Just Work

Starred review from January 11, 2021
It’s possible to create a workplace environment in which “everyone can collaborate and respect one another’s individuality,” advises CEO coach Scott (Radical Candor) in this timely guide for leaders struggling to address workplace inequity. Workplace injustice, Scott writes, “is actually six different problems: bias, prejudice, bullying, discrimination, verbal harassment, and physical violations.” In explaining each, she uses examples of bad experiences (her own and others’) and lays out the steps for building toward “just work,” a play on words meaning the space to focus on business, and an equitable environment. Scott explains the difference between bias, prejudice, and bullying, and offers appropriate responses for each: one effective way to deal with to bias, she writes, is to “use an ‘I’ statement to invite the person to see things from your perspective.” Scott includes success stories of organizations doing it right, such as OpenTable, whose CEO “made improving gender diversity a priority.” Scott refuses to let readers off the hook: “It’s simple, even if it’s not easy,” she insists, and “we can’t afford to screw around.” Urgent and actionable, this passionate manifesto will be a welcome addition to any leader’s desk.