EXPERT'S VIEW
The (DEI) Marathon Continues… The business benefits of diversity and inclusion efforts will vary by company, and culture won’t be achieved overnight By Jayson Council, Columbia University School of Professional Studies A QUESTION I OFTEN get asked is: When it comes to creating a culture of belonging, how do I start or where to begin? In response, you already have begun by acknowledging the problem. Far too long, companies have remained oppositional or denied the need for change. Industries at large understand now they cannot afford to squander opportunities to do right through implementing effective DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) practices. As Maya Angelou once said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
Understanding DEI work is not new, but it has become the hot subject matter with the recent heightened awareness from the nation’s racial reckoning. Diversity practices began because of the civil rights movement, to give voice to the nation’s historically marginalized communities that were rapidly growing in force. For context, think of DEI like this: diversity focuses on people of varying backgrounds; inclusion ensures those people are fully valued and not merely a quota number; equity allows those people to receive the same benefits with different, but fair, treatment. In combination, DEI ensures there are checks and balances in the workplace regarding belonging. Recently, I began to utilize an alternative framework to (easily) conceptualize DEI. Look at it from a place of D.I.E. (diversity, inclusion, equity) and replace each letter with three Rs: Representation – Respect – Repair. This simple substitute of terms profoundly provides the opportunity to understand and engage with DEI beyond the limitations of our background status to cover all personal experiences. It allows all ranges of the inclusion spectrum to march forth at once. Initiating a DEI program is not a sprint, but a marathon. It will require strategic planning and training to remain impactful throughout, both on the macro and micro levels of the company. Many company participants will begin the race with you, all with the intention of getting to the end in a respectable time. Yet, entering the race without proper preparation will lead to a disastrous result that will ultimately affect your company’s social and financial standings. It is also important to understand a program should be sustainable. Initiatives cannot be simply transactional, reflected by numerical quotas or data points. This critical work will influence and change mindsets, behaviors and performance. Communication and transparency will be of utmost significance to maintain engagement and encouragement throughout the entire company. As Edgar Villanueva, author of Decolonizing Wealth, so eloquently stated, “Everyone has the potential to lead, and leadership is about listening and being attuned to everyone else. It’s about flexibility. It’s about humility. It’s about trust.”
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The next step is to engage with leadership. Effective and sustainable practices will require the support of leadership. While they do not need to be experts in the subject matter, they should be informed and confident to take action to correct injustices within their organization. If possible, they should lead by example with calls for training, resource allocation, and utilizing subject matter experts or external support to develop such initiatives further. After all, DEI is an investment for the company. Two key organizational benefits of having a robust DEI program are: •Dynamic Talent Pools: Recruitment and retention of a talent pool is the bedrock of any company. Intentionality around DEI efforts will help to create authentic and meaningful early impressions of your company, as well as pave the way to reset company culture with a new populace who embrace and expect a fair and equitable work environment. When we discuss marginalized or excluded populations, the focus is heavily on creating entry or breaking barriers to unfair systems. Yet, retention is also critical. Too often, there are not enough opportunities to support and advance marginalized employees. •Enhanced Social Footprint: A DEI program significantly improves company image and reputation. Spearheading change as a solution to a long-denied problem relates your brand as based on fairness, innovation, emotional intelligence, engagement and forwardthinking. Being able to authentically stand behind a different, but improved, set of principles and practices results in a show of community to your employees and your customers. Intentionality is also key as data is
