Part III: How can we begin to operationalize D&I?
This is the third of a three-part series recapping our February panel. Read Part II here.
“Humans are always going to be biased — can you figure out processes to put in place that allow them to stop and think and sometimes not make that choice?” — Jennifer Andrews
From an operations perspective, how we do actually go about implementing initiatives and processes that help us build this diverse, inclusive and equitable culture in the workplace?
Unfortunately, as Singleton commented, companies and diversity groups often conduct activities that may be appealing but do not significantly move D&I work forward. We must dig deeper to discover the issues and methodically plan how to move forward.
As Jennifer noted, we must (1) closely examine existing processes to find embedded biases, (2) create processes that enable us to step back and not jump immediately into making choices to which we may be accustomed, and (3) build processes that hold everyone accountable.
Devin drew an analogy to thinking more broadly as a product manager as opposed to an engineer, explaining that as an engineer, it is often about going and building the product, and operating without having conversations with stakeholders. As a product manager, however, you must step back, do the research, and design it out a bit. You can then go and build it, but must also ensure that you are building it with stakeholders.
Courageous conversations: Create the space for real talk — and for real talk that follows real talk
An essential way to discover D&I issues and understand how to address them is to create space for courageous conversations and processes to foster ongoing dialogue. Panelists emphasized the value of external facilitators, but stressed the importance of having internal real talk after the real talk.
Having a third-party facilitator is especially useful in initially kicking off the dialogue internally. Singleton commented that, with such a figure in the room, there is one person who is taking on all the roles of facilitator, teacher, and interrogator. This person can listen carefully and capture what is going on, including picking up on non-verbal tells. Singleton said that she as the D&I internal leader can then take this data and circle back to the leaders to have real courageous conversations after the initial conversation. Since she was not the instructor or facilitator in the initial conversation, she can now take on the role of partner and convey the information she gathered in a compelling way.
Stephen echoed the utility of having a third party lead the initial conversation. At PayPal, discussions of unconscious bias led by a third party helped create a safe space for people to further discuss these issues at round tables led by internal leaders in partnership with affinity groups. Ken commented on a similar experience — initial conversations at Per Scholas were also led by a third-party facilitator, with subsequent conversations being more organic and internally led. He did wonder, however, whether the subsequent conversations around D&I should involve a third party.
The processes around these types of conversations, including the extent to which third party facilitators are involved, may vary significantly according to organizations’ needs. But we can also apply what Devin had noted as an indicator of an inclusive culture — whether diverse groups’ voices were being heard in important conversations — to these courageous conversations as well. Who is speaking up, whose voices are being heard, and what space can we create to facilitate such conversation?
Business plan: Establish a maturity model with an agenda — and a line item budget
“There needs to be a line item in the budget . . . that says we’re going to focus on this thing, just like there’s a marketing line item and a communications line item.” — Kenneth Walker
The panelists discussed the importance of treating D&I as a business objective in order to implement processes around these conversations as well as processes around addressing the issues that come out of such conversations. Ken explained for example that, at Per Scholas, D&I is a line item in the budget. He emphasized how it is critical to have this as a separate line item that warrants focus from a business perspective, just as you would have other business line items. Stephen described how PayPal has taken steps to include the topic of diversity on agendas at every meeting and post numbers to see how the company’s efforts are measuring up.
Singleton also encouraged creating a bona fide diversity business plan. She said instead of simply organizing appealing activities, we must think through what will really make an impact and how we can ensure that we are using our resources (people, financial, etc.) in an efficient way. At McCann, Singleton implemented a maturity model customized to both the company and the advertising industry.
She describes how the leadership began to think about the difference between compliance and actually developing a model of inclusion where you were able to look at social, culture, and cognitive diversity in a way that is ingrained in your organization and your culture. She explained that having a model to look at is a great way to understand where you stand, as well as your goals and the language you put around them.
