Zenica Chatman - Fighting Bullying of Women of Color In The Worplace
08/22/22 • 54 min
Today's guest is Zenica Chatman. Zenica was working in corporate America as a communication manager when she was the victim of a bullying episode at work. She took her own experience overcoming her situation and now she is a coach who works with women of color who have been bullied in the workplace.
In our conversation, we first focused on the problem of bullying in the workplace in general. We had a very practical conversation on what people can do to address and prevent the problem. Zenica had excellent specific advice from all perspectives, and she shared what victims, HR people, corporate leaders and peers can do. Then we zeroed in on the specific challenges that women of color face in the workplace, and why it is important to tackle the problem specifically for them.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
[03:15] – Welcome, let’s start by giving my listeners, who you are and a little bit of what’s relevant in your story, and how you got to the point where you are.
[05:51] - What were some of the other drivers in your decision to leave corporate America and dedicate fully yourself to this?
[07:26] - I would love our listeners to hear a little bit more about your personal journey. You started your own business and was that in the middle of the pandemic or before?
[08:06] - As you thought about building your business, what were some of the steps that you took?
[09:51] - What were some of the factors that helped you find the courage?
[11:50] - If you think back about your journey up to, you know, when you started experiencing the bullying, what were some moments in your life that you. Helped you prepare for making that transition?
[14:38] - What were some of the key experiences that helped you get to that point?
[17:12] - What was it like to get the first client?
[18:00] - When was the moment that you knew that it was actually going to last?
[19:31] - What are some of the examples of bullying in the workplace? And if you're an employee that's on the receiving side of it, what may be some early warning signs?
[21:30] - Is there a way when you are looking at a potential employer to start screening for this type of things to say like, oh, maybe that's really a place where there's a higher risk?
[24:53] - What are some steps that HR departments can take to start preventing this type of behavior?
[27:48] - What can a leader of a big team or a department, or even a CEO, what should they be looking for, looking from the top to find and prevent instances of some of their subordinates, some of their middle manager, et cetera, be bullies? What are some of the steps that they can take to prevent that?
[30:01] - What do you do if you are a peer of the person that's being bullied and you witness that happening?
[31:42] - How do you recommend a bystander take action?
[34:30] - What makes the bullying of women of color unique and what makes it so relevant?
[37:15] - What are some of the other elements and common themes that you've heard from your peers? Who’s gone through similar experiences?
[38:58] - What are some additional steps that relate specifically to bullying of people and, then specifically women of color?
[40:53] - Have you encountered places that have an example of a great practice that is actually helping and creating impact?
[41:26] - Have there been cases of some of your clients that have been able to overcome this and then been in a mentoring position and been effective at mentoring to prevent other people in the same situation?
[42:45] - What are two or three actions that you would want somebody who's listening now, to be like I can take these steps and make the environment better in my company?
[44:27] - What is an interest or a hobby or a passion that you have that is not work-related and has in any way, shape, or form also influenced the way that you work?
[45:55] - What is the expression or the business cliche that drives you crazy?
[47:10] - Food for the body or food for the soul?
[48:40] – Thank you and closing remarks
Contact Dino at: [email protected]
Websites:
Additional Links for Zenica:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/zenica-chatman-86b50110/
Instagram: @z_chatman
Authentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino Cattaneo
Dino on LinkedIn:
Today's guest is Zenica Chatman. Zenica was working in corporate America as a communication manager when she was the victim of a bullying episode at work. She took her own experience overcoming her situation and now she is a coach who works with women of color who have been bullied in the workplace.
In our conversation, we first focused on the problem of bullying in the workplace in general. We had a very practical conversation on what people can do to address and prevent the problem. Zenica had excellent specific advice from all perspectives, and she shared what victims, HR people, corporate leaders and peers can do. Then we zeroed in on the specific challenges that women of color face in the workplace, and why it is important to tackle the problem specifically for them.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
[03:15] – Welcome, let’s start by giving my listeners, who you are and a little bit of what’s relevant in your story, and how you got to the point where you are.
[05:51] - What were some of the other drivers in your decision to leave corporate America and dedicate fully yourself to this?
[07:26] - I would love our listeners to hear a little bit more about your personal journey. You started your own business and was that in the middle of the pandemic or before?
[08:06] - As you thought about building your business, what were some of the steps that you took?
[09:51] - What were some of the factors that helped you find the courage?
