Decolonizing Business
At our recent national summit, one of the most memorable sessions asked a big, bold question: What could our workplaces look like if they were shaped by Indigenous worldviews? The Decolonizing Business session blended storytelling with deep insight, sparking engaging conversations, personal reflection, and a lot of sticky notes. We couldn’t let those conversations stop there—so we asked the presenters, Vanessa Lesperance and Ariana Fotinakis of Decolonize and Rize, to share a few takeaways and tangible ideas for organizations looking to do things differently.
What does decolonizing business mean to you?
Decolonizing business means divesting from Eurocentric ways of knowing and being, specifically within the context of business. Here on Turtle Island, along with colonization came the notion that European knowledge systems and worldviews were superior to the Indigenous knowledge already in place. Today, Eurocentric worldviews form the basis of all our current systems and structures, including how we do business! Decolonizing business asks us to look at other knowledge systems—knowledge systems that are just as valuable, just as credible, and just as needed, if not more needed given the times we’re currently in—and to see how they can transform the ways we do business with one another.
When we decolonize business, we do things relationally, not extractively. Rather than prioritizing profit over purpose and people, we allow them to coexist. We recognize that everyone in the organization holds an important role and brings a valuable perspective—no one person is “above” another based on their role.
For someone just starting to explore decolonization in their organization—regardless of their title or role—what’s one small but meaningful first step they can take?
At Decolonize and Rize, we always say the journey of decolonizing starts with Self. There’s an opportunity to begin to get curious about your own worldviews and the ways you show up in the workplace. What led you to think the ways you think? Whose belief systems have you adopted? If you’re in a managerial position, it would be worth exploring the organization’s policies and practices you uphold—why are they in place and who are they designed to benefit? While our Decolonizing Business workshop offers practical steps folks can take to begin to decolonize their workplace, the reality is that there is no one right way to Decolonize. Different organizations are like different ecosystems, and when you begin with curiosity and reflection you start to notice which parts of your ecosystem are healthy and which are sick.
What’s something a participant shared during or after a session that has stuck with you?
Something we regularly hear after our Decolonizing Business workshop is that folks feel they can actually do something to decolonize their business or organization—which is the whole point! Big topics like systems change, reconciliation, and decolonization feel big because they are big. We know how easy it is to see the monumental task ahead and to feel overwhelmed, and we know that overwhelm can lead to inaction. We try to keep things as accessible and practical as possible in our workshops, and we’re filled with so much gratitude to know we have workshop participants all over Turtle Island doing the important work of slowly yet steadily making these changes in their workplace.