A team to be proud of...
Celebrating and taking pride in who we are is what makes Tassomai’s team the strong, supportive network each of us is proud to be a part of.
Many of us at Tassomai were at school while the infamous Section 28 clause was in place, a law which resulted in the lives of LGBTQ+ people being hidden and othered in the education system and other parts of public life. Thankfully this was repealed in 2000, but the experience of many students from this time resulted in the feeling of needing to shield part of themselves from the people they spent a large part of their time with at school.
This conditioning from a young age has a lasting effect, so the workplace can feel a daunting place if inclusion is not explicitly part of the company culture.
Putting our values first
At Tassomai, we have intentionally created a work environment which encourages and empowers everyone to be themselves without compromise or code switching, where each individual voice can be heard and respected.
Our team values the fact that the traditional, outdated view of what strength and leadership ‘should’ look like are not in place here – instead we value the way that everyone is able to use their own individual strengths to achieve our common goals.
We are taking time to reflect on the welcoming, empowering team we have created and setting this example as an education company. By being an inclusive team, we ensure that diverse viewpoints are taken into account when considering the education of the next generation.
Some reasons we are able to achieve inclusivity are:
Top down solidarity. The tone is often set by a CEO or founder of the company. Murray, our founder, is an ally to everyone who comes to work with us and this example spreads throughout the company.
Everybody has a personal, confidential forum to give feedback on the cohesion of the team through their personal experience of it. This way, if there is any disharmony brewing, it quickly gets talked through and dealt with. Having space to air concerns safely is vital.
Everybody has a public voice too. Our retrospective meetings are a time to talk about what went well and what didn’t – everyone contributes and all opinions are listened to and taken into account. This gives each team member an active role and a say in how the company runs, which is a very empowering feeling.
We take time to get to know the whole person behind the skills they bring to the team. We meet daily as a company to talk through work and elements of what is happening in our personal lives comes through. We organise get togethers and try and meet socially when we can – it makes the daily work more enjoyable when we are comfortable discussing our lives outside of work.
Inclusivity does not stop with our LGBTQ+ team members. Intersectional support for anyone who has suffered marginalisation brings the team even closer together. We openly discuss our mental health, which helps us understand the obstacles others face and have empathy with our coworkers. Afterall, no one is free until we are all free.
We foster this culture so that anyone joining us will feel immediately at home, that whatever their background, there is a place for them here.