TBN #49

Written By Amber Benton

E is for Expansion

Let’s catch up…

Happy New Year, friend! 

I hope the first 10 days of 2024 are treating you well. For the past few years, I choose a word to serve as my mantra for the year. 

For 2024, the word is expansion.


Maria Morukian, author of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Trainers: Fostering DEI in the Workplace, defines expansion as “the practice of immersing oneself in the lived experiences of others, broadening one’s social networks beyond the comfortable “us” group, and building community across the broad landscape of our differences” (p. 5). A beautiful to say we need to get out of comfort zones and get to know people who are different from us.

I know you’re thinking: Another letter added to the alphabet soup. While expansion needs to be included in any equity and belonging work, there’s no need to start saying IDEE or DEI2.

Here are some basics on Expansion:

Practical ways you can practice expansion in your daily lives:

  • Identify what (read: what group or culture) you would like to know more about.

  • Find ways to learn about this group/culture. Focus on what makes them a community and what brings them joy; not just what oppression or marginalization they may face.

  • Develop your communication skills (I’ll share more on this in the coming newsletters). Each community and culture has their own norms and expectations for engaging with their community. Take the time to develop your communication skills to better engage with them.

  • Find ways to immerse yourself into the culture (while maintaining respect and dignity for their culture). You might not be able to visit their community but you can pick up a book, watch videos, or listen to their music.

  • Shift your perspective. Try your best to not view their cultural or group norms as “right” or “wrong” but rather different parts that make a complete story.

  • Be willing to tolerate dissension. There may be opposing beliefs as you begin to learn about this group. Groups are not a monolith and it is okay if you experience discord within the group.

  • Reflect or journal about what you are learning about yourself as you learning about others. What assumptions or biases are being challenged during your expansion? What new privileges (or lack thereof) are you noticing about your own lived experiences?

How to encourage others to practice expansion:

  • The best way to encourage others is by doing. You must take action and model the type of curiosity and interest in other cultures that you would like to see in others. 

  • Invite people along in your journey. Key word is invite. Everyone is responsible for their own learning and development. However, you might get some takers when you invite others into the journey with you.

How I’m practicing expansion?

For most of my career I’ve focused on two things:

  1. Working with senior leadership to create inclusive and equitable work environments for underrepresented groups (e.g., People of Color, women/of color, LGBTQIA2S+ folks, religious minorities)

  2. Supporting people from underrepresented groups

Now, I am focusing my expansion on mid-level management/leadership. Some of this will be through books but most of the time it will be through my own engagement with mid-level leaders.

Have you heard of expansion? Drop me a note (link below) and let me know.

I’d love to hear from you!

What do you need to be better in work and in life? Send me a message or connect with me on social.

Get in touch

Amber Benton

Dr. Amber Benton (she/her/hers) is an educator, diversity/inclusion/equity (DEI) expert, and intergroup dialogue facilitator. She is an advocate for healthy workplace cultures with over a decade of professional experience. She has served as a Chief Diversity Officer for the past several years and holds master’s and doctoral degrees in education.

https://www.amberbenton.com
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