We need Real models not Role models

You hear a lot about employers trying to showcase role models within the workplace in an attempt to encourage staff. Employers always want to help those who are not in senior positions and are from diverse backgrounds and offer them, not only someone to look up to but someone who they can aspire to be like in the hope that this will help the development, retention and progression of diverse employees.

Early on in my Policing career, I’ll always remember how people would always point out senior members of staff who looked like me, almost as if they thought it was a great thing to do and would help support me in my journey to the top. I am sorry. But it didn’t. Just because someone looks like me does not mean that they are my role model or I aspire to be like them!

I think the first point to understand here is that everyone is an individual and just because someone’s skin colour matches mine does not mean we have anything more in common. Now, I look south Asian, therefore a role model to me, according to some, could be someone of the same ethnicity. However, reality is that I am from Kenya, East Africa. So, I already, do not have that much in common with the pre-defined south Asian role model someone would have for me. Furthermore, to make it worse, people will probably make the same assumptions about my specific needs based on the person who looks like me. 

You will assume that being of that background, it will be great to have a role model who, despite all odds and growing up in a socially-deprived background, made it to the top and therefore can support me through the same journey. Wrong. 

My story is completely different. My background, didn’t present me with such challenges. I had a good up bringing with access to good education, financially stable parents and although I did face challenges they were not the stereo typical ones that you would expect. Therefore, there is no correlation between myself and my perceived role model, so how would I see them as a role model? 

It is also felt, by many organisations, that having visible diverse role models and showcasing them is a great way to attract diverse talent into the organisation and employers believe it helps support diversity recruitment when people can see people who look like them within the workplace, on websites, in brochures, at careers fairs and therefore the sense is that it is a great recruitment tool.

Again, the above is far from the truth. As an ethnic minority myself, of course I want any organisation that I join to be openly diverse and it is helpful to know these things about an organisation. But there’s a fine line between being diverse and tokenism. A poster of someone who looks like me or a picture of someone like me in a brochure doesn't make me think: “Yes. This is the organisation for me. Look. They have someone like me.” And there are many reasons for this. 

The other challenge is that we could have a similarly defined characteristic like a disability, however that doesn't mean that everyone with a disability is the same. For example, let’s say the person in the picture is in a wheelchair and I have dyslexia- seeing that picture might not convince me that the organisation would cater for my disabilities needs and actually depending on how it is presented might actually put me off joining the organisation if I felt that I am not valued for being different and instead my disability is presented as being accepted– which is contrary to what an organisation is wanting to achieve.

Whilst we are here, I would also highlight that using models of ethnic origin or diverse characteristics rather than your actual staff because you don’t have the representation or because your staff are not willing to be in pictures is even worse. I would rather an organisation talks about their culture being inclusive and that they allow people to be authentic, which is more attractive than a picture of someone who shares similar visible characteristics.

Finally, the last point I want to make on the challenges before we get into solutions, is that the barrier can sometimes exist between two people of the same background which means rather than it encouraging someone, it ends up putting them off. Let me explain. Hypothetically, let’s imagine I have a role model who looks like me. They have been in the industry for a long time and when I approach them to see how they made it to the top and to get some advice, instead of encouraging me or understanding my challenges, they tell me that I need to toughen up and work harder as that's what they did.

Now, despite being from the same background, this type of advice will not in any way be of help to me and is one of the biggest errors of, not only, role models but mentors who are aligned to helping individuals. We need to understand and respect that we are all individuals and yes, we may have similar characteristics with others but that does not make us the same.  

So, what are the solutions? Well let’s go over some of the traits that can be found in role models as well as their importance and function in the workplace. 

Workplace role models are confident and positive individuals. They are upbeat in sensible situations. They are authentic and are not afraid to be honest and to talk about their journeys and the hurdles they’ve faced on the way. They are open and transparent and happy to share their experiences and knowledge with others.

This is what we need as individuals. We need to see our leaders as human and real, rather than another organisation leader who has fallen into the trap of the cliché diversity talk. We need leaders who are genuine. This will allow people to find real models that they can align to or those that might have faced similar challenges to the ones that they are facing.

I always give my own example of my biggest challenges in the workplace - which is not my race you will be surprised to know. My challenge is around managing my work and family life and playing a key role in raising my young children. So, I guess, a real model to me would be a working parent who has juggled these very same challenges and overcome them to be successful in their career regardless of their ethnicity or gender.

So how do we find them? Well, we need what I call “Real models” and not role models. These are individuals who are ready to display the above attributes openly and confidently within their workforce. Those individuals who talk about their own journeys openly to show true authenticity through being themselves. And if we truly understand this concept, we’ll realise that we’re all real models. 

All leaders have the capability of being real models as they have all faced some challenges, barriers and have overcome hurdles in their careers. We know for a fact that they are human and not just the official corporate image that we always see. We just need to encourage them to speak up about their own lives openly, so we have more real models who staff can look up to and relate too.

So next time you think of role models-remember we need real models. Someone who is positive, calm, and confident in themselves and leads by example. You don't want someone who tries to bring others down. Everyone likes a person who is happy with their achievements both at work and outside of work and continues to strive for bigger and better objectives while being their authentic self and displaying this openly. This is what a real model is, someone who is not just corporate but shows a little bit of themselves at work.

Written by Asif Sadiq MBE and Sana Butt