WEBVTT 00:00:05.442 --> 00:00:07.493 I'm glad we have a chance to catch up. 00:00:07.582 --> 00:00:11.354 Haven't seen much of you since you started your new job. How's it going? 00:00:11.441 --> 00:00:16.532 Well, at this point, it's not going all that great! 00:00:16.711 --> 00:00:18.844 To be brutally honest, things pretty much suck. 00:00:18.860 --> 00:00:21.161 What do you mean? What's going on? 00:00:21.360 --> 00:00:23.187 I'm not sure. 00:00:23.304 --> 00:00:27.056 Most of the folks in this group are Latinos or LatinX... 00:00:27.067 --> 00:00:29.463 which isn't a big deal for me... 00:00:30.062 --> 00:00:31.788 ...at least that's what I thought. 00:00:32.234 --> 00:00:35.363 Oh, so you're the minority now? 00:00:35.425 --> 00:00:37.707 Well... I guess so? 00:00:38.340 --> 00:00:40.774 What I didn't realize was how frustrating this would be. 00:00:40.785 --> 00:00:44.084 OK, so, what's the problem? I mean, what's happening? 00:00:44.751 --> 00:00:46.819 Well, communication to start. 00:00:46.891 --> 00:00:48.096 And... 00:00:48.423 --> 00:00:51.016 I'm not really sure how to say this... but... I... 00:00:52.764 --> 00:00:55.040 I'm feeling very white right now. 00:00:55.206 --> 00:00:56.101 What? 00:00:56.663 --> 00:00:58.406 What does that even mean? 00:00:58.946 --> 00:01:00.135 When I took this job, 00:01:00.146 --> 00:01:02.704 I didn't give a second thought to the make-up of the team. 00:01:03.381 --> 00:01:07.318 But... I'm the only white guy in my group... 00:01:07.329 --> 00:01:10.289 and that includes my boss, too! It's just... I... 00:01:11.249 --> 00:01:12.860 I don't feel like I fit in. 00:01:13.495 --> 00:01:15.058 What it means is... 00:01:15.362 --> 00:01:18.789 I'm gonna start looking for something else... this just isn't working out. 00:01:22.365 --> 00:01:24.696 It's not unusual to feel like an outsider 00:01:24.707 --> 00:01:28.017 when we are dealing with differences that are unfamiliar to us. 00:01:28.358 --> 00:01:30.981 This can occur when we find ourselves in new situations - 00:01:30.992 --> 00:01:35.819 with new dynamics involving race, ethnicity, gender and culture. 00:01:35.972 --> 00:01:37.417 You wanna quit? 00:01:37.593 --> 00:01:39.403 Danny, you just got here! 00:01:39.457 --> 00:01:41.844 I can't figure out how to connect with anyone. 00:01:43.201 --> 00:01:46.444 I thought this was a perfect match for your skills and 00:01:46.457 --> 00:01:50.036 a place where you had excellent growth opportunities? 00:01:50.091 --> 00:01:52.408 Just yesterday, I was in a team meeting, and 00:01:52.419 --> 00:01:55.616 I made a suggestion that worked really well on my last job... 00:01:55.627 --> 00:01:57.032 but nobody said... 00:01:57.378 --> 00:01:58.419 anything? 00:01:58.630 --> 00:02:02.332 They just moved on to the next point. I felt like I wasn't even there. 00:02:02.355 --> 00:02:03.773 That's hard... 00:02:03.784 --> 00:02:06.581 giving your best and getting no response. 00:02:06.592 --> 00:02:07.640 It was. 00:02:09.309 --> 00:02:10.824 What do you think is going on? 00:02:10.925 --> 00:02:12.510 I don't know? 00:02:12.956 --> 00:02:15.434 There were lots of ideas being thrown around. 00:02:15.506 --> 00:02:17.882 I don't know why my idea didn't land? 00:02:18.060 --> 00:02:21.013 They seem they have their own way of doing things for sure... 00:02:21.828 --> 00:02:23.082 I'm an outsider. 00:02:23.241 --> 00:02:26.181 Well, have you thought about asking Miguel for help? 00:02:26.585 --> 00:02:29.599 He can help you with this... he wants you to be successful. 00:02:29.610 --> 00:02:30.523 No... 00:02:30.623 --> 00:02:32.072 He's my boss. 00:02:32.274 --> 00:02:35.035 I don't want him to think I can't do my job... 00:02:36.093 --> 00:02:37.977 Maybe it's about the color of my skin. 00:02:38.137 --> 00:02:41.115 Danny, are you saying this is a race issue? 00:02:41.684 --> 00:02:43.134 I... I don't know... 00:02:43.560 --> 00:02:44.904 it's just that... 00:02:45.825 --> 00:02:47.704 I feel uncomfortable around here. 00:02:47.880 --> 00:02:52.190 I don't know how to act other than being who I am and that doesn't seem to work. 00:02:52.382 --> 00:02:54.970 Well, I don't know if it's a race issue... it could be. 00:02:55.063 --> 00:02:56.831 But I’m thinking about something else. 00:02:56.893 --> 00:02:57.723 Really? 00:02:58.051 --> 00:02:59.631 I do need some help here. 00:03:00.226 --> 00:03:03.138 Well, I'm thinking about when I was the senior person. 00:03:03.232 --> 00:03:05.153 I was the 'go-to' person. 00:03:05.207 --> 00:03:07.785 And then when I joined the tech group, everyone, even my boss, 00:03:07.796 --> 00:03:09.348 was much, much younger. 00:03:09.413 --> 00:03:12.536 Half the time I didn't know what they were talking about. 00:03:12.741 --> 00:03:15.180 After a while, I didn't feel relevant. 00:03:15.229 --> 00:03:16.404 I felt old. 00:03:17.097 --> 00:03:20.216 How long did that go on for? You seem to fit in great now! 00:03:20.447 --> 00:03:23.663 Yeah... but it took some time... and effort. 00:03:23.842 --> 00:03:26.105 I ended up talking with my supervisor... 00:03:26.720 --> 00:03:29.658 I wanted to know why he hired me, and what I had to offer. 00:03:29.896 --> 00:03:33.970 He told me that it was my relationship skills and my ability 00:03:33.981 --> 00:03:36.751 to get things done on time... that's what he needed from me. 00:03:36.865 --> 00:03:38.661 So, what happened? 00:03:38.912 --> 00:03:41.366 Well, he did some things to highlight my projects, 00:03:41.377 --> 00:03:45.206 included me in meetings, invited my perspective... 00:03:45.424 --> 00:03:48.652 but most importantly he paired me with folks that could 00:03:48.669 --> 00:03:52.023 opened ways for me to connect more with others in the group. 00:03:53.100 --> 00:03:55.805 Now I feel wise, not old. 00:03:57.943 --> 00:04:00.375 Danny... Talk to Miguel! 00:04:00.475 --> 00:04:01.482 This is new for me. 00:04:03.060 --> 00:04:04.413 But I think you're right… 00:04:04.611 --> 00:04:05.760 I'll talk to Miguel. 00:04:06.187 --> 00:04:06.937 Thanks!