LEADERSHIP & GROWTH

Diverse Nature

How to move past DEI talk into action

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives are on everyone ’ s agenda these days. As a woman who has spent nearly three decades working in a male-dominated environment, I welcome this focus and acknowledge it’ s long overdue for our industry.

My personal experience over the years has been both wonderful and challenging. Wonderful because I have had meaningful roles and the opportunity to work with some amazing people. Challenging because over the years I was often an “ only ” — the only woman in a role, in a room, on a team. Inevitably that would lead to what I now know to call microaggressions — being talked over, being interrupted, sharing an idea to only have it confirmed once a male colleague repeated that same idea.

Microaggressions continue to be the experience of not just women but also people of colour, Indigenous peoples, and other underrepresented groups. The point is not to place blame on any one individual or group of individuals but to acknowledge these truths and to find a way to make things better.

I am encouraged by the conversations that are now happening in our workplaces. As a leader, I am also aware that it will take our own personal self-reflection, collective engagement, and action!

As leaders, it’ s important for us to actively engage in supporting DEI as if it were any other business imperative. We all know that diverse workplaces bring a wide range of skills, experiences, and perspectives that can lead to more productivity, creativity and innovation. Inclusivity will help us unlock the potential that diversity presents in our business and our community. The question is, are we actively engaged in the change required to realize the benefits?

Start by asking yourself if you believe that it’ s important to be inclusive and to support diversity in your workplace, or are you viewing it as a box to tick? Does your diverse workforce represent different races,

Start by asking yourself if you believe that it’ s important to be inclusive and to support diversity in your workplace, or are you viewing it as a box to tick?

ethnicities, genders, gender identities, sexual orientations, ages, and socioeconomic classes, for instance? Are you listening to these diverse voices on your team and acting on what they say? Have you paid enough attention to the issues that stand in the way of creating a truly inclusive environment? One of the issues that stands in the way is our own unconscious bias. Unconscious bias is often defined as prejudice or unsupported judgments in favour of or against one thing, person, or group as compared to another in a way that is usually considered unfair. Some examples might be that older people are bad at technology or men who take paternity leave aren ’t as committed to their careers. The important point is that EVERYONE has unconscious biases based on their background and their lived experiences. Acknowledging that we all have unconscious bias takes away some of the judgment and creates an opportunity for conversation. As leaders who want to have a positive impact, we need to acknowledge that we have unconscious bias and then become aware of it. How do we do that?

In The Inclusion Dividend, authors Mason Donovan and Mark Kaplan devote an entire chapter to unconscious and unintentional bias. Below are a few of the steps they recommend to reduce unconscious bias: • Accept that you carry biases, that you are probably not aware of many of them, and that your good intentions are not enough to make them go away. • Rewire your brain by regularly interacting with people who are different from you, both inside and outside of work. Read the work of authors who are different from you. Do this repeatedly and over time. • Develop peer coaching and feedback relationships that will enable you to get feedback from people who are different from you. Work hard to build sufficient trust that will enable honest feedback.

As leaders, it is up to us to prioritize action around DEI as a business imperative. The real risk is that all the talk of DEI is just that — talk. What is the first step you will take toward action?

ABBIE MACMILLAN is vice-president, advisor practice development & talent at Canada Life. GAMA International Canada provides professional development and networking opportunities for leaders in the financial services industry. GAMA is launching a new initiative focused on women in leadership. For more information, visit www.gamacanada.com