There are instances where ceasing to track certain diversity metrics makes sense, and this is the only formula we've seen stick so far:
1. Your executive leadership team is diverse.
WHY: None of us is immune to affinity bias. Just like groups led by white men are likely to produce more of the same, groups with women leaders have more women leading than groups that do not. Same is true for Black leaders. And for Indian men leading in American companies.
2. Equity is built into your systems.
WHY: We got to underrepresentation through systemic oppression. To fix this, each cog in the talent wheel has to evolve to account for a broader definition of performance and potential, while mitigating bias. This means asking new questions, establishing new practices, and implementing micro-metrics along the way.
3. Leaders are trained and expected to lead inclusively.
WHY: Another way we got here - and why we stay here - is because many leaders lack the competence and confidence (and sometimes intent) to lead across boundaries, combined with the fact that we do not hold them accountable for doing so. If we defined leadership with inclusivity at the core, equipped leaders to live up to that standard, then treated a failure to lead this way as a performance issue, our norms would catch up to our intent. (Of course, this requires a reliable way to evaluate this.)
It's never been about the moniker. In fact, many companies who've received DEI awards have made little progress on representation beyond the individual contributor levels. There's real work beneath the language being wielded as a weapon.
The questions beneath representation are:
1. What do your people need and want from their careers?
2. Do you care to meet these needs and wants?
3. Are you willing to ensure ALL people can get these needs and wants met to the same degree?
4. What will you change about how you manage talent and cultivate connection to enable this?
4. How will you hold yourself and others accountable to the outcomes you say matter to you?
We shouldn't be tricky about this. We want an equitable and inclusive company and culture or we do not. If you do, you have to assess your current state, determine which levers matter most, and be about the business of pulling them.
#wearethewaymakers #betheway #leadership #culture #workplace #equityandinclusion #dei
Reach out if you want to talk about it. Link in comments.
