Your org’s DEI needs
I’m writing today with two hats on - as a parent and partner in a mixed race family and as a white, cis-gendered female CEO of a start-up company focused on people focused leadership and management development in the social good space.
This last week has been a roller coaster of emotions ranging from frightening, enraging, exhausting, and inspiring. Like many of you, I’ve tried to figure out what I could do right this second for my clients, my country, and my family. I thought “OMG I have to create our own checklist!” and be on the list bandwagon. But I don’t, there are some really good ones out there, and that’s not where I can be most impactful right now.
I want to acknowledge here that I read two amazing posts by Janine Hill and Tylea Simone that spoke to the part of my wearing the “white lady CEO hat” and is shaping my own thinking. First, Janine Hill'’s “A Note to Potential DEI Clients” was a reminder that you can’t blindly throw the hot potato of “give me DEI training!” request on BIPOC consultants. And then Tylea Simon’s “Defund Diversity & Inclusion” is a necessary smack in the face checklist of the problems that I guarantee are happening in your workplace right now that will not be solved by a single DEI training.
So, yes, while I want you to keep reading my post. I want you to PAUSE and read those first. I’ll wait….
Done? Ok great. Moving on.
I know you’ve likely seen many of the great resources circulating, maybe you’ve been a little overwhelmed by the “75 things you can do right now!” and then you landed on posting a status like “Does anyone have a D&I trainer they’d recommend. Thanks in advance!”
Ok, that’s great… I think all staff need good equity and inclusion training. But like Janine and Tylea said, you have to engage more deeply to address the systems that are perpetuating inequity and racism, such as salary levels, promotion processes, and leadership diversity in addition to training for your staff.
Remember also that DEI consultants being swamped with these requests, they are processing their own feelings and experiences, and they are not here to give you their time for free.
Here is your homework:
Assess and identify your organization’s challenge areas, outline some types of consultation and training you need, ask for a broader assessment, and name your commitment and investment clearly.
Consider it your proposal demonstrating your commitment to prospective trainers and consultants sot hey can choose if they want to work with you, not vice versa.
Here’s your assessment checklist
Actions: What is your organization’s response right now? What actions are being taken to back up those statements and are they only performative?
Leadership: What does your board and leadership look like? Are you committed to making changes? What are the roadblocks?
Resources & Investment: What does your budget and timeline for this investment look like? Are you ready to add those budget lines and capacity allocations to your long term roadmaps?
Compensation & Promotions: What does your compensation, promotion, bonus, and reward program look like? How does it benefit some employees over others? What is your commitment to make the immediate and long term changes needed to shift any inequities?
Commitment: What is the personal commitment of you, your leadership, and staff to this work? What is the appetite for change?
Transparency: What is your commitment to being transparent with your staff, board, and future employees?
Guess what, your answer won’t be “I’m going to be an A+ student and we’re so great, look at us!”
Your answer needs to acknowledge that this process will be long, that it will take some hard conversations, it will lead to actual changes in policies and staff, and that some of that may fall on leadership (and you) personally.
That’s hard. I get it. But it’s where the real change to address how organizations - yes even the ones in the Democratic, progressive, do-gooder movement - are reinforcing the very structures we are working to fix.
So what can we help you with here at DevelopWell? A lot of this. We can start with an assessment and analysis before creating an action plan and timeline. We can, and will, connect you with consultants who can do other parts of training and consultation that fit their expertise better.
Strategic planning and program management processes
Decision making processes
Promotions, raises, and rewards systems
Management, performance, and growth plans
HR policies, handbooks, and practices
Recruitment, retention, and offboarding practices,
Leadership development programs
Team culture practices
Let’s talk through it. Bring me your thoughts (even half baked ones) and I’ll help you out. Let me shoulder that hot potato with you, not our BIPOC partners.
Because for me personally, for my family, for my work and belief that we can shift the structures and systems that will make my kids’ lives better, I am all in. Are you?
Lola