In the 2020s, immigration has become a politicized and controversial issue. Many politicians have stances on it, and the wider community sometimes feels as though it is torn by how its members feel about border policies. This political upheaval has made work for may nonprofit organizations significantly harder.
Liz Miller is in a leadership position at an organization providing legal services related to immigration. As political and social unrest has increased around immigration, the organization decided it was worth bringing in Advoz. Among their stated goals for this endeavor were improving communications among the team and making moves towards equity and truly including everyone possible. The good news is, even in these trying times, they met and exceeded both metrics.
In an interview with Executive Director Krista Rittenhouse, Liz shared that sitting down with mediators helped her and others, “decide on what we see as our main values… what are we not able to negotiate on.” Establishing those main principles allowed them to more effectively work together and to consider how best to uphold and promote those values in their work.
Liz also shared a story of how, when an employee used a word which made another uncomfortable, they were able to frankly and honestly discuss the matter rather than anyone being left unheard. In another workplace, a person who spoke without considering their words may have been disciplined. Without a way to address the tension caused, it is likely the workplace would become less unified and potentially less productive. But, with the help of Advoz and the power of mediation, Liz’s entire team recognized just how much their small choices could be influencing their peers, and they came out of that meeting more able to share their perspectives and opinions with each other.
Recall that a primary goal of working with Advoz was to better integrate a variety of perspectives into their work. Liz and the others wanted to do more than say they included everyone. They wanted to ensure they were doing everything in their power to truly integrate diversity in every possible element of their organization. Liz shared that another impact of the mediation was allowing them to begin this work with their team. She explained, “everyone at our organization has very strong convictions… [they felt that] their voice mattered.”
And that is the key takeaway from this. Advoz is named as a play on “voz” being Spanish for voice. So, the name is literally “add voice.” The fact that this team felt truly inspired and encouraged to share their concerns, perspectives, and opinions is a testament to the fact that the organization is doing what it set out to. It is allowing every member of a community to add their voice, whether they agree with the majority or not.
Advoz gives people voices regardless of who they are, where they come from, or how they ended up involved. It adds the voices of a wider group of people, and that makes it easier to understand as many perspectives as possible. In a world where understanding is often sacrificed in favor of looking progressive or appearing forgiving, an organization that helps others actually do the work to improve their mindsets and workplaces is needed and incredibly valuable.
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