Talent acquisition: Build diverse inclusion
“Cultural fit is a cop-out . . . created by the collective because what they’re doing is trying to get to a shortcut of comfort.” — Singleton Beato
Hiring diverse individuals, and creating a process around it, is an essential step to building a diverse and inclusive culture. Ken recalled sitting in a room with his cohort in the early 1980s as he started his career at IBM, and observing that it was a diverse group with substantial numbers of women and people of color. The presenter at the front of the room enthusiastically told this incoming class that they were the top 1% of talent in IT. It was an empowering statement. (Ken also recalled feeling scared and wondering whether he was good enough. Though this is a sentiment that is widely shared, research shows that the imposter syndrome hits minority groups harder.) Being among diverse peers helped Ken feel that, as a person of color, he fit in.
Recruiting diverse talent, and removing biases from the recruitment process, remains a problem, however. For one, senior leaders do not always recognize the importance of having diverse groups to achieve their business outcomes. Stephen pointed out that, in order to do the right things for the business, you need to have the right people, which is correlated with diversity of thought and diversity of skills.
That such diversity in thought and skills comes with diverse groups should be intuitive and is confirmed by a BCG report that found that companies with diverse management teams reported innovation revenues 19 percentage points higher than that of companies with below-average leadership diversity.
Stephen emphasized that hiring the “right people” does not mean hiring the people that look like you and think like you, but rather that you need to hire people who “challenge the culture that you have and add to that culture.” This idea of hiring people with the right “cultural fit” is a persisting challenge. Singleton stated that the phrase “cultural fit” is misleading at best, discriminatory at worst. She said that this concept is often utilized by the collective as a shortcut to being comfortable.
Singleton noted that, while it is easier to hire and/or work with others that share similar educational and socioeconomic backgrounds, this completely misses the point of building a diverse and inclusive culture. Instead, talent acquisition should be about creating equitable, consistent and objective measures for how you identify talent, and the talent you need.
Beyond recruiting: Diversity requires equity — and equity requires procedure
Recruiting and hiring has often been the focus of diversity initiatives, and according to a recent BCG report, many leaders believe that the biggest obstacles for D&I are in the recruiting phase, particularly for women and racial/ethnic minorities. Members of diverse groups, on the other hand, see more obstacles related to inclusion that exist “across the entire employee life cycle: recruiting, retention, advancement, and the commitment of leaders.”
Jennifer emphasized the importance of going beyond recruiting and building processes to level the playing field for individuals even after they enter the organization. She described how many candidates, particularly those coming from college, are often similarly qualified.
However, underrepresented groups may not be getting the same experiences and exposure during their time at a company after they’re hired. Those who rise to the top often have opportunities to succeed that others may not have had. If these opportunities are not similar early on, it can drastically change the cumulative career trajectory of diverse groups.
One area Jennifer mentioned is how projects are assigned and distributed. A Harvard Business Review article distinguishes “glamour work” from “office housework,” and explains how women and people of color get worse assignments. Glamour work gets you noticed and sets you up for promotion, while office housework is out of the spotlight and includes administrative work.
In order to address disparities in assignments, they advise a number of methodical steps and procedures team managers and senior leaders can take and implement. Proceduralizing equity of opportunities to advance, as well as opportunities for support, advocacy and mentorship, can help all groups thrive in the advancement and retention phases of your employee life cycle.
Companies are increasingly keen on considering this broader D&I lens of retention and advancement more seriously. Eli Lilly and Company was recently highlighted by Catalyst for internal programs, including a CEO-led sponsorship program providing career support for African American, Latina, and Asian women at the senior director level and above. Catalyst also recognized Deutsche Post DHL for its focus, among other things, on the impact of flexible work arrangements in the career advancement of women in the workplace.
At the panel’s conclusion, the speakers reminded us that, in addition to implementing well-designed processes, we must have the humility, courage and resolve to listen, converse, experiment and course correct.
Thank you again to our amazing panelists for their powerful insights and tips!
Thank you also to Erica Lee, Johnathan Butler, Martin Fogelman, Jerry Weinstein and Keeley Duffey for contributing to this three-part epic
Finally, thanks to you for reading and, of course, share this with friends. Please also feel free to comment on this article because we’d love to hear your thoughts.
We continued the conversation on concrete tips for D&I practitioners on our April panel (recap forthcoming). In the meantime, sign up here to receive more information about our upcoming July panel.
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