Improving Psychological Safety for Black Women in the Workplace through Mentorship

I started this post amid a career crisis. I was working in higher education and had a challenging time finding my place within the institution. I describe it as an institution rather than an industry because of some of the hostility I experienced. There was an unwillingness to change or accept diverse perspectives. Most of the Black people and people of color I had relationships with had a low sense of belonging. There was no mentoring program for staff members. There were virtual discussions about the lack of inclusion and belonging for Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) faculty and staff members, but there was little action implemented by administration during my time at the university. While there were a few affinity groups and a division for diversity, it was my experience that the mental and emotional well-being of faculty and staff were not priorities for administration.

Several experiences inspired me to start this post. One was my participation in an ethnic studies course and how race factors into our work experiences, if we take notice or not. The course highlighted the stories, trials, and triumphs of historically excluded folks and their plight of recognition and respect by the dominant culture. For instance, one of the class readings focused on the Combahee River Collective from a Black feminist perspective and the authors’ assessment of Black women’s experiences as a the “historical reality of Afro-American women’s continuous life-and-death struggle for survival and liberation" (Collective, T.C.R. 2014). The statement rang true for me in my experience at the university and provided a reminder of previous jobs where the experiences left me feeling as if I were in constant survival mode to maintain a sense of mental and emotional well-being.

Another event I attended was a lecture on Black women in higher education. Attending the lecture was one of the most validating experiences for me. Hearing how Black women must always prove themselves worthy despite their accolades, how they are dismissed, and how there aren’t many opportunities to receive mentorship resonated with me. I went back to my office feeling empowered and inspired. Other experiences that were validating included other courses in ethnic studies, and meeting with Black women who shared similar experiences.

During my higher education experience, I had more informal mentoring relationships; mostly Black women and men who offered advice and went out of their way to be cheerleaders for other Black women and men to help them feel less alone at the institution. Having those experiences encouraged me to open my laptop and capture my thoughts on my experience and the importance of not only mentoring staff members, but Black women in particular.

According to Lean In’s 2020 The State of Black Women in Corporate America, it states that Black women are less likely to be promoted and are more likely to have their successes discounted. These experiences can contribute to low self-worth and high isolation in the workplace, which can have an adverse impact on mental and physical well-being if they aren’t addressed in a productive manner. In my own experience, I’ve had to reframe how I view mentoring relationships in my personal and professional life. If I relied on the traditional method, I would forever feel like a failure because traditional methods of mentoring don’t work for my personality. To start, I’m very independent which can either benefit me or hinder me depending on the situation. Any time that I have tried to start a mentoring relationship with me as the mentee, either folks didn’t respond or the expectations I had weren’t met. I expected people to guide me along a journey - instead, I got a lot of questions about things I’ve already considered or the popular, “What do you want to do?” As I reframed my view and the people I’m around, there are fewer questions presented and more conversations that help me process information. There have also been instances where I inadvertently took on the role of mentor, giving guidance and advice. Those interactions left me feeling hopeless, mostly because of the expectations I previously held from stories I’ve heard of other mentor/mentee relationships.

In prior roles, I realized some of the deficits neglecting mentoring leaves on staff. There’s a lack of morale, support, opportunities for growth and learning in the industry, as well as development as an individual contributor. In my own experience, I’ve had supervisors ask me what I wanted without providing any guidance. I wasn’t aware of what opportunities were available in the organization and often brought up the issue to supervisors - how can I know what’s available when there’s gatekeeping in administration? Yes, there were moments when I could’ve been more proactive. Yet, this was an opportunity when mentoring at work would’ve been beneficial. I was often made to feel as if I had to guide my own ship and be my own captain. It has its advantages and disadvantages, but often disadvantages because there were missed opportunities for projects at work. I also noticed there was a dearth of office etiquette from staff and interns.

There were complaints against staff members that displayed a lack of empathy and consideration from different personalities, work styles, and diverse backgrounds. In one instance, there was a complaint against a staff member because an intern felt the staff member didn’t engage with her on a personal level in a way that she would’ve liked, but instead of having a conversation, animosity and tension built up until it was nearly too late. The staff member who received the complaint was told to be the bigger person, while there was no accountability shared across the team for why the complaint occurred in the first place. After witnessing the incident, I decided to implement a mentoring program at the job that included a concise plan on how mentors would be selected for mentees and the expectations of both. Unfortunately, I resigned before I could see it implemented, but I did my part.

My reason for introducing the mentoring program was multifaceted. In addition to the reasons I previously mentioned, I understand its role in providing personal and professional development, professional advancement, and an improved sense of belonging in the workplace. I knew the void that I experienced as a Black woman and wanted to help provide opportunities for other Black women to have a sense of purpose and psychological safety in the workspace. In Creating Psychological Safety for Black Women at Your Company, Agbanobi and Asmelash (2023) discussed how Black women feel they have allies in the workplace, and there’s a permanence of alienation and devaluation experienced by Black individuals in corporate offices. With these experiences permeating work, mentorship can serve as an avenue for allyship, advocacy, and a sense of belonging for Black women.