Michelle Feferman: How Leaders Create Psychological Safety When Employees Are Afraid

I had to get this urgent episode to you sooner rather than later, given the climate of fear in the U.S. in current times.

For many employees right now, work doesn’t feel like a safe place. It feels uncertain, frightening, and deeply personal. In moments like this, how leaders respond matters more than ever. 

Michelle Feferman has spent decades helping organizations navigate complex DEI and workplace culture challenges in ways that protect people and strengthen the business. 

We talk directly about what leaders can do to support employees in the face of ICE raids and immigration-related fear, how to create real psychological safety at work, and why most DEI efforts are still entirely legal if you’re focused on risk mitigation, clarity, and care.

We also unpack how retention, engagement, and productivity are tightly tied to DEI and empathy work, and the key elements leaders need to think through right now to support their people while capturing the full business benefit.

This is a practical, compassionate conversation for leaders who want to do the right thing without panicking, posturing, or staying silent.

To access the episode transcript, go to www.TheEmpathyEdge.com, search by episode title.

Listen in for…

• Creating a diverse team that goes beyond old-fashioned quotas.
• Key benefits of having a wide pool of differing viewpoints within your organization.
• Actions to put in place to keep your employees safe and informed about handling ICE raids that could be used as a template for other crises. 
• Tips to create an FAQ that matters 

"If you can take the time now to get these things in place, the majority of people will relax, to some extent, and feel like they can come to work and just focus on work. People will relax more and be much more productive at work." —  Michelle Feferman

Episode References: 

• Michelle's article: It is Imperative to Create Psychological Safety at Work Amidst ICE Raids: https://mfeferman.substack.com/p/12868206_ice-raids-and-psychological-safety
• Book: DO DEI Right: Cut Through the Noise and Drive Lasting Results

About Michelle Feferman, Founder and CEO, Equity at Work, Author of Do DEI Right

Michelle is passionate about helping organizations have a profound impact on their employees, businesses, and communities through their diversity, equity, and inclusion work. She is the Founder and CEO of Equity At Work, known for creating innovative, customized solutions for even the most complex DEI and workplace culture challenges. Her clients outperform their peers in revenue and margin growth, productivity, engagement, and retention.

Michelle is the author of Do DEI Right, co-host of the podcast Your DEI Minute, and on the Investment Committee of RevTech Venture Capital. Before this, she spent 25 years working at Accenture, Kurt Salmon, Macy’s Inc., and The Walt Disney Company.

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Connect with Michelle:

Equity At Work: https://www.equity-at-work.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleebogan/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093183559876

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/equity_at_work

Substack: https://mfeferman.substack.com/

Connect with Maria:

Get Maria's books: Red-Slice.com/books

Hire Maria to speak: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-Ross

Take the LinkedIn Learning Courses! Leading with Empathy and Balancing Empathy, Accountability, and Results as a Leader 

LinkedIn: Maria Ross

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Get your copy of The Empathy Dilemma here- www.theempathydilemma.com