We Need to Talk

You’d think with all the doom scrolling these days, “trust” in any collective would be at an all-time low. But according to a recent survey, there’s still a high degree of trust in business – especially our own employers.

The survey, as reported by the Wall Street Journal, finds “more than half of U.S. respondents said they trust business, which was more than was said for government or media. Nearly three-quarters of U.S. respondents said their own employer, in particular, was a mainstay of trust.”

Combine this with a recent Harris Poll which finds that 82% of Americans are rooting for companies to make a positive difference on social issues, including racial equality.

Whether this is an indictment on government and media, an increase in confidence in business, or a combination of the two can be debated. But it’s clear that business can play a significant role in creating positive, systemic change.

"Nearly three-quarters of U.S. respondents said their own employer, in particular, was a mainstay of trust.”   

When it comes to diversity and inclusion, some businesses are embracing the role of change agent while others are slower to respond.

I believe we as business leaders have a responsibility to accelerate the pace of change, and that this change begins with greater communication between us and our companies.

At Equinix, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (DI&B) is foundational to our values. It’s central to what we do and how we make decisions. I’ve learned a lot about myself and others from our internal discussions, resource groups, trainings, processes, and pathways. The problem? I haven’t shared these learnings enough outside the walls of our company.

That stops now. I’m committed to sharing my experiences on DI&B with you and others outside of Equinix, and I’d invite you to do the same. This will start on LinkedIn and expand to other platforms and forums. In addition to sharing, I’m also open to suggestions you may have on how we can expand the conversation between our teams and employees. Conversations between people with diverse backgrounds and skill sets are how new ideas are born.

"I’ve told very personal stories to thousands of people about growing up as a “model minority.” It’s emotional, and it’s scary, but it’s worth it."

For example, our CEO Charles Meyers is a part of the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion. This a group of over 100 CEOs committed to improving diversity and inclusion inside their companies and advancing policy through a coalition fellowship program. Insights from these discussions have helped our collective organizations tremendously.

To start, here are 6 lessons I’ve learned (so far) in building, growing, and sustaining a culture of DI&B.

1.     Employees must feel safe. At Equinix, we live by the mantra “I’m safe, I belong, and I matter.” For employees to open up and thrive, it’s critical to create and sustain a work environment built on trust.

2.    An imperative, not an initiative. In the corporate world, we’re often developing short-term initiatives to help support our business, but DI&B is not an initiative. It’s not a campaign, and it’s certainly not philanthropy. It’s a business imperative and must be foundational to a company’s identity.

3.    It starts with you. As a leader, you set the tone. This may require self-reflection. Trainings combined with open discussions allowed for some soul searching, which has helped me be a better leader.

4.    Be vulnerable. As leaders and humans, we have to put ourselves out there to create change. I’ve told very personal stories to thousands of people about growing up as a “model minority.” It’s emotional, and it’s scary, but it’s worth it. 

5.    Get involved. At Equinix I co-sponsor two resource groups – interASIANconnect and VetConnect -– as well as serve on the Allies Council, a senior leadership team focused on DI&B efforts. Getting involved in groups and activities helps contextualize the greater purpose and informs decision making.

6.    Measure and track progress. While the progress Equinix has made around DI&B is encouraging, we still have a long way to go. In addition to programs, discussions, and resources, put in place long-term, transparent and measureable processes, practices, and metrics that will lead to sustainable, systemic change.

What do you think? How can we expand the conversation between our companies, teams and employees? Please share.