D&I - So what's changed?

Two years on from George Floyd's murder sparking worldwide protests, black lives matter, a racial reckoning and a slew of pledges from leaders about changing their organisational structures to enable more equality, I have to ask, has anything truly changed for people of colour?

Aiko Bethea's Medium article and words stay embedded in my mind -???https://link.medium.com/rDPdHCSRHrb

"We black folx exhaled, just a little bit, when we saw the letters to employees and to the public from Target, Wells Fargo, University of Minnesota, and even Melinda Gates. Maybe they see us now? Maybe our murders will not just go quietly into the night after a hashtag is stamped in front of those we’ve lost on the frontlines of racism, again? Will anything change for me at work, or do I need to get ready to gird up for the standard onslaught of debilitating aggressions?

The fact that some of the leadership of these organizations were awake just a bit or impacted enough to recognize that they should respond to this national crisis could be a tiny glimmer of light. For many of these CEOs and companies this was the first time a statement about racism or the trials of blackness was ever publicly acknowledged. Now we ask you: do you know what needs to come next? "

To answer this for myself, I have tried to be inclusive in my hiring and procuring practices, influencing I&D committees and supporting those tasked with pursuing this agenda. I have continued to read the research to see what has changed. In truth some incremental change has occurred. Not enough. Sadly, companies and society are distracted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, inflation, covid, energy costs, wage inflation, the cost of living crisis, even charitable giving has taken a hit.??

Whilst looking at the research and articles from Harvard, MIT Sloan, INSEAD and listening to special interest groups like Interlaw Diversity, diversity panels and employee resource groups.?Some companies with executive sponsorship are making the biggest difference including participation by executives in employee resource groups (ERBs) inviting ERBs to recommend changes to recruitment and hiring practices.??

As part of my continued education, I read Professor Ruchika Tulshyan's Inclusion on Purpose. The author's opening chapter discusses her upbringing in Singapore and biases formed during her time there. Her description resonated with me because I grew up in Africa - with immigrant parents pioneering their way to build a home, emphasising education and finding community.?

The country I grew up in was one of extremes transitioning from Rhodesia's aparthied (under British colonial rule) to Zimbabwe's independence in 1980 after civil war. My experience of racial segregation under white rule and subsequently under black rule shaped my views. I spent my teens in the UK where I went from experiencing racism at school, on the streets in the 80s with the rise of far right groups like the National Front (NF), to a personal attack on our family business when it was fire bombed by members of the NF leading to bankruptcy.

Being a woman of colour follows me everywhere. In South Africa in the 90s I was spat at, followed in stores in case I attempted to steal.?In work, I have sat alone as the only Asian woman in meetings being talked across and over. As a barrister, a defendant went berserk when I turned up to represent him throwing abuse at me. Everything I experienced made me determined to fight for justice, equality and motivated me to want to build a fairer society.?

Not only is this book helpful, it's practical and data informed. An honest account of Ruchika's experience and recommendations backed by empirical research.?Ruchika Tulshyan's grew up believing that if you worked hard and were smart, you could overcome the obstacles that were placed against you on a societal level.?

She recommends examining your own privilege for a start. This is so important, so far, I see women leaders predominantly willing to do this self examination. But it is important, as it can help to understand why someone else’s experience might be different from yours.?

“Asking you to acknowledge your privilege does not minimize your personal hardship and suffering. It does not make your pain any less legitimate if you acknowledge someone else’s pain, which, by chance or birth, you find yourself free of. When it comes to white privilege, having it does not make your life easy, but understanding it can make you realize why some people’s lives are harder than they should be,” as organizational psychologist John Amaechi explains in the Financial Times."*

Empathy and cognitive empathy plays a vital part, having compassion, and for me, it's also about the courage to face your own biases and privilege, how they influence decisions and actions. Privilege opens up opportunities that others do not have and continue to face barriers to.

"Ninety-five percent of these employees said that they would stay longer with an organization that could empathize with their needs, and 81 percent reported that they’d be willing to work extended hours for an empathetic employer. The study’s authors did caution that leaders must not take a “one-size-fits-all” approach to empathy".*

To be inclusive, be intentional, and willing to step outside of your personal experiences at work and seek different perspectives to help guide you in the right direction. It’s not easy, but it is critical.?

To dismantle, we need to keep breaking down stereotypes, and systems that lead to stereotypes being perpetuated. This arose in a debate recently about how comfortable certain Asian cultures around the world are willing to challenge, report or call out leaders when employees see poor behaviour in leaders. The debate centred on whether educated/ professional Middle Class Indians would be hindered by cultural norms of hierarchy and respect for elders. We have to be willing to have the debate in a safe way.

Well intentioned leaders are not enough, a close examination of what systems need dismantling to achieve equality and propel marginalised, minority groups and women of colour forward and up the ladder requires continuous focus.

Prof Tulshyan recommends that only through taking deliberate and consistent action to undo racism can we work toward a future where everyone is free from it. Connecting with a diverse social group is important for inclusion. Many leaders, however, lack the cultural intelligence to relate to others from different backgrounds, which can lead to stereotypes and preconditioned biases.?

Some companies may even seem harmless to men and white employees, but they can unintentionally exclude women of colour, who are least likely to be in a leadership position to influence company culture.?*

It is up to leaders, hiring managers, to specifically seek out what exclusion looks like and understand the experiences of marginalised groups. Then it is up to them to take the right steps to fix these issues.?

"While institutional sponsorship programs exist in efforts to advance women—I’ve even written about them before in my last book as showing early promise to create a path forward for women to advance—the real change begins when leaders individually make the commitment and take personal action to sponsor high-performing women of color."*

The colour-blind approach is harmful. Those who proclaim to be colour blind offend, I've heard colleagues say: "if you don't see colour, you don't see me and I am different and it's important you recognise this". - "There are few phrases that would get someone more angry than if you called their behavior racist or misogynist. Many people will retort with some version of, “But I don’t see color” or “I didn’t say that because you’re a woman.” This is precisely the moment when I (Prof Tulshayn) ask leaders or managers to stop and examine their privilege. If you have never had to “see” color, then you’re most certainly in the racial majority. There’s no person of color I know who does not have to consider how their skin color or racial identity will impact the way they’re perceived. If you have never had to worry about .. how you will be perceived in the workplace because of your gender identity, you are most certainly"...in the majority racial group.*

The most socially privileged should be the most responsible for speaking up against injustice, you have power, place and influence to bring about change. Reverse mentoring is also powerful. As you become more aware of how your privilege may have prevented you from seeing the issues that minority and marginalised groups complain about. Reflect on how your race, gender, and socioeconomic status have helped you navigate and advance in the workplace. Think about how racist systems and society have benefited you.

The anti-racism movement is an example of how companies are trying to increase diversity in the workplace. The author, Jodi-Ann Burey, was hired to head up diversity and inclusion at a company, but she soon found that the CEO was defensive and disinterested in making changes. She eventually quit. Many Chief Diversity Officers are often set up for failure, they are given no resources or budget, no regular slot at Board or Executive meetings. Inclusion, diversity and equity are leadership skills not a program segmented to HR, legal or ERBs or one person's job. Framing matters, inclusion does not mean demeaning other groups in favour of one group either.?

The inclusion mindset is about being prepared to include others, whether they are people of colour or not. It is about having a growth mindset, about being intentional, action oriented, accountable and showing leadership. A growth mindset believes that talents can be developed through hard work and input from others. Diversity and inclusion are leadership lessons and the only way to overcome exclusion.

"It’s easy to get defensive or hung up on requiring evidence when you hear stories of bias or discrimination. Just because it isn’t your experience, it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist. We know institutional sexism and racism play a huge part in holding back women and people of color in the workplace."*

This monumental awakening of the brutal death of George Floyd and so many others before him leading to black lives matter cannot fall off the agenda - this racial reckoning must continue in public discourse, in the Board room and in Government. The real question is: are leaders equipped to lead the change necessary for equality? I vacillate between hope and dismay. But I am unwavering in wanting equity, equality and a fairer society.?

*copyright Ruchika Tulshyan - quotes from her book: Inclusion on Purpose.

My views are my own and do not represent those of any organisation I am associated or connected with.