The Pursuit of Diversity
Joseph Donkor
Strategy, Innovation & Growth Leader | Driving Success in Football & Commercial Markets
On the 27th October 2020, the FA launched its new ‘Football Leadership Diversity Code’ https://www.thefa.com/news/2020/oct/27/football-leadership-diversity-code-launched-271020 as part of its three-year equality, diversity and inclusion strategy that it calls ‘Pursuit of Progress.’ However, during the morning of November 11th, 2020, FA Chairman Greg Clarke managed to undermine any ‘pursuit of progress’ with a litany of absurd stereotypical comments on race, gender, and sexual orientation. Clarke’s comments came less than two months after his counterpart in France, No?l Le Gra?t, created an outcry by declaring racism “did not exist” in French soccer. While Le Gra?t remained in his post (unlike Clarke who has now resigned), professional football continues to be too slow to reform. The question remains ... how to nurture, develop and (in some high-profile football clubs) enforce reform upon those organisations that have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo of homogeneity at the expense of equality, diversity, and inclusion?
Authors: Joseph Donkor & Dr Ian Lawrence, (MSc Sports Directorship delegate & Course Leader at VSI Executive Education)
Associate Dean @ UCFB | Sports Management
2 年There are decades of data-backed research findings highlighting the individual, interpersonal, institutional, and even macroeconomic benefits of DEI. Yet many leaders claim that they don’t know enough about the diversity-related issues in their organizations and their societal implications to take bold, informed action. They ask for more time to conduct surveys and benchmarking analyses, host listening sessions and town hall meetings, and convene councils and task forces to study “the diversity issue.” But by now, the issue has been studied and leaders who want to act already have more than enough data to do so – both qualitative and quantitative. For example, in organizations that still have no people of color or women at the executive or board levels, no data point speaks louder than “zero.” Change begins with truth. Leaders will never be able to fix what they will not face. Leaders must acknowledge the systemic practices and cultural biases that have made the fight for diversity, equity, and inclusion (not to mention corporate social justice) both necessary and onerous. The only conclusion that can be drawn for leaders who claim to still not have enough evidence to act is that they just don’t want to act.
Former professional athlete | Partner in GCFA & SportAI Consultants | Licensed agent by FIFA | Services offered: #Recruitment #Brokering #Consulting #Negotiation #Acquisition #Director #Management #football #ai #AI #tech
3 年Thanks Joseph
Strategy, Innovation & Growth Leader | Driving Success in Football & Commercial Markets
3 年https://www.thefa.com/about-football-association/what-we-do/strategy