Right to Comfort part 3

I work at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and in the Prevention Services Division. Within that division, I work in the Violence and Injury Prevention and Mental Health Promotion branch.

As a Branch, we worked hard over the last year to move through our discomfort and outline an Antiracism Statement and Action Plan. It’s still at the beginning of the process, but I’m proud that we have been uncomfortable together and committed to living this plan. We’ve had different reactions and I’m always curious when someone brings up the good ole “what about…” language. Why do we have to compare or list every oppression all the time? Does that make it easier to hear that oppression is real if you see yourself as a “victim”?

In order to do this work, I feel compelled to lean into the discomfort of trying to identify ways we can address issues before they occur. While I struggle with applying right to comfort with a lens of racism, when I think about sexism, I know I am guilty of of this tactic and need to embrace more discomfort. How many of you can lean into that discomfort to help make this a better world?

I’m going to lean into thinking about sexism and the reflection questions about the white supremacy characteristic, right to comfort.

a. What does this look like when you act with a right to comfort?

Defensiveness is the initial set of behaviors that I think about when I’m in a right to comfort space. I like to consider myself a good person and committing acts of sexism runs counter to how I want to see myself.

b. What feelings do you have when you have a right to comfort?

In the moment, I have a sense of righteousness.

c. What policies and/or practices does your work/organization reinforce or with a right to comfort?

I actually think the lack of an official 360 degree feedback process limits our ability to receive critical feedback and improve our services and overall work performance.

d. What actions can you take to go from a right to comfort, to discomfort as a gift?

I want to encourage the people that I work with and the communities that I support to provide feedback to my supervisor and be open with them when I hear the feedback with how I will adjust and take ownership of my impact.

e. What benefits do you think you would get from applying more of the replacement characteristics?

My hope is that this action will help build trust both internally and externally with the job.

Action Plan Statement

From now on when I feel the urge to act with a right to comfort, I will encourage the people that I work with and communities that I support to provide feedback to my supervisor and be open with them when I hear the feedback with how I will adjust and take ownership of my impact because it provides me with more trust with people internal and external to the job. I will also support my work/organization to address the sense of urgency by addressing the inclusion of 360 degree feedback. When I do act with a right to comfort, I will give myself some grace, acknowledge the impact I had on others, and engage in repair work by learning from my impact and addressing repair in a way that supports the other person.