Acknowledging privilege and embracing identity: Harnessing diversity as our superpower at Microsoft ANZ

Everything we achieve at Microsoft comes down to people – those we support through our technology and those who create and shape that technology. I firmly believe that we make the most powerful impact when we enable our people to operate with passion and pride. That essentially means that, if we’re to maintain and deepen our innovative and inspired culture, every single person in our organisation must feel safe, heard and empowered.

Today, we came together for our third ‘Inclusive’ event to help us ensure we’re achieving just that. We used the day to zero in on identity, intersectionality and privilege – admittedly, huge concepts to unpack. But, in typical Microsoft fashion, we tackled the challenge head-on with sessions that focused on listening, learning and engaging.

Our wonderful hosts, Microsoft’s Noor-Un-Nissa Syed and Reuben Butler , led us through the day and shared their rich personal experiences. We also heard from some incredible speakers, including Maria Thattil , Virginia Mapedzahama , Craig Foster and our very own Baker Tamory and Siti Hawa Evans .

After listening to each of their stories, I found myself thinking carefully about, and reassessing, my previous understanding of identity, intersectionality and privilege. Take identity, for instance. Put simply, it refers to how each of us define who we are. But inevitably its far more complex, informed by feelings of inclusion and exclusion that each of us must navigate throughout life. People who experience social exclusion based on things like race, sexuality, gender or ability can face immense pressure to ‘fit the mould’ in order to belong.?

Intersectionality, meanwhile, refers to the rich fabric of personal experiences that make up each of our lives and in which many different identities tend to overlap. It acknowledges that each person’s lived experience is unique and distinctly singular, even if we also share certain commonalities.

Our co-hosts articulated this concept beautifully, as they shared differing experiences while navigating their sexuality.?

“At 19 I came out as gay. It was empowering and nerve-wracking all at once,” said Reuben. “While my experience has largely been one of acceptance, I would like to acknowledge that for others, the impact of rejection and harassment has been catastrophic.”

Alongside him, Noor opened up about coming to terms with her culture and sexuality, saying, “I always felt like I had to choose between either being Muslim or being gay, even when both were such integral parts of my identity. It was intense, suffocating, and most of all, lonely,” she said. “I finally was able to accept my identity when I came to view it as a puzzle, where diverse pieces converge to form a unified and complete whole.”

Finally, we talked about privilege. We began by acknowledging that we all have a baseline of privilege – for instance, we’re lucky to work for an incredible company in two prosperous and peaceful countries. But it is also true that we do not all have the same level of privilege. Our identity and intersectionality inform how much power we hold within our organisation and within the other communities and groups we are part of.

“I didn’t have an understanding of the actual impacts of immigration on those coming to Australia. And so, once I became attuned to that, I think it was a natural step to say, well, through the power of sport and the platform it’s given me, I need to spend some of that capital to try and create a more equal Australia”. Craig Foster, Socceroo, Broadcaster and Human Rights Advocate

We also talked a lot about the privilege of having a platform and the duty that people with power have to create safe spaces and uplift voices that are not often heard. To that end, I’d like to share some snippets from our amazing speakers:

“I sometimes wonder, what if my Afghan first name wasn’t spelt like a traditional Anglo name? Would I have had the same opportunities? Would my resume have been short-listed against another person with similar qualifications? I have learned that privilege is not just a benefit but a responsibility.” Baker Tamory, Senior Specialist – Data & AI, Microsoft ANZ.

“I am sharing my story today to celebrate the achievements and contributions of migrants like me, who have improved the social and economic fabric of this country.” Siti Hawa Evans, Senior Customer Success Account Manager, Microsoft ANZ.

"The blueprint for ‘being Australian’ taught me that to belong, I needed to part with my ethnic heritage. So I turned my nose up at Indian food, movies, and clothes and started bleaching my skin. And this blueprint was reinforced by what was around me.” Maria Thattil, Author, TedX Speaker, Host, TV Presenter and Miss Universe Australia 2020.

Yesterday was a powerful reminder of the importance of genuine commitment to our Diversity & Inclusion Core Priorities. It’s inspired me to continue to create a culture of inclusion within our organisation, encourage other leaders and managers at Microsoft to further their learning, and commit to developing my understanding of my own privilege in work and personal settings.

I am incredibly proud of how we are advancing our learning together at Microsoft, and I want to thank each of our organisers, speakers and attendees for your commitment to listening, learning, and acting.