5 days covering the top 5 things I learnt in my 5 years (so far) at Microsoft - Day 2

For those stumbling on this for the first time this is day 2 of me sharing the 5 things I learnt in the 5 years I have been at Microsoft. Yesterday I shared "Learning happens when you leave your comfort zone" and reflected on the fact that my move to Microsoft confirmed to me that to grow you definitely need to go where it is sometimes uncomfortable.

Today I wanted to focus on something else. Microsoft has a tremendously strong ethos and focus on Diversity and Inclusion. It grounds a lot of the culture. I have been running teams for about 20 years but formal training in this space was never on offer. I learnt on the go making mistakes, as we all do, over the years.

Over the past 5 years I have really woken up to this topic. There is a quote from Satya that to accomplish our mission we need to "look like everyone and every organization in the world". When I first heard this I thought about obvious things like race and gender. How do we balance out that inequality so your organization reflects society. The thing is this is just the start as important as it is. The courses have opened my mind to that, now obvious, fact that there are so many areas of society that are often not reflected in organizations. Deaf and Blind People, Autistic People, Limited Mobility People, People from diverse Ethnic backgrounds and many more. As I went through the diversity training it became apparent to me that I need to constantly be increasing my awareness in this space. We tend to only see our bubbles and our surroundings plus have awareness of areas of society our network sees as disadvantaged. In a multi-national cross geography organization you need to work to understand if you are truly reflecting back society.

But diversity alone is NOT enough. If you have people from diverse backgrounds you also need to create the environment for them to flourish. This is where building a culture of inclusion comes in. This is a super interesting area of learning that Microsoft has taken me through. Those that know me also know I am not shy to share an opinion. One of the things I have learnt, over the past 5 years, is to hold back on that and get others in the room to put forward their thoughts and opinions first. Explore those and see where we go. This simple act ensures everyone is included. It is so basic but in the daily rush of the business it is often skipped as we aim to move forwards. However, it is important to realize some people will not want to speak up in that room. It is important to realize that some people might prefer to offer their opinion differently. Asking someone who is an introvert to present to a huge audience can be so daunting to them they really do not bring out their best. You need to accommodate that and ensure you are getting the input and dialogue that is needed in a way that people can bring it.

The reason this is important is that in a diverse group of people you will have introverts and extroverts. You will have people who are confident to speak up and people who may feel they are not empowered to do so when someone more senior speaks. To get the best outcomes you need to cut through all that. You need to have an environment where it is safe to speak and safe to challenge. I truly believe I have evolved a lot on that front although I am mindful I need to do it more. The funny thing is, and those that know me will understand, a few times now I get told I am too quiet. Leadership for me is not about always being the loudest in the room but rather being the best listener in the room supporting and injecting thoughts when I think it will help the room move forwards. I am still working on the balance. Who would have thought ;)

So now you have diversity and inclusion. You might think that was it. The learning journey has not stopped there. I have spent time understanding Privilege, then getting to grips with Allyship and aligned to that Covering. Allyship is something I had not actively thought about before. It is basically the practice of working to enhance social justice, inclusion and human rights, by those who can, to advance the interest of marginalized groups. A lot of people do this every day when they stand up for the rights of others. It is closely linked to Inclusion and building the right culture. It is not easy. You need to read about things that might be uncomfortable, put yourself in others shoes, understand your position is not theirs and then advocate and support. Closely related to this is covering. Covering was a term coined by sociologist Erving Goffman in 1963. It occurs when people hide their true self. Simple examples might be women removing wedding rings at interviews to avoid leaving the impression they might only have a short period of work before taking time off to have children, It could be someone who does not bring their partner to a work events as they are the same sex and they do not want to expose their sexual orientation in the workplace and many more examples. There is a great Fast Company Article here. Covering is not good. It means people are constantly living a lie. Don't get me wrong. No-one has to disclose anything they wish to remain private. This, however, is not the same as someone not disclosing as they are afraid it will disadvantage them later or cause them to be looked at in a different way. It is at this point that Allyship can really help to make make a workforce really an inclusive one that celebrates diversity.

I get it. Some people might not like the above. Some of the topics are difficult. It is hard to accept that we all have unconscious bias. We all do. Including me. It is even harder to admit a bias when it happens. Having made it that far the next step is important. What do you do? Do you shy away from it or do you confront it head on? After 5 years I now really confront them. It is the only way forwards.

In the 5 years I have come a long way on this front. I believe I have strengthened my empathy and I for sure better understand that organizations needs to reflect the diverse and inclusive world that we live in. Every person has something to offer even if they may offer it in a different form and environment. I have learnt that diversity and inclusion are not numbers. They are everyday working practices that you need to keep exercising to maintain and build strength.

After 5 years I believe I am better placed to help develop and grow a diverse and inclusive culture in a team but also across an organization. I believe I lead with more empathy than ever before. I believe I am better placed to recognize covering and, where appropriate, to use my position to be an ally to those where it makes sense.

So let me end by going back to the Satya quote. It stated that to meet our mission Microsoft needs to "look like everyone and every organization in the world". I would now expand that a little and add that we need to "ensure that each and every person in the company has a voice and a safe environment to be themselves and bring their best everyday".

My journey in this space continues. I am not the finished article. I trust those around me will help if I get something wrong. Then I hope my "Growth Mindset" will step in and help me learn, improve and become a better partner to others in the organization.

Tough topic but one I feel is a big part of the past 5 years. I am interested in your thoughts.