"Finally: an engaging, evidence-based book about how to battle biases,
champion diversity and inclusion, and advocate for those who lack power
and privilege. Dolly Chugh makes a convincing case that being an ally
isn't about being a good person--it's about constantly striving to be a
better person." --Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of
Give and Take, Originals, and Option B with Sheryl Sandberg
Foreword by Laszlo Bock, the bestselling author of Work Rules! and
former Senior Vice President of People Operations at Google
An inspiring guide from Dolly Chugh, an award-winning social
psychologist at the New York University Stern School of Business, on how
to confront difficult issues including sexism, racism, inequality, and
injustice so that you can make the world (and yourself) better.
Many of us believe in equality, diversity, and inclusion. But how do we
stand up for those values in our turbulent world? The Person You Mean
to Be is the smart, "semi-bold" person's guide to fighting for what you
believe in.
Dolly reveals the surprising causes of inequality, grounded in the
"psychology of good people". Using her research findings in unconscious
bias as well as work across psychology, sociology, economics, political
science, and other disciplines, she offers practical tools to
respectfully and effectively talk politics with family, to be a better
colleague to people who don't look like you, and to avoid being a
well-intentioned barrier to equality. Being the person we mean to be
starts with a look at ourselves.
She argues that the only way to be on the right side of history is to be
a good-ish-- rather than good--person. Good-ish people are always
growing. Second, she helps you find your "ordinary privilege"--the part
of your everyday identity you take for granted, such as race for a white
person, sexual orientation for a straight person, gender for a man, or
education for a college graduate. This part of your identity may bring
blind spots, but it is your best tool for influencing change. Third,
Dolly introduces the psychological reasons that make it hard for us to
see the bias in and around us. She leads you from willful ignorance to
willful awareness. Finally, she guides you on how, when, and whom, to
engage (and not engage) in your workplaces, homes, and communities. Her
science-based approach is a method any of us can put to use in all parts
of our life.
Whether you are a long-time activist or new to the fight, you can start
from where you are. Through the compelling stories Dolly shares and the
surprising science she reports, Dolly guides each of us closer to being
the person we mean to be.
