3 Razors to Simplify Your Inclusive Decision Making

There are so many experts and authors talking about Inclusion and they’re so convincing.?

Maybe it’s because your organisation makes it boring.

Before we get to that.

Here are 3 popular posts from the last week:

My new rule for LinkedIn.

Be nice to me and I’ll be nice to you.

“Be so well prepared in your inclusion work, that DEI grifters avoid you.”

I said this to a client this week.

3 Fake Diversity Phrases that companies keep using:

It's the kind of stuff that gets placed on a billboard.

Share this with one of your colleagues who needs to know this.

PS.

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Work With Me?

For the past year, we’ve been running our Evidence-Based Inclusion Program, helping People Leaders in professional service organisations achieve remarkable results, including:

• Increasing the diversity of their applicant pool by 30%.
• Reducing recruitment costs by $100,000.
• Increasing the number of women hired and promoted by 25%.

We’ve helped dozens of HR leaders generate measurable outcomes that transformed their organisations for the better. But each month, we turn away leaders because they lack two crucial things:

1. The credibility to get leadership buy-in.
2. A system to prove they can deliver on their promises.

That’s why I created the Inclusion Ready Program, which distills the essence of our 90-day program into a focused, actionable plan.

Starting on October 1st, we’ll work with a small group of hand-selected leaders to help them establish the foundation needed to drive long-term inclusive change.

This program is designed to be flexible and can be applied to any inclusion-related challenge you’re facing, such as developing health-related policies, improving gender representation, or addressing cultural diversity.

Message Me "Inclusion Ready" to learn more.

There are so many experts and authors talking about Inclusion and they’re so convincing.?

This is how I help my clients make better decisions using razors.

I want you to make better decisions.?

I’m sure you want? the same thing.?

That’s why so much of what I share here is about taking practical steps to move you forward.?

Razor’s are a great tool for doing this.?

Here’s what we’re going to cover today:?

- What a razor is and how it can help you

- A favourite razor of mine?

- 3 razors you can apply right now to help you make better decisions.?

Check out the podcast here.

What is a razor??

A “razor” is a rule of thumb that simplifies decision making.

Not using them is costing you time and resources.?

One of my favourites is Occam’s Razor?

Credited to William of Ockham.

He was a 14th-century Franciscan friar and philosopher from Ockham a village in Surrey in England.?Occam’s Razor is also known as the “law of parsimony”

In its purest form it means the simplest explanation is the best explanation.?

I made a whole show about this.?

Here are 3 other Razor’s that work well with Inclusion

The Feynman Razor

Named after American physicist Richard Feynman.

He is often quoted as saying:?

“You can recognise truth by its beauty and simplicity.”

In practice this means avoiding jargon.?

I find jargon to be a hiding place for insecurity.

Especially when it comes to Diversity and Inclusion.?

It’s where the DEI Grifters live.?

I’ve seen it used in unpleasant ways:

- To grab attention

- To trap people trying to learn

- To obscure a lack of knowledge

If they can’t explain it simply.?

If they can’t explain it to a child.?

They probably don’t understand it.?

Example.

Here we think of Inclusion as a systematic business strategy to ensure everyone shares the same advantages and benefits.

- Everyone can perform

- Everyone can belong

- Everyone can reach their potential

Even if you disagree.?

You probably have a reasonable grasp of what I mean.?

I’m not trying to be clever.?

I’m trying to be clear.?

I think that’s beautiful and simple.?

“Look the part” Razor?

I first learned about this in Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s book: Skin in the Game. ?

He gives an interesting example of two surgeons:?

Suppose you were in a hospital awaiting surgery and you’re given the choice between two surgeons of similar rank in the same department.

The first is highly refined in appearance, has measured speech with elegant gestures.

The second looks like a butcher; speaks unapologetically with a strong accent and has an unkept appearance.

Who would you pick??

Nassim says he would choose the butcher ??

It’s because the butcher doesn’t look the part.

To be in the same hypothetical hospital, the butcher must have something the other surgeon does not have.

He says success "in spite" of not looking the part is important information.

This is relevant for you.

- In hiring new staff

- In hiring consultants?

- In choosing who to trust?

Can you choose someone who is credible but doesn’t “look the part” this week?

Hitchens’ Razor?

This is credited to author and journalist Christopher Hitchens.

Simply put "what can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence."?

If you don’t like the word evidence.?

It may be useful to use the word explanation.?

I find this one particularly useful for protecting your attention.?

It’s great for social media.?

It’s amazing for Diversity experts on social media.?

"Do this because I say so."

"If you don’t do that you’re a bad person"

"If you use this word you’re a supremacist"

No explanation.?

Just bold claims.?

If there’s no evidence I’m not interested.?

Evidence Based Inclusion is all about improving your decision making to craft solutions specific to your organisation.?

But you need evidence to help you in that task.?

It’s useful to collect it from 4 sources:?

- The scientific literature

- The organisation

- The people affected

- Professional expertise ?

This provides insights that everyone finds compelling.

This means they take action.

This is what I encourage you to do.?

These are some razors I like and I use personally.?

There are plenty of flaws with each of these.?

There is plenty of room for abuse.

The good news is you get to decide how to use them in a way that benefits you and your organisation.?

Check out the podcast here.

Have you shared this with a colleague yet?

Think about who needs to know this.

They need a friend like you.

As always

I’m cheering you on.

Dr. Jonathan