/ DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: View from the Boardroom By Chris Austin, CAPP
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IVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION (DEI) in the workplace can bring out the best in teams by helping
organizations access a wider array of perspectives, experiences, and abilities. A diverse and inclusive workforce improves innovation and idea formation and promotes a creative environment by encouraging greater consideration of a larger number of alternatives. Inclusive workplaces connect employees to each other and to the organization. They lead to high support-laden environments where employees feel valued, appreciated, and in-turn produce higher quality work and are more committed to realizing the mission and goals of the organization or institution. Corporate and non-profit boards of directors and the organizations they serve can also reap the many benefits a diverse and inclusive board composition can provide. However, according to recent reports, approximately 80% of board members are white; 10% African American/Black; 4% Hispanic/Latino; 4% Asian/Pacific Islander; 1-2% other. Taking another view, 66% of board members are white men; 18% white women; 12% minority men; 4% minority women. While the greatest progress over the past five to seven years has been the increase in white women serving on boards,
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there have been some encouraging signs of improvement amongst minorities and people of color.
Why Should DEI be a Focus for Boards of Directors? The benefits of focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion are numerous and well-documented. When board members, employees, and members of professional organizations come from a wide array of backgrounds, they bring along with them unique perspectives and experiences that collectively improve the quality of interactions and in-
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formation sharing amongst the group. This multitude of perspectives can lead the board and organization toward being increasingly innovative and dynamic, more effective, and highly efficient at attracting new members while retaining their existing members. As companies respond to the social and economic impacts of the pandemic and social justice movements, there is an even greater calling for equity and diversity in our organizations, and in turn, our boards. This provides another “why,” in that it is expected that we begin to double our efforts to better promote and deliver in this
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