Every now and then, I feel the need to simplify the DEI acronyms and today was one of those days.
Diversity refers to the presence of different people within a group or organisation, for example, people of different races, cultures, backgrounds, abilities, and identities.
Equity is about fairness and justice, for example, ensuring that everyone has access to the same opportunities by recognising and addressing systemic barriers.
Inclusion is the intentional practice of welcoming, respecting, and valuing people who have historically been excluded, whether due to race, sexuality, ability, or other aspects of their identity.
The issues remain
DEI was created because marginalised communities have not always had equal opportunities for jobs or felt a sense of belonging in majority-White corporate settings. In 2023, 61% of US adults said their workplace had policies focusing on fairness in hiring, promotions or pay. I have some questions regarding your DEI policies:
Who is formulating the questions?
How are the answers structured?
Who is providing the responses?
And in what emotional state are they responding?
DEI maturity audit
Are you aware of which phase your organisation currently occupies?
Phase one involves simple awareness and compliance. In phase two, organisations recognise the business benefits of DEI and take action beyond HR and compliance. Moving into phase three, leaders integrate DEI into business processes, measure progress, and hold each other accountable for results. Finally, in phase four, DEI becomes ingrained in the culture, essentially taken for granted as "the way we do business here."
Contact me here, or via e-mail to arrange a DEI maturity audit meeting.
Sharing simple stories
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is on the agenda for every organisation, business, school, government etc., not only because of its business case, but also because it’s the right thing to do. Despite the sudden rise and talk in boardrooms, companies, HR, schools etc., the current DEI landscape still suffers from the lack of global standards in the field, the lack of consensus on how to define and measure success of DEI implementation. The gap between intention and action is growing. Our team of DEI experts understands all of this and are available to help organisations navigate these caveats. Contact me here, or via e-mail to arrange a meeting.
Manoeuvring between tribes
Effectively measuring a product or service lies in the realm of how it makes people feel. My ability to connect the dots stems from a wealth of diverse experiences, allowing me to see the connection between seemingly unrelated things. This capacity is rooted in psychology rather than technology. In my experience delving into psychology proves more fruitful than pursuing rational improvements when trying to enhance people's emotional experiences.
““I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ”