"Diversity is about numbers, inclusion is about leadership"

“Mum, I LOVE New Zealand because we have the best Prime Minister in the world!” my ten year old daughter announced.

Yes - to be fair it was after a fairly harrowing week of US elections and our Kiwi elections looked tame/sane in comparison.

“What do you like about her?” I was fascinated to know what appeals to a ten year old in politics.

“WELL! She cares about diversity, climate change AND indigenous people” was the answer. Go my girl!!

It seems there are quite a few adults who agree with her too. An article in the UK’s Guardian, reviewing the outcome of our NZ election, leads with “New Zealand elects most diverse parliament boosting female, LGBTIQ+ and Māori MPs - and many older white male members have been swept from power.”

With the combination of 40% women, 25% Māori, 15% identifying as LGBTQI+ and the first openly gay deputy prime minister, it’s looking to be the most diverse parliament in the world.

Diversity and Inclusion consultant Jo Cribb applauds the diversity but asks the question - the table is set but will everyone get enough to eat? Just as in any workplace, diversity is a start, but unless you give people a voice, the benefits of a diverse thinking can’t be recognised. As Jo says, diversity is about numbers, inclusion is about leadership. Inclusion is making sure everyone gets a chance to be heard.

That’s a message we should all be taking on board, the work starts with diversity but doesn’t finish there. We continue to look for ideas to build inclusiveness in our organisation and industry.

This came home to me recently. I was at a work dinner with members of the BVT team and an agency we work with. It was a great evening on a weeknight. At about 10.00 p.m. I left in an Uber to go home and relieve my nanny (of course I arrived home to find my youngest daughter still awake and gas-bagging away!).  

A few days later one of my team let me know that my departure had caused a particularly offensive comment to be made at the table, because I had left with a member of my team. A male member of my team.

I was furious. In an industry where it is almost 2:1 men it is not uncommon for me to share a ride, have a meal, drink a coffee, heaven forbid be at a business dinner with members of the other sex! The horror! Honestly if I had sex with every man I did business with, I would be in a very different kind of business…

So I rang the person who had made the remarks and let them know it was unacceptable. And the reason I was ringing them directly was because the standard you walk past is the standard you accept, and I did not accept their behaviour. To their credit they made a genuine, and face to face apology and genuinely reflected on the culture that had led to them making the remark.  A life lesson for sure.

Earlier in my career my reaction might have been quite different. I would have been mortified to think people were making suggestions about me. It may have led to me not joining in events where my reputation could be questioned, especially in a male dominated industry… who knows? The point is, making an environment inclusive means thinking outside the box, it needs a really wide range of considerations - from, you guessed it, a diverse set of minds.

We get it right sometimes, and we get it wrong sometimes, it’s a work in progress. I’m always on the lookout for inspiration and ideas from a wide range of sources, and no doubt my daughter will keep me up to date with the latest steps towards inclusion in NZ’s parliament. Please get in touch if this is a subject you’d like to have a conversation on. I’d love to hear from you.