Changing the culture of technology to be more inclusive

In my work with organizations and with technical women, the most common question I receive is how do you create a culture where all people thrive? It is often not phrased quite like that; it is usually about what actions do we take on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, or how do I hire more women? But to create real change, you need to create an inclusive culture, and that is not easy, and frankly, many, if not most, companies focus on programs that address the symptoms rather than embracing an overarching approach.

There are many programs that, if done right, will contribute to an inclusive culture. Organizations need to look at their recruitment and retention strategies — unfairness and biases are rampant. It is essential to review and clarify how technical employees advance (or how all employees advance) because there are often many biases in the system.

BUT without engaging all employees — all genders, all races — in a conversation about change, it isn’t going to happen. Most of the leadership of high tech companies are men, primarily white men. It is tough to understand what it means to be in the minority when your own successful experience is as a majority race or a majority gender. Successful leaders genuinely believe that the approach that worked for them could work for anyone, the misguided view that there is a meritocracy. Senior leaders believe that if you deliver results, and ask for what you want, you will be successful. It is extraordinarily hard to walk in someone else’s shoes and to understand that the path to success will look different if you are in the minority.

I remember a conversation with a very successful white male executive of an internet company who responded to my comment about changing the culture by saying, “I don’t want to change our culture; it works for us — we just need more women.” The implied statement was that women needed to look and act like all the other successful employees. In this particular case, I was aware of an internal confidential survey at the company that many women were miserable and did not believe that they were considered for the best opportunities. Addressing this disconnect between senior leaders and an increasingly diverse set of employees is at the heart of meaningful change.

Leaders often want to be inclusive. All this talk of diversity can be frustrating, and many end up feeling that they need to walk on eggshells, or they may not do the right thing.

Understanding that your own experience as a majority executive is not the experience of many allows you to ask. Ask for what the needs are, ask about the experience, and LISTEN.

It is possible to create a culture where all people thrive, but it is not going to be by deploying a constant stream of programs that do not deliver results. But some programs can make a significant difference, especially those that are experiential, where leaders have the chance to understand what it means to walk in other’s shoes.