[11:50] - If you think back about your journey up to, you know, when you started experiencing the bullying, what were some moments in your life that you. Helped you prepare for making that transition?
[14:38] - What were some of the key experiences that helped you get to that point?
[17:12] - What was it like to get the first client?
[18:00] - When was the moment that you knew that it was actually going to last?
[19:31] - What are some of the examples of bullying in the workplace? And if you're an employee that's on the receiving side of it, what may be some early warning signs?
[21:30] - Is there a way when you are looking at a potential employer to start screening for this type of things to say like, oh, maybe that's really a place where there's a higher risk?
[24:53] - What are some steps that HR departments can take to start preventing this type of behavior?
[27:48] - What can a leader of a big team or a department, or even a CEO, what should they be looking for, looking from the top to find and prevent instances of some of their subordinates, some of their middle manager, et cetera, be bullies? What are some of the steps that they can take to prevent that?
[30:01] - What do you do if you are a peer of the person that's being bullied and you witness that happening?
[31:42] - How do you recommend a bystander take action?
[34:30] - What makes the bullying of women of color unique and what makes it so relevant?
[37:15] - What are some of the other elements and common themes that you've heard from your peers? Who’s gone through similar experiences?
[38:58] - What are some additional steps that relate specifically to bullying of people and, then specifically women of color?
[40:53] - Have you encountered places that have an example of a great practice that is actually helping and creating impact?
[41:26] - Have there been cases of some of your clients that have been able to overcome this and then been in a mentoring position and been effective at mentoring to prevent other people in the same situation?
[42:45] - What are two or three actions that you would want somebody who's listening now, to be like I can take these steps and make the environment better in my company?
[44:27] - What is an interest or a hobby or a passion that you have that is not work-related and has in any way, shape, or form also influenced the way that you work?
[45:55] - What is the expression or the business cliche that drives you crazy?
[47:10] - Food for the body or food for the soul?
[48:40] – Thank you and closing remarks
Contact Dino at: [email protected]
Websites:
Additional Links for Zenica:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/zenica-chatman-86b50110/
Instagram: @z_chatman
Authentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino Cattaneo
Dino on LinkedIn:
Previous Episode
Kim Driscoll - Leadership in Public Service
Governing, running a city, a state or a country is an increasing complex job, and we need specialists who are passionate about that job if we want our society to thrive. Kim Driscoll comes very close to that ideal: she is smart, pragmatic, and she is truly following a calling. She was part of a team that turned around the city of Chelsea in Massachusetts after it entered receivership, and then went on to become mayor of Salem, an office she has held for for 16 years. Currently, she is running for lieutenant governor of Massachusetts.
This interview is focused more on Kim’s journey and her experience in public service than her campaign, so even if you don’t agree with her politics, you will find a lot of helpful and practical advice.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
[02:41] – Kim, welcome to the show, tell us about yourself and where your journey started, and what led you to choose at some point to enter into public service?
[05:09] - What drew you initially to, you know, urban planning to working for the city? Was there something that was in your interest or was it more like an opportunity out of college?
[06:43] - What were some of the early lessons for you as you were progressing from intern to urban planner? Like what really, what it took to get decisions made?
[08:54] – What are some of the lessons and qualities that help move things along with your peers and colleagues?
[10:14] - When did you start thinking about who you were as a civic leader and what were the qualities that you were trying to model and you know how to embrace it? Were there people who were mentors or inspirations to you and what did you learn from?
[12:48] - Was there a moment that was like a particularly challenging situation that you had to navigate? And what did you learn from it?
[14:30] - What are some of the examples of the programs in a situation that goes from “a community that is not showing up” to “a community that decides to participate”? And what are some of the lessons that can be drawn out of that?
[16:22] - What made you decide to make the jump into sort of the elected path? How does that happen for somebody to decide, to get involved in politics?
[17:55] - How did you start thinking about what else you needed in order to be successful in that process and to make the decision to actually tackle that?
[20:06] - How do you think about and how did you prepare yourself for having difficult conversations?
[21:52] - How does one find that balance and how long does it take before you're in a place where you're really comfortable that you are in the right spot?
[23:14] - How do you think about your leadership style and who you want to be as a leader?
[25:59] - What do you think you brought into who you are right now from your experiences resettling every few years?
[28:14] - What is the attractiveness of the Lieutenant Governor role?
[30:04] - How do you think about your sort of career past the Lieutenant Governor? Do you have bigger political aspirations in the long run?
