How Valuing Authenticity Led to Creating the First Director of Culture and Impact at Hyatt
Picture by Ryan Rhodes aka @djimpulse
My professional journey was and is far from traditional. At every milestone in life, I’d attempt to slide into the most familiar industry tracks created by family and friends with the hope that it would lead to a successful future if I followed the rules. After high school, you’re expected to decide on a profession that defines you for life. Honestly who TF knows at 17 what they’re supposed to do with their lives? People are still looking in their 30’s and 40’s these days. I naturally rejected that expectation, not always understanding why I was being rebellious at the time, but it didn’t feel right to decide on such a lifelong commitment at such a young age. Married to a career for the remainder of my, hopefully, long life with no prenup. Later I discovered I was an extremely curious and creative person, and through these attributes came discovery and growth. So, considering my perspective on things, being a careerman was making an unacceptable commitment to a life cast in iron. Creating an extremely unappealing arrested state of development and rejectable life routine. I accepted those parts of me early on, even at the risk of failing due to an emaciated knowledge of other people of color that refused the popularized street life and constricted corporate path. Those were the only options at the time.
Stepping forward, every decision wasn’t a sure one, however, the lack of certainty provided lessons that ultimately shaped me. I went to college and never found an experience that kept my full attention and didn’t take it seriously. I did find jobs while in college that gave me great opportunities to have a significant steady income, built my professional network, challenged me, captured my attention, developed me personally, but those jobs never provided a true feeling of belonging. So I choose getting pay checks now over whatever the education promised would come later. Working those jobs also never presented a path to advancement, not without significant personal compromise. There’s always a trade off. Simply put, I never found a welcoming space for me in these places, unless I conformed, obeyed, and whitened myself. [In the movie Sorry to Bother You, Danny Glover’s character advises LaKeith Stanfields character to use a White voice at their call center jobs to successfully sell the customers over the phone. And just like in the movie, I was instructed to code switch by older more seasoned Black people in corporate America. My assignment was to perfect my impression of being White and care-free. To develop a superb happy non-threatening White all-American voice. If done correctly, I would have a work voice and a street voice. There was a moment when it became clear how damaging this can be to my selfesteem and how I was viewed in my community. I once had a debate with my then girlfriend about accidentally slipping into my work voice in a casual conversation. I grew frustrated and yelled that she just didnt understand what it takes to be successful in Amercia. I instantly felt gross and couldn’t back peddle fo risk of looking extra weak for being so unsure in myself. But, I was farther along careerwise then she was so I validated my position based on a salary comparison. Internally I questioning, shouldn’t I school her on how to move in these spaces? Doesn’t this justify leaving the culture at the door on the way into the office? Looking back, I’d done something that makes me cringe to this day and now when I hear other people of color use a white voice to be viewed as professional, or defend code-switching, it sets off an internal gut felt disgust. I didn’t know I was trading my culture for compensation. I definitely did know the lasting affects of doing so.
When we dream about our path in life, it's a smooth straight line. In reality, mine was more like the inner woven overlapping urban streets of Tokyo and as chaotic as those streets in the height of tourist season. Navigating and decoding cultural, parental, familial, and societal expectations can be difficult but extremely empowering. Gaining clarity through the journey makes it easier to identify who you truly are versus the person you thought you were. You also gain ways to present your unique value which was previously viewed as “disruptive” in spaces where you are not truly included. You hack the system without becoming a part of the system.
Read the full article at Medium.