Amri B. Johnson is one of THE most prolific voices in the inclusion space. He’s the author of Reconstructing Inclusion. He hosts a podcast of the same name. He writes insightful content on Substack. His approach is: - Careful? - Compelling? - Considered In a world full of DEI noise, Amri’s work is a signal. —— Amri’s experience shapes his perspective: He’s an African American from Kansas. He lives with his family in Switzerland. He was responsible for inclusion at Novartis. This last one is a big deal for me. Why? It’s the first organisation I found where Employee Resource Groups contributed to profits. That is SUPER rare. —— In his book he talks about “death by a thousand platitudes”. It’s the funniest line I’ve read in a DEI book. I laughed when I read it, but it's not funny. It's real and makes complete sense to me. —— People say inclusion is about relationships. Amri created the COST model to show what that really means: Here's 4 questions to consider: Caring: How are my destiny and yours interconnected?? Openness: Can you be influenced by the "other”?? Safety – Can you be intellectually honest with people?? Trust – Can you trust others when you're not there? These aren’t abstract ideas. They’re daily practices. —— One of Amri’s boldest ideas? Organisations should have a Head of Social Capital. He challenges leaders to think beyond regular DEI roles. He says DEI work is too cosmetic instead of systemic. If you care about systems, social capital, and reconstructing inclusion, his work is worth your time. —— What do you think? Should organisations have a Head of Social Capital?
Thank you, looks interesting
I’m curious to understand how Employee Resource Groups have contributed to profits at Novartis. Could you share more?
It was great to see one prolific voice talking about another I had a chance to speak with Amri and his approach blew my mind
Sounds a great read. Off to check it out.
Dr. Jonathan, To hear this from you, is humbling and greatly appreciated. Delighted to be growing the impact of inclusion in community and solidarity with you! ???????
Love the following points, and would love to expand the 4 elements of the COST model to fit my work - " Organisations should have a Head of Social Capital. He challenges leaders to think beyond regular DEI roles. He says DEI work is too cosmetic instead of systemic. "
Terms like ESG and CSR bake in assumptions of governance, compliance and responsibility rather than adding tangible value and capital. Head of Social Capital makes complete sense given language has the ability to reframe DEI and the enormous resources it can add to organisations when done well. I have Reconstructing Inclusion by Amri B. Johnson on my bookshelf!
The COST model provides a solid framework for understanding the daily practices that foster inclusion. It's a great tool for self-reflection and team discussions. Dr. Jonathan Ashong-Lamptey
I’m listening to the audio book version of Reconstructing Inclusion at the moment, Dr. Jonathan Ashong-Lamptey! It’s great to learn more about Amri’s work and ideas from your post. I’m looking forward to hearing all about them as I continue with the book.
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3 周Check out his podcast here https://inclusionwins.com/podcast