"DE&I" is A JOKE!... Good intentions? Bad results!

Instead of DE&I Training, our training is built on competing at the highest level and not being an asshole while doing so.

More often than not, the aim of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion misses the mark. For many participants, it can feel like DE&I training is encouraging us to be less of ourselves, so someone else can be more comfortable being themselves. This is not what we believe leads to the best outcomes for companies and their employees. Another issue that companies face, is that their employees tend to push back on things they feel their leadership is pushing for the status quo, rather than the company truly caring about their experience as employees.

When we think of successful teams that rely on diverse individuals performing together in unison, it’s merit/performance based, not color/age/race/sexual orientation based. The entire team values the role that each individual plays (because it’s vital to their overall success), and that supersedes other factors. Prejudices and biases are privileges that we can only afford to rely on when we aren’t challenging ourselves to compete at the highest level and WIN! E.g. when you’re fighting for your life, you don’t care what color, age, sex, the doctor is; you just want the best doctor who is going to give you greatest chance to live!

Why is DE&I important?

“DE&I” (as the popularized corporate concept) is not important. However, actual diversity, equity and inclusion are important. DE&I is an agenda and a corporatized curriculum to protect a company’s image/brand. Actual diversity, equity, and inclusion, however, allows companies (teams) to have the most talented and skilled people with a wide range of perspective and skillsets to ensure they will be able to adapt and win when facing various challenges.

Challenges of DE&I

People like, appreciate, and feel differently, so therefore it's hard to find one solution that works for all. We are also living in a society where employees have a very high sense of entitlement, that is not based on achievements, but instead society convincing them that they should be judged on factors outside of the true value they bring as an employee.

Unconscious Bias- Social stereotypes about certain groups of people that individuals form outside their own conscious awareness.

Let us not be na?ve, unconscious bias is natural and is a mechanism that allows us to respond/react quickly based on our previous experiences. Perhaps a sports analogy would be helpful to nail down this point because it’s easier for people to digest. E.g. when I was playing football, we used to watch film and study our opponents’ tendencies, all to anticipate what they’d do in the game. We based our pre-judgements during the game, on our previous knowledge and direct/indirect experiences with the team. Therefore, instead of having to think as much and take longer to process play during the game, we can react in a timely manner and execute efficiently. When applying this concept in life, although it can have negative impacts in certain circumstances, it can also save our lives in others.

We all use previous experiences to judge current and future ones. We cannot overcome this, but we can be aware of it so we can actively disengage from applying stereotypes that are likely to cause issues in a team/office setting. Hence, where our “Don’t Be An Asshole” (DBA) theme comes into play and allows us to remain respectful and kind at all times. This allows us to take a breath and not feel the need to respond so quickly based on our unconscious bias, and to be open to that current experience changing your previous biases.

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Cultural Competency

The best way to understand and develop an appreciation for someone else’s culture is to actually experience the culture. Perhaps this can be done through allowing your team to highlight their culture in ways that make sense for your overall company. This may be done through placing something in the office, posting something on social media, catering traditional food from that culture, wearing traditional dress, etc. Embracing people’s cultures allows them to feel appreciated and that feeling of mattering and being an important part of something bigger than themselves is invaluable.

Inclusive Communication

Our “Don’t Be an Asshole” theme comes to the forefront once again. Embracing this allows us to put our defensive guard down and LISTEN to understand/appreciate, rather than to respond and tear down.

These are just some of our thoughts around the DE&I space that has skyrocketed in recent years and has turned into more of a cookie-cutter corporate curriculum. If your company is looking to check boxes, fill quotas, and protect itself from a disgruntled employee, this IS NOT for you! However, if your company is looking to unleash your highest potential for success, compete at the highest level and WIN, hit us up and let's see if a customized program is right for you!