Drop the apprehension and explore difference

I spoke at the Stonewall Scotland Workplace conference over a week ago as an LGBT ally and as an employer who places great importance on this agenda. I confessed there had been a time in my career when I questioned the relevance of diversity and inclusiveness (D&I), was apprehensive about my skill level in this arena, and wary of the risks of getting it horribly wrong. I understood what it meant for me as a married woman with three children climbing the ranks, working part time, but I felt under-qualified and under-confident to understand the perspective of others in such a diverse population within EY. 

So what’s changed? I have learnt so much over the last few years, especially more recently as EY’s Managing Partner for Talent across UK & Ireland. I now view D&I as the single most important factor for any talent strategy. A series of great conversations and experiences have underpinned that change. 

The first was a meeting with a LGBT partner of the Firm who was now ‘out’, but for whom that had not always been the case. The effect on him had been profound and he described how much effort it took to conceal his true self on a daily basis. How something as simple as talking about your weekend could become a pronoun filled minefield (try talking about yours without using 'he' or 'she').  I was also struck by his description of the impact he made once he made the decision to come out at work: his performance and ability to realise his true potential was transformed.

I wondered how many of our people might be hiding something they felt was different than the majority at EY. How was our environment for those with dyslexia or a mental health issue for example? I started to see what could be achieved if we could create a truly inclusive work environment where everyone feels free to be themselves.  Where difference is seen and used as a strength, not something to hide or flatten.  That needs all of us getting better at inclusion.

So where to start? I don’t have all the answers, but here are some of my observations which might help you walk in others shoes:

Use your own employee networks or external ones – we have 26 employee networks at EY, which nearly 11,000 of our people are part of, with Unity – for our LGBT community – one of the strongest and most established. I would encourage you to go to their events, they are not just there for the groups they outwardly represent. Meet and talk to people, ask for their advice, they have helped me to understand things not in my direct experience.

Take it upon yourself to educate yourself on topics you don’t understand – for me, an example would be transgender and the complexities of gender identity. There is so much on the internet and great TED talks on so many topics now.  Getting better educated meant I felt confident to sponsor the launch of EY’s new policies on gender identity, expression and transition.

Seek out or take part in opportunities that help you to see the world from a different point of view - I recently took part in Aspire’s Wheelchair Challenge to help get an insight into what it was like to use a wheelchair for a day, and last year took part in an EY volunteering day helping a group of blind people do their Christmas shopping. In addition, I am a mentor and am reverse mentored by a number of people who are all different to me.

In our busy working lives these activities take time. But they give me something hugely valuable. They help me see what I cannot see in my lived experience as a straight, white, middle class, middle aged, British born, university educated, married woman.  When it comes to managing a group of people as diverse as we have at EY that is such valuable management information.  And I really believe this is something you have to do yourself as a leader – it can’t be delegated.  My own learning has been accelerated by being present in the room, being moved by individual stories that make you angry, sad, outraged, inspired etc.  And the more senior you are in the organisation, the more impact you make on your people by showing up and listening.

The political events of 2016 have thrown out real inclusion challenges and lessons: to respect other’s views however different to your own, to move through conflict to bring people back together, to seize potential threats as a chance to re-articulate, clarify and become stronger on an agenda. Here, business has its own part to play in shaping hearts and minds.  We have a great chance to do so if all of us become better inclusive leaders.  Collectively, what a fabulous way that would be to improve the wider world in which we live.