Best Of Annie Jean-Baptiste's "Empowerment for All"
Here is a selection of memorable quotes from Empowerment for All: A Four-Step Framework for Creating Change in Teams and Communities by Annie Jean-Baptiste
While I enjoyed Annie Jean-Baptiste's book Empowerment for All (quick read, very practical advice especially for those who do project management in Fashion, Health, or Finance) a lot, there were several sections which she wrote with Gemini. Now, to be fair, Jean-Baptiste is the Head of Product Inclusion & Equity at Google, and in earlier chapters she writes about the exclusionary biases AI has been demonstrated to have. Still, if I were buying this book myself (I read my copy from the library), I would be disappointed to have paid for Gemini summaries in a published book that I could have otherwise googled myself.
What gets me even more excited is that I've found throughout my 37 years, that when we take into account people's perspectives, and the experiences they've encountered because of who they are, we can create lasting, innovative solutions to many current challenges and problems. When we seek out opinions different than our own, we come up with different solutions that are better than if we had just stayed within our bubble or only listened to opinions that are the most like our own.
p. XV (Introduction)
Space that is exclusionary does not live up to its full potential.
Better decisions and ideas come from dissent, friction, and multiple perspectives getting to a solution that is nuanced and multi-faceted. The outcomes are better for everyone when you create spaces where groups that have historically been at the margins feel like they have agency to speak their truth. When creating inclusive spaces, products, or experiences, you must always ask, Who else? Who else should be involved? Whose voice needs to be a part of the process? As designers, developers, marketers, and creators, we have an opportunity to create products and services that make people feel seen.
p. 6
A few years ago, I put a call out for a reverse mentor. What does that mean? I asked specifically for a mentor that was Gen Z (I'm a millennial that could help me learn more about their industry. I got about fifteen responses and was very excited. If you're mid-career or later in your career, you may be wondering why you would have a mentor that has less experience than you do. I'll tell you why. While lived experience should be valued and shared, people in the earlier part of their career have a different perspective, do things differently, and see the world in a different way. The point of a mentor is to open your aperture, make you question, and help you build muscle. Too often, people focus only on building relationships upwards-that is to say with people who are more senior. While this is incredibly important, don't ignore the importance of building parallel relationships with peers and building relationships with people coming up from behind you. It's empowering both for you and them, as you get to learn, and they feel heard.
p. 83
Empowering your team is not about relinquishing control; it's about distributing it wisely.
p. 84
Sometimes empowering others isn't about doing anything but sharing our journey authentically. They know and own their truth, no matter how imperfect, and are gracious with sharing their learnings. This, in turn, allows others to do the same.
p. 87
Trust and believe that the reading never stops. Every page turned, every idea explored, and every lesson learned will continue to shape the extraordinary person you are becoming. Embrace the power of your inquisitive mind because it will open doors you never imagined.
p. 151, Ariel Belgrave quoted in Empowerment for All by Annie Jean-Baptiste
Remember, "you can't be what you can't see,” and so it's important to think outside of yourself in order to make positive changes that will have ripple effects through the communities you care about.
p. 165
