Operation Mental Health™Power Move™ #7: The Conversation Black Career Women Keep Avoiding
- Glennae Davis, RN, Workforce Care Specialist™
- Jul 17
- 2 min read
Operation Mental Health™
Power Move™ #7: The Conversation You Keep Avoiding
There are moments in our careers when the hardest thing isn't the workload.
It isn't the policy.
It isn't even the person.
It's the conversation.
Many Black career women spend weeks, months, and sometimes years trying to interpret another person's actions without ever speaking to them. We replay emails, analyze facial expressions, ask coworkers what they think, and build entire stories in our minds.
Meanwhile, the one conversation that could provide clarity never happens.
One of the greatest mistakes employees make is avoiding the conversation with the person they're having an issue with.
Avoiding the conversation may feel safer in the moment, but it often keeps us trapped in uncertainty.
Sometimes the only way to know who and what you're dealing with is to have the conversation.
As a nurse, I was taught that assessment comes before intervention. We don't make decisions without gathering information. We ask questions. We observe. We assess before determining the next step.
The same principle applies in the workplace.
Not every conflict is discrimination.
Not every disagreement is hostility.
Not every difficult interaction is evidence that someone is against you.
Sometimes there is misunderstanding.
Sometimes there is poor communication.
Sometimes there is something much deeper.
You'll never know if you refuse to seek understanding.
As believers, Scripture tells us to "try the spirits whether they are of God" (1 John 4:1). Discernment requires more than assumptions. It requires wisdom, courage, and a willingness to seek truth before reacting.
Confronting a situation doesn't mean becoming argumentative or combative.
It means having the courage to seek understanding before making decisions that affect your health, your employment, and your future.
Employee Mental Health Education teaches employees how to slow down, assess the situation, and make informed employment, mental health, and faith-based decisions.
Understanding creates options.
Options create hope.
The conversation you've been avoiding may not change the other person.
But it may change what you understand—and that understanding can shape your next right step.
Employee Mental Health Education is the new standard of care.
Next Step
If workplace stress, fear, or uncertainty is affecting your health or your career, start by taking the Work Fatigue Quiz™ and discover your current level of Work Fatigue™.
Operation Mental Health™: Practical Lessons on Career Burnout and Recovery continues tomorrow with another practical lesson to help you protect your health, preserve your employability, and move forward with confidence.
