The U.S. will have a new Vice President who is both female and a person of colour. Given the unprecedented focus on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) during 2020, it seems like the dawn of a new era. But is it?
A few months ago, I highlighted that within the ESG (Environment, Social, and Governance) framework being used to assess sustainability, more work is needed to promote social sustainability. Shortly after, the World Bank announced a new strategic direction to tackle this need. An EU official also recently told the Financial Times it is important for a just climate transition.
Improving DEI is at the heart of this effort. Why? As the UN has argued, we can ‘leave no one behind’ if we want a sustainable future. That means embracing diversity and ensuring everyone enjoys human rights, equity and a decent quality of life. If we don’t, continued poverty, inequality, marginalisation and social unrest will threaten the whole notion of sustainable development.
Yet it’s hard for businesses and organisations to get DEI right, and even harder to tell those who are ‘talking the talk’ from those who are ‘walking the walk’. If it’s all talk, there is a real risk of reputational damage and brand erosion. So, we all face hard questions: is your organisation ticking boxes or serious about DEI? What about your own behaviour, are you part of the problem?
Let’s start with diversity indicators, because what gets measured gets done, right? Not necessarily. It’s similar to the issue with Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – everything may look good, but we are not seeing the full picture. Can we really say a country is doing better if the only beneficiaries of GDP growth are the wealthiest 1%? Likewise, if you hire or promote people from under-represented groups and they still feel excluded, can you really say you’ve made progress?
The crux of the issue is that quantifiable improvements in diversity can create a false impression. Cultural norms that suit the ‘dominant’ group often continue, creating an environment that is unsustainable for everyone else.
A Special Olympics athlete I know well described feeling ‘like a wallflower’ at committee meetings. A former colleague always felt excluded by ‘Friday drinks’ because she didn’t drink alcohol. And another colleague had to deal with images used in training sessions that reinforced ethnic stereotypes.
In short, diversity does not guarantee equity or inclusion.
So, how can your business or organisation avoid the illusion? In my experience, four shifts are critical:
From side-show to systemic. I’ve heard too much about people being invited to the party and asked to dance. The real question is ‘who’s organising the party’? We need to stop using words like ‘awareness’, ‘acceptance’ and ‘tolerance’. They miss the key point – true equity and inclusion demand changes to norms and behaviours, from shop floor to leadership. This begins with acknowledging your own ignorance. And it means embracing the skills and knowledge of others, transferring power so they flourish.
From exception to rule. Recently at work we finished a new plan for 2021-2024, and then set about preparing an ‘easy-read’ version for a wider set of audiences. Which led one of my colleagues to remark, ‘why not the other way around?’ Lesson learned.
From risk to reward. There is a big difference between avoiding litigation and striving for conscious inclusion that drives engagement and empowerment. Addressing every situation can take time, so the key is to get started: Can you present information is new ways? Can you reschedule meetings to take place at times that suit everyone, whether they have children, a relative to care for or days of worship? What about changing work practices? Australia Post, for example, just announced that it will support the use of Aboriginal names on mail addresses.
From numbers to experiences. Measures like having a certain percentage of women on the executive team are a starting point, not a destination. Imagine how Kamala Harris would feel if she is never truly vested with power? Indicators need to be informed by those with lived experiences of marginalisation, discrimination, etc. so we really understand whether a culture has changed throughout an organisation.
In many ways inclusion comes down to leadership. It requires going beyond policy to changing behaviours and practices (the focus of what Special Olympics calls Unified Leadership). It requires paying just as much attention to the informal as the formal. And, it requires mirroring internal steps with external action for the benefit of society.
At this stage, thousands of businesses and other organisations are on board with improving the environmental sustainability of our planet. What if they made the same commitment to creating sustainable environments for people, so everyone feels truly included and empowered? Embracing this commitment is a challenge I’ve set for myself – I’m hoping you’ll do the same.