How can you leverage change management to create a more equitable and just workplace?

Having diverse mindset provides unique approach to problem solving technique, having cognitive diversity while making judgements helps innovate implementing business strategies, creating a culture of openness, growth mindset and brining demographic change through gender and sex while addressing inclusivity brings positive outlook and fosters creativity within organizations. The organizations spend a lot on DEI roles/ projects without addressing the fact DEI is an outcome the transformational change indicatives that they need to be addressed in initial stages of change management.

Inviting different perspectives to participate in shaping the future gives organizations a strategic advantage. Having different perspectives and experiences allows to better reflect the needs of consumers, creators, and communities. In my experience, organizations that integrate DE&I as a core component of their change management strategy, tend to empower everyone to achieve their goals while being their authentic selves. This is key and is essentially a commitment to understand and learn from each other while managing challenges and opportunities.

Being diverse, equitable, and inclusive is not a destination; it is daily effort to reflect the organization’s intentions in their actions. A company might have diversity when looking at its data, but if employees don’t feel safe, valued, and welcomed, the company lacks inclusion. Gathering data, analyzing existing demographics, reaching out on an individual level, assessing diversity dimensions, conducting anonymous surveys, and benchmarking are great and necessary methods for assessing the current state of DE&I. These should be used to craft a customized DE&I journey, all while consistently promoting the benefits of making DEI a sustainable priority.

Assess your current state from both a qualitative and quantitive perspective. Listen to your people, to see what is happening in their day-to-day experience (surveys, interviews, focus groups) but also review your workforce data, policies, and procedures to measure the level of equity and inclusivity you would like to incorporate in your organization's DEI vision and goals.

My recommendation is that leaders communicate the vision to all employees, ensuring they understand the objectives and purpose behind the changes. In this way, leaders' strong commitment to DEI initiatives is demonstrated. And, of course, their actions and behaviors should align with the desired changes, paving the way for employees to follow their lead.

My recommendation is to include not only leaders but also stakeholders from the impacted community (ERG members, diversity councils) when building your organization's vision and goals for DEI.

It is very important to actively involve employees in the entire change process by seeking their input and feedback. By encouraging open dialogue, diverse perspectives, and inclusive decision-making, we can ensure that everyone feels heard and valued. DEI training should be continuous and not only for employees, but also for leaders.

To support the operationalization of the DE&I journey I design and use a framework. This is my strategy for a coordinated and consistent effort to make that journey sustainable, effective, and successful.

When monitoring and communicating results for DEI in your organization, it's important to understand the key metrics that you want to share internally and externally will be different. Understand that progress in DEI is a long game, celebrate quick wins but continue evolving your goals and metrics to support your workforce.

In my experience, communication is always the Achilles heel. It is very important to effectively communicate the rationale and benefits of DEI initiatives to all employees. This requires using multiple channels to ensure the message reaches everyone and addressing any concerns or resistance along the way.