Meeting Guide
The State of Black Women in Corporate America
Overview
Year after year Lean In’s research reveals the same general pattern: Women are having a worse experience at work than men. Women of color are having a worse experience than white women. And Black women in particular are having the worst experience of all. To shine a light on the barriers holding Black women back at work, Lean In has produced a report, The State of Black Women in Corporate America. The report draws on several years of LeanIn.Org and McKinsey & Company’s research on the experiences of Black women in the workplace—and outlines specific steps companies should take to make sure Black women are treated fairly and given equal opportunities to learn, grow, and lead.
Pre-Meeting Prep
- If you’re covering this topic in your virtual Circle this month—ask members to review one or more of the below resources in advance, or review them together at the start of your meeting.
Resources
Check-In
Group activity
5 minutes or less
An icebreaker is a powerful tool to help us become present with one another and ourselves. Use this icebreaker to see how your Circle members currently feel. Go around your Circle and share an update on how you’re feeling using the traffic light colors:
- Green (mostly good)
- Yellow (mixed feelings, unsure, or just OK)
- Red (mostly not doing great)
You can also briefly share why you’re feeling that way if you’d like.
Discussion Questions
Group activity
Approx. 35 minutes
These questions are designed to help you and your Circle members process and discuss the findings of the report.
Pick one question to start with and move on to the other questions if you have time.
- Have you had conversations at work about the specific experiences of Black women? Why or why not?
- What finding in the report surprised you the most—or the least?
- What is your experience with practicing or receiving allyship in the workplace?
- Has your company implemented any of the report’s recommended solutions?
One Action
Group activity
Approx. 10 minutes
Come up with a One Action
Individual activity
Approx. 5 minutes
We recommend you close every meeting by committing to a “One Action”—one concrete thing you’re going to do before your next Circle meeting to step outside your comfort zone, practice a new skill, or try something new, based on what you’ve discussed today.
Next time you meet, update your Circle on your One Action (what you did and how it went).
Take a few minutes and ask everyone to write down their One Action.
Share your One Action with your Circle
Group activity
Approx. 5 minutes
One by one, go around your Circle and share your One Action. Move quickly from member to member, and consider cheering one another on as you go.
Wrap-Up
Group activity
Approx. 10 minutes
Finalize logistics of your next meeting
Group activity
Approx. 5 minutes
Before you break, make sure you have the basics covered for your next meeting, including day and time. Decide what you’re going to do, when you are going to meet next, and who is going to send out ideas. You may also want to talk through what worked—and what didn’t—in today’s meeting so you can brainstorm improvements going forward.
Close on an uplifting note
Group activity
Approx. 5 minutes
Think of one small moment of joy you can plan for this week. Go around your Circle one by one and share what you’ll do. Alternatively, take a few minutes to write down something you’re grateful for—and share it with the group, if you’d like to.
