A day in the life of a DEI professional

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace are three values that more businesses are striving to embody.

But since 2020, after the murder of George Floyd, there has been a surge in roles solely focused on it.

Dr Wizdom Powell, chief purpose officer at Headspace says: “It is the cornerstone of creating an inclusive culture where all employees feel accepted and empowered to bring their authentic selves to work, no matter their gender, racial background, religion, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic status or neurodiversity.”

Powell believes it fosters a psychologically safe environment that provides organisations with more diversity of thought, creativity and innovation, ultimately driving the success of the business.

“DEI isn’t just a moral obligation but also a strategic necessity for organisations aiming to unlock the full potential of their workforce and achieve sustainable success.”

So what does a day in the life of a DEI professional look like? Powell shares some insight and explains how she navigates the realities of her role.

How does a usual day start??

Powell aims to start work every morning by grounding herself in meditation and movement.

“Centring my breath before jumping into the day makes a huge difference in how I can show up in my role. Sometimes, life gets in the way and I skip this practice. And it’s noticeable,” she says.

“The scope of my portfolio as chief purpose officer includes social impact, environmental social governance (ESG), policy/legislative affairs, and internal diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB).

“Managing this scope means finding a way to triage and prioritise efficiently. I try to tackle my ‘most important tasks’ or ‘MITs’ first, which I set weekly. I set goals for the month that these MITs ladder into. Then I remind myself to breathe.”

How do you delegate tasks?

Powell came into the corporate world from a tenured professorship and a long-term career of leading cross-disciplinary and cross-sectoral teams.

“In academia, organisational hierarchies are more flattened than what we observe in private sector entities,” she explains.

“I am also a community organiser and community-based participatory scientist – each of these aspects of my experiences shapes how I manage.

“Where possible, I lead by consensus and try to hold space for the expertise and wisdom of my team – regardless of levelling. In other words, I aim to share power but always assume accountability.”

What does your role entail? Powell’s primary role as the chief purpose officer at Headspace means she spearheads the mental health app’s diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging policies, procedures and practices.

“That includes integrating a more compassionate lens on leadership and mental health, as well as providing opportunities for wellness training.

“Diverse and inclusive environments are built collectively and intentionally, and so my team works cross-functionally with every team at Headspace, from? recruitment, HR, product, marketing, clinical, operations and more – to ensure the work we’re doing permeates every part of the business.”

What is the most difficult part about your role?

The most challenging part of Powell’s role right now is the wide-scale pushback from those who do not see the value or necessity of DEIB initiatives.

“This means there are often fewer resources being provided, alongside higher levels of scrutiny,” she says.

“Leaders who oversee these initiatives must address the complex and interconnected nature of individuals’ identities.

“We need to ensure that DEIB efforts are inclusive of all dimensions of identity, such as race, gender, sexual orientation, caste, religion, disability, and socioeconomic status.”

The nature of DEI challenges and the social identities individuals embrace are shape-shifting all the time, notes Powell. “Sometimes in a single day. It can be challenging to keep abreast of all sides of emerging and past issues.

“The nature of the work requires us to speak to so many wounds – and often ones that have been festering over time and history. And in our current politically polarised environments, DEIB is also being leveraged to further divide and polarise communities.

“In some instances, I see it being used as a tool to create an ‘us versus them’ mentality, pitting different groups against each other, based on their identities or beliefs. This can hinder collaboration and efforts to build understanding and unity in organisations and society – which is what our world needs so urgently right now.”

What is the best part about your day?

“I love the fact that I can bring my expertise as a population health scientist, clinician, racial trauma and healing justice practitioner, and health equity policy leader into my day-to-day job, and can – through Headspace – help shape a more inclusive and equitable society at large. This is what keeps me in the firefight,” says Powell.

Prioritising DEIB is not about giving people ‘passes’ or ‘lowering the bar’, she stresses: “It is about ensuring we create a world and a workplace where everyone has a fair and just opportunity to live a life of potential. And that’s not a ‘nice to have’ – that is a business and societal imperative.”

In ESG news this week:

• Toxicity and negativity are creating a backwards step in gender equality, campaigner Professor Helen Pankhurst has said, as she urged employers to be flexible so women can get out and vote on July 4.
• More than 15 branches of Barclays bank across England and Scotland have been vandalised by a campaign group called Palestine Action.
• The UK’s first-ever Green parliamentarian has joined Labour – with Robin Harper insisting Sir Keir Starmer’s party is the “only party with a plan for combating climate change”.
• Political parties have been urged to toughen up the regulation of toxic chemicals, the “sleeping giant of pollution”, which can harm people and wildlife.
• Spending on welfare is set to rise by almost ￡21 billion a year by the end of the next parliament, with the increase almost entirely down to pensions and disability benefits, according to new analysis.

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