In this episode, we delve into the concept of being "qualified" in the workplace, examining who gets labeled as such, who doesn't, and the underlying reasons. We explore "competency checking"—the practice of scrutinizing individuals' abilities—and how it disproportionately affects underrepresented groups, often going unnoticed or unchallenged. Our discussion aims to redefine qualifications in a fair, equitable, and actionable manner. Our guest, Shari Dunn , is an accomplished journalist, former attorney, news anchor, CEO, university professor, and sought-after speaker. She has been recognized as Executive of the Year and a Woman of Influence, with her work appearing in Fortune Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Ad Age, and more. Her new book, Qualified: How Competency Checking and Race Collide at Work , unpacks what it truly means to be deserving and capable—and why systemic barriers, not personal deficits, are often the real problem. Her insights challenge the narratives that hold so many of us back and offer practical solutions for building a more equitable future. Together, we can build workplaces and communities that don’t just reflect the world we live in, but the one we want to create. A world where being qualified is about recognizing the talent and potential that’s been overlooked for far too long. It’s not just about getting a seat at the table—it’s about building an entirely new table, one designed with space for all of us. Connect with Our Guest Shari Dunn Website& Book - Qualified: https://thesharidunn.com LI: https://www.linkedin.com/today/author/sharidunn TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thesharidunn Related Podcast Episodes: How To Build Emotionally Mature Leaders with Dr. Christie Smith | 272 Holding It Together: Women As America's Safety Net with Jessica Calarco | 215 How To Defy Expectations with Dr. Sunita Sah | 271 Share the Love: If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! 🔗 Subscribe & Review: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music…
Hello! If you are a Srsly Wrong listener, we recommend starting with Episode 1, since that's where we directly address Srsly Wrong. Episodes 1, 2, and 3 have Srsly-Wrong style skits. Episodes 4 and 5 are rather quote-heavy. In the future, we plan to experiment with limiting the number of quotes we include and doing more discussion, doing different types of discussion, different types of skits, and different editing decisions (e.g., music)! If you have any feedback, please email srslyleft@gmail.com. (I still haven't changed the email address to reflect the name change -- for episodes 1 and 2, we were calling ourselves Srsly Left. But now it's Common Sense Communism.) Thanks for listening! -Chris
Hello! If you are a Srsly Wrong listener, we recommend starting with Episode 1, since that's where we directly address Srsly Wrong. Episodes 1, 2, and 3 have Srsly-Wrong style skits. Episodes 4 and 5 are rather quote-heavy. In the future, we plan to experiment with limiting the number of quotes we include and doing more discussion, doing different types of discussion, different types of skits, and different editing decisions (e.g., music)! If you have any feedback, please email srslyleft@gmail.com. (I still haven't changed the email address to reflect the name change -- for episodes 1 and 2, we were calling ourselves Srsly Left. But now it's Common Sense Communism.) Thanks for listening! -Chris
Player FM is scanning the web for high-quality podcasts for you to enjoy right now. It's the best podcast app and works on Android, iPhone, and the web. Signup to sync subscriptions across devices.