Diversity & Inclusion: Musings of a 21st Century Working Mum
It’s now a week into 2019 and like most people I have reviewed my goals and objectives for the New Year; ranging from a renewed commitment to being healthier, being more present with my kids (I really need to learn to ‘play’), focusing on career progression to living a more balanced life.
I am incredibly grateful for my support structures, a brilliant hands-on husband and excellent extended family network as well as a very supportive Commercial National management team at Weightmans (in particular @VictoriaRobertson and @SarahWalton).
I can not possibly achieve any of my goals without the support of my network and this got me thinking; how do we as a society accommodate those without a support structure? How do businesses expect their employees to perform optimally if they do not at a minimum ensure those in management recognise that they need to also operate as a support system for those they manage? Now, I am not suggesting they offer babysitting duties but a willingness to account for external pressures when dealing with those they manage will go a long way to boosting morale and invariably increasing productivity.
In today’s society, individuals are increasingly conscious of their life ‘experience’ and the work/life balance is steadily creeping to the top of people’s list of priorities. The long overdue and much welcomed focus on wellbeing in the workplace highlights the shifting priorities of today’s workforce and businesses response to it.
I am only able to plan to accomplish more professionally and to do more in my personal space with my family this year because I am fortunate to be in a workplace that pays more than lip service to Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) — unfortunately this is not always the case for others.
Most workplace D&I policies cut across many fronts such as race, gender, sexual orientation and religion to name a few; And try to accommodate the needs of a wide range of people. For me, an effective workplace D&I represents the uniqueness and individuality of humans and recognises that whilst a workforce may have some similarities, each person has a different life experience and priorities. In order to be truly inclusive, businesses must be willing to scrutinise their working practises and objectives not based solely on theories but through the lens of the people expected to deliver the vision.
The value businesses place on their employees must transcend ‘who is able to put in the longest hours’ and take account of the unique perspective different individuals can bring to a project and/or workspace.
In 2019 I hope we see more organisations reviewing their D&I policies and training up their management teams to deliver on these policies effectively. Part of the journey has to be focused on ‘what can we do differently to ensure that we create a platform that allows us harness the benefits of a diverse workforce?’ There are future directors, CEOs, and game changers in your workforce that just need a slight adjustment to their working practise to reach their full potential.
Tomorrow is too far for Change, Start Today!
