Thanks for your comments. You have provided much additional food for thought.

Someone emailed me a question that I wanted to share here: “Is it biased or good thinking to put a black salesperson in front of black customers?”

When a decision involves an employee, I think it’s a good rule of thumb to get the employee’s input.

Each of us is socialized differently. Think of Obama’s girls. They are having a very different experience from inner city students living housing projects…or a Haitian orphan adopted by white parents and attending a suburban U.S. high school. They all have dark skin, but they may have very different ideas about what sales territory feels most comfortable.

Most employees have a sense of their strengths and limitations and will speak up if they have questions about or are uncomfortable with a particular assignment.

Sometimes an employee will ask for an opportunity that, at first blush, seems ill-advised. It helps to remember that most employees want to do a good job. If they are self-advocating for an opportunity, it means they think they can do it.

If you have evidence that suggests they might fall short, then set some criteria for the employees to meet that would let you know when they are ready for the opportunity. “Here’s what I need from you before assigning a project like this” is much more palatable than “No, you are too young for a project like this.”

My greatest professional growth came at moments when managers took a risk and let me spread my wings despite my age, my gender, my height (or lack thereof), or my music history degree.