[31:44] - If you were to think back at what has helped you be successful and were to distill two or three leadership tips that people can apply in any area of their professional life, what are the two or three most important things that you say people would use?
[33:42] - Do you have a hobby or an interest outside of work and government that is important to you and maybe how has that influenced the way that you work and govern?
[34:39] - What is the one cliche or expression that makes you crazy?
[34:58] – Food for your body or food for your soul.
[35:58] – Thank you and closing remarks.
Contact Dino at: [email protected]
Websites:
Additional Guest Links:
To volunteer for Kim's campaign: kimdriscoll.org/volunteer
Facebook: facebook.com/votekimdriscoll
Instagram: @mayorkimdriscoll
Twitter: @MayorDriscoll
Authentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino Cattaneo
Dino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneo
Podcast Instagram –
Next Episode
Tonya Montella - Proactive Career Management
Tonya Montella is a coach helps women manage their career. Often, when people look for help in managing their career, it’s when they feel the need to make a change. The reality though is that to have a successful career, you need to manage it proactively at every step. Tonya had great advice covering every aspect of career management, from making sure that you thrive and are recognized at your current job, to figuring out when it is time to change, and how to go about changing your job.
Key Takeaways
[02:12] – Let's introduce you to our listeners. What are you doing now? And tell us a little bit about your journey. What is relevant for them to know as to how you got here?
[04:16] - Is there a personal experience you'd be willing to share as to how you have applied these principles to your career thinking?
[05:32] - If you look back far back in your career, what was the first moment when you had to face a transition, and what were some of the challenges that you overcame in that situation?
[07:02] - At what point in your career did you start narrowing down? Sort of like consciously thinking of like, okay, this is what I like doing. This is sort of the passion that I want to pursue. And what were some of the aha moments into getting into there?
[08:41] - As you look back at sort of some of the experiences that may not be intuitively tied to this teaching. What is an example of something that didn't seem related to your passion, but ultimately helped you?
[10:07] - What was a challenging moment for you that maybe led to, you know, a turn or learning that you were not expecting?
[11:37] - How was the experience of working so closely with your husband as he was launching his own business? And how has that experience prepared you for your own business launch?
[13:05] - What was the experience of working with your husband?
[14:41] - How do some of that dynamics translate in your work with your clients right now?
[16:28] - What are some of the steps that everybody should take? Whether or not they like their current job, you know, steps to be proactive in managing their career.
[18:06] - What are some of the deeper, less intuitive questions; areas that you should work on in your work environment to kind like assess where you are and how your current position is playing out in your career overall?
[19:29] - What are some of the steps and what benefits could they get in working with a career coach even to stay within their company and progress within their company?
[20:57] - What is fair for somebody to expect out of the manager? And how should you assess the conversation in terms of the response that you get? So, you know, just to summarize. What should anybody expect to be able to ask their manager if they ask it in a polite and civilized way?
[23:46] - What are some courses of action that you can take if you still want to keep this job that you love where maybe you have a problematic relationship with your manager?
[25:52] - What are some things that you should do in case one, which is definitely not a place you want to work for in the long run?
[26:50] - What do you need to do to avoid making a mistake? Just because your decision is driven by the need to leave.
[28:29] - What are two or three things that you can say to somebody in that position to say, there's hope and don't give up?
[30:00] - What are some of the challenges that are unique to women in managing their careers? And what is some of the advice that you have for them?
[31:29] - What's a hobby or a passion that you have? And how has that shown up in your work?
[32:27] - What is the business cliche or expression or jargon that drives you crazy?
[33:03] - Food for the body or food for the soul?
[34:11] - Thank you and closing remarks.
Contact Dino at: [email protected]
Websites:
Additional Tonya Links:
Career change guide at: tonyaempowers.com/guide
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tonyaempowers
Authentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino Cattaneo
Dino on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinocattaneo
Podcast Instagram – @al4edp
P...
If you like this episode you’ll love
Episode Comments
Generate a badge
Get a badge for your website that links back to this episode
<a href="https://goodpods.com/podcasts/authentic-leadership-for-everyday-people-179992/zenica-chatman-fighting-bullying-of-women-of-color-in-the-worplace-23239857"> <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/badges/generic-badge-1.svg" alt="listen to zenica chatman - fighting bullying of women of color in the worplace on goodpods" style="width: 225px" /> </a>
Copy