Dignity Works Blog: Introducing The Dignity Way
Offering leadership development through a Dignity lens, using proven custom methods that help people reconnect—with themselves, with each other, and with their work.
by Carson Smith
I was 25 years old, fresh from Raleigh, North Carolina, finding my footing in Manhattan at JP Morgan Chase on Park Ave.
I shared a desk with a woman who'd been there for years—a lifelong New Yorker who made it clear from day one that I was an inconvenience. She'd yell at me if I moved anything. Make jokes about my age and being from the south in front of our boss. She criticized quite literally everything I did.
We worked opposite shifts: hers 8-4, mine 4-8. So while there wasn't much overlap, she left me angry notes, emails, and hung around after her shift ended long enough to make it uncomfortable. We came from completely different worlds. We were stuck with each other, and it was miserable.
One day, I'd had enough. I asked her into the conference room, heart racing—trying to remember what I had rehearsed the night before—and told her that even though we didn't like each other, and sharing a desk was difficult, she was no longer welcome to talk to me like that anymore. We had to make this work.
She changed her tune.
I didn't have the language then, but I know now what happened: I honored my own dignity—and in doing so, I honored hers too. I named what wasn't working and invited her into something different. A working relationship that didn't require armour.
Looking back, that conversation planted a seed that would grow into the work I do today.
Do you have a story like this one? If so, I want to hear it.
Why This Work Matters
That moment taught me something powerful: when you name what's not working and honor everyone's dignity—including your own—transformation is possible.
I've carried that lesson across Finance, Fashion, Advertising, Environmental Sciences, and, most recently, Education. And here's what I've seen everywhere: people desperately wanting connection but too caught up in self-protection to find it. The culture of contempt—eye rolls, sidebar conversations, carefully worded emails that still land like grenades, and the quiet pulling back from each other—has become our default. What would happen if we chose something else?
When I discovered Dr. Donna Hicks' work three years ago, everything clicked. I finally had language for what I'd been witnessing: dignity violations, happening multiple times a day in every workplace I'd ever been in.
Dignity isn’t a new buzzword — it is the birthright of every human being. When we honor it in our organizations, here's what shifts:
Real conversations replace careful positioning
Conflict leads to clarity instead of casualties
Gossip loses its appeal
People bring their whole selves to work
Trust starts to rebuild, one authentic moment at a time
This isn't theory. I've watched it happen.
The methodology I've developed through The Dignity Way takes Dr. Hicks' groundbreaking research—born from her work in international conflict resolution—and makes it actionable for real workplaces.
What You'll Get
Real talk; no fluff. Every newsletter brings you practical tools, real stories, and dignity insights that shift how you see everyday interactions.
Let's Talk
Ready to explore this for your workplace? Find a time for a complimentary 30-minute call through Calendly here.
Or hit reply and let’s chat: What dignity challenges are you navigating right now? Where do you see the biggest opportunities for change?
Know someone who needs this? Forward it to them. We can't do this work alone.
The future is dignity. And it starts with each of us, in every interaction, every single day.
Carson Smith
Founder, The Dignity Way
www.thedignityway.com
