you can do for them. Chances are, they’re likely overworked and could use your help.” This is a great tip to follow.
5. Share power. Rotate who facilitates and runs the meetings for your group. When we share the role of facilitator, we offer everyone a chance to shine. We also allow for diversity in the ways that meetings are run. Rotating facilitators can break monotony and spark creativity and inspiration. Each person has a unique way of delivering information.
Allowing people to take turns facilitating means that the team will get to experience different ways of leading, and therefore, different ways of learning. Leading then becomes something that supports the co-creation of a stronger and more resilient team because everyone is being allowed to both lead and learn.
If your team is working toward understanding colonization, giving meeting participants an equal voice, talking about the land and inviting Indigenous people to your meetings, then you are well on your way to establishing practices that share power.
Besides these tips, there are many more ways to weave decolonization into your meeting styles and workplace culture. Allow time for you and your team to come up with your own ways to decolonize meetings and commit to a new, more equitable way of working together.