Action Step #34: Ask the right questions

Testimonial: "LaTonya superpower is demonstrating her authentic self while leading the DEI agenda. She is passionate & expert in race, racism, allyship aspects and using that to educate and earn trust from her partners."

As a former school leader, I found it intriguing to lead different content area teams, different grade levels, different adult skills and different students skills to come together to meet outcomes at the EOY. We always did. It is the same way with organizations. You have different groups doing different things, but all aligned toward the mission. Oh yeah, and money. :-)

In both spaces I have found a trending pattern that has helped me to drive change. I am very skilled at asking the right questions aligned to the vision and mission of the place I am in. You have seen enough legal shows to know that leading questions put people in a box to answer Yes or No whereas, open ended questions position people to think about whether the evidence shows something is working or not. Both types of questions are useful and I tend to err on side of the inquiry based questions because it helps people see how they can lead change. Bottom line: Framing the questions helps you build aligned action steps to lead change.

My biggest question is, "Who is responsible for leading change?"

I can hear the choir saying, "It's leaders." I would ask you to consider all the other talent in the workspace who hold responsibility for the change you seek.

There is a thing now that DEI is not doing what it is supposed to do. I beg to differ because I have evidence of how my work has led change. It is my belief that some spaces could be much more effective when everyone becomes clear about who needs to lead the change in your nonprofit, company or school. No one wants to say it, but the real questions are: Who caused the problem to begin with? How long have these problems gone unnoticed? Who were all involved in to co-conspiracy of inequitable outcomes? Who are the current curators of change?

Throughout my work I have guided employers with approaches to change outcomes for Black talent and beyond. Beyond includes women, Hispanic, disabled and the like. To be honest, you cannot focus on the "what" without being clear on the "who." It is called accountability. Just like you run a school or nonprofit with accountability so is the same with your business.

So who bears the responsibility? Everybody and I need you to understand why I say this. Dominant talent is typically in the decision making positions and are in the best position to drive change. What tends to happen is that "who" translates into diverse talent doing the majority of the work. While there is nothing wrong with choosing to volunteer (even though they should be compensated), it really takes a collaborative effort between dominant talent, diverse talent and an independent party guiding the process (like the role I have played).

Instead of telling you what I think you should do, I will let my questions guide you:

The Chief Diversity Officer or DEI Leader: Are you guiding the organization that accounts for the needs of diverse talent and dominant talent in the organization? Do the leaders have your back?

The diverse talent: What mechanisms have been built for their voice to honestly discuss their experiences, policies and practices they believe have brought harm to them throughout the talent life cycle? Have you seen change since the commitment after George Floyd's murder?

The board: Have you designed an accountability system to ensure you are adhering to the antiracist and DEIB standards the consultant helped you develop? Are you growing your understanding of antir.cism and DEIB?

Leaders: In what ways have you amplified your CDO to ensure that the strategy is supported and moved throughout the entire organization? Are you growing your understanding of antir.cism and DEIB?

The recruiting team: Has your team developed a system that focuses on a uniquely designed experience for Black talent, Native American/Indigenous Talent and Hispanic talent? Are you growing your understanding of antir.cism and DEIB?

The human resources team: Which policies have been audited against an anti-racist standard for Black talent so that you learn the patterns of behavior to change? Are you growing your understanding of antir.cism and DEIB?

The dominant talent: What is your expectation for creating a culture of inclusion and belonging? Are you growing your understanding of antir.cism and DEIB?

As you can see, I posed two types of questions designed to support all talent in the space. The point is when 100% of all talent takes an active role to drive equitable outcomes you will see a workplace become a place where everybody wants to work and thrive. Heck, even retire. If your current strategy is not trending green, figure out who is missing and get them on board.

Action Step: Ask the right questions

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I am CEO of LaTonya Davis Consulting, LLC. My newsletter reaches 1,400+ each week. I lead keynotes, host events and use the power of the pen to change perspectives, practices and policies toward equity for Black talent and beyond. Visit TonyaDavis.com.