Resources

Deborah Frances-White’s ‘Six Conversations We’re Scared to Have’ isn’t just a book, it’s a blueprint for brave, nuanced dialogue.

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As the founder of a gender equity focussed business, I read it through the lens of workplace equity, and here’s what resonated about each conversation for me:
 

• Accountability vs. Cancel Culture
  We need policies that foster growth, not shame. Frances-White challenges us to rethink how we respond to mistakes, especially in leadership. From my experience it’s about navigating and blending accountability, kindness and progress.
   

• Reckoning with History
  Legacy matters. But so does context. This book invites us to hold both with integrity, essential for governance reform.
   

• Trans Inclusion and Gender Equity
  The conversation around trans rights is often fraught. Frances-White models how to listen, reflect, and lead with care. I listened to the audiobook and particularly appreciated hearing a human voice navigate through complexity.
   

• Comedy, Culture, and Boundaries

      Even humour has a role in equity. How we laugh, and what we laugh at, shapes belonging.
 

• Disagreement as a Skill
  Disagreeing well is a leadership competency. This book offers tools for navigating tension without losing trust. An essential in current and future workplaces competing for scarce talent.
   

• Changing Minds (Including Our Own)
  True equity work means evolving. Frances-White reminds us that transformation starts with curiosity.
   
  At Equitas Workplace Consulting we help organisations move from fear to fluency. Because the hardest conversations are often the most necessary.