Find Your Voice. Now.

Our industry is evolving to be more respectful and inclusive of all our colleagues. And that is a good thing. We all have heard or read about the examples of bad behavior and offensive speech at recent industry events. We may even have expressed our abhorrence afterwards in conference hallways and social media.

Why wait? Make it stop. Now.

It is up to us – everyone - to shut down inappropriate actions and offensive words in the moment. Find the courage to stand up in that session and call the speaker out on their offensive ideas and words. Be brave enough to find someone in charge at that party and express your disgust with the entertainment. If someone beats you to it, be as supportive as you would be on Facebook or Twitter, and join the chorus of condemnation that makes it stop. Not later. Now. Condemning wrong after the fact or in the court of social media is not good enough. We must all find our voices and practice using them to stop harmful words and behavior as they occur. We must hold ourselves and each other accountable for raising the bar if we expect to achieve the diversity and inclusiveness to which we aspire. Related: How Long Ago is Long Enough? Or, Is the Answer “Never”?