If this is the future of Australian Business, then reconciliation will happen.
On Friday I embarked on a journey that I hoped would change me. A journey that would make me a better manager and leader, a journey that could give me the chance to reach my potential. The journey of a Master of Business (MBA). Even though I had already agreed to my MBA and attended an amazing orientation day I was full of doubt and a genuine fear of not being accepted. In addition to these fears, I had a genuine fear of the type of people that I may be working with over the next three days. Would they be the type of business leaders that frighten me? The types of business people who make decisions that greatly impact my people’s future. People who have historically torn our communities apart by the decisions they make through ignorance and paternalism.
As an Indigenous person, I need to make a choice every time I walk into a room full of business people. The lead up to that choice is a period of anxiety and stress. My internal voice is questioning if I should change out of my Indigenous shirt and into something that doesn’t stand out. Do I mention I am Indigenous today? Will it change the way people work with me? What happens if I fail? Do I become just another Indigenous person who has failed? This negative narrative is a narrative that many Indigenous people go through. Our lives are surrounded by negative images and stories of our culture. We are drunks, petrol sniffers, lazy dole bludgers, poor fathers, stupid and hopeless. The problem with being surrounded by negative narratives is that after enough time you begin to believe them and when you believe them you don’t challenge them.
Before I walked into the first session of my MBA I did what I usually do and I decided to leave my stereotypical judgements of the strangers at the door. I told myself today I will not judge, and I will lead by being myself and by being true to my culture. I told myself that maybe the people inside will be different and that if I am lucky, I may have a conversation with one of them and that maybe that conversation would lead to them seeing Indigenous Australians in a positive narrative. If I can change one, maybe that one leader will make ethical decisions when working with Indigenous people. Maybe they can be a champion and help me change this narrative. I took a step inside without judgement or fear and walked as myself. It was a walk that would change me forever.
Our intensive facilitator, Geoff Mortimore, started with the universities standard acknowledgment, which by university standards was exceptional (UNSW is leading the way in this area ). He then did something that few leaders do, he spoke about his connection to where he lives and how he experiences Indigenous culture when he walks around his local lake. He went into detail, and it was the most respectful acknowledgement that I had ever witnessed from a non-Indigenous person. I introduced myself to the group in my language and I wanted to ensure that they saw a strong Indigenous man and that by the time we had finished our three-day intensive that they would hopefully see a strong Indigenous business leader. I thanked Geoff for his acknowledgement, and I felt a shift in the room, in hindsight I call it a cultural shift.
The stereotypical expectation of the type of business people I thought I would encounter were people with little care about social justice, not wanting social change and no care for Indigenous Australians. In fairness I don’t want to say that I believe they have no care for us, but rather that we are not at the forefronts of their minds when making decisions and that their understanding of us lacks depth and is based on assumptions and stereotypes. This stereotype that I have described has been backed up by my experiences in the past and my experience entering business spaces where I have hidden my Indigenous identity. It is scary what people will say when they don’t think that there are any Indigenous people in the room.
I recall one time in a financial institution where I was facilitating a cultural change workshop based on Indigenous Australians. I don’t fit many peoples stereotypical image of an Indigenous Australian (We can break down this minefield in another article). It was 8.15 am and I was making a coffee out the front of the meeting room where I was about to present. As usual, there were many of the participants of the training hanging out together making coffees and having a chat. They were all from different work areas and didn’t know each other. As I stood there next to the coffee machine, I overheard the person next me turn around and say to their colleague “This Aboriginal won’t turn up on time, they never do” they both laughed, turned towards me and I laughed back with them (very reassuring for them). I can’t explain their surprise when sitting in the front row and upon hearing the MC welcome the Indigenous person to the stage and there I am, walking up to the lectern. I started my talk with the statement, oh wow its 8:59, how nice is it to be early.
The story above is like many stories I have experienced in the past and I am sure if I reached out to my Indigenous peers that they would have similar experiences. However, this article is not about negativity, it is about hope. It is an opportunity for me to change a narrative and for me to be a leader in this process.
The 29 business peers that I worked with over the weekend and the UNSW MBA Blueprint have inspired me. They have changed my perspective of business people and givien me hope in the change process. They want to fix the issues in society and when it comes to Indigenous disadvantage, they spoke passionately about working with us to create change. They all understand that in order to create change and be part of the process of change that they must listen and that they must change themselves. I was humbled by the conversations, passion and genuine kindness. One of my classmates spoke beautifully about their belief that we are the business generation of change and that we will work much better with Aboriginal people. They genuinely meant it and believed it is possible.
The three-day intensive was full of inspiring business leaders who genuinely and consistently engaged me with change conversations. They spoke about wanting to shift how we work with Indigenous people and what that means to businesses and Australia. The biggest shift for me was being part of authentic engagement and conversations around change and how the process of change will be driven by collaboration and education. The conversations were insightful, inspiring and realistic. I was humbled by the quality of the people and by their ability to understand that we must change the way we work with Indigenous peoples. They spoke of being inspired by me, but it is they who have inspired me.
Upon reflection of this journey and through processing my emotions I realised that what I had experienced was a distinct cultural shift in business practice and thought leadership. I have now shifted from a pessimistic view of change in the future to a view that I am not alone and for the first time in my life I feel positive that we will start to close the gap of Indigenous disadvantage. If this is the standard of Australian business managers and these are our future C Class managers then the future of our country is in great hands. They will help us close the gap of Indigenous disadvantage and create a better future for all of our children.
