There’s DEI and There’s EFFECTIVE DEI (DEI 2.0)

Well, depending on the organization, DEI expertise may come from an external partner (like Talking Talent) or it may be led internally (Head of Inclusion, Chief Diversity Officer, Director of Diversity & Inclusion, etc.) Either way, DEI professionals are at the helm, steering workplace culture towards being more inclusive, while thoughtfully course correcting along the way.

With the help of their teams, these effective DEI executives (key word “effective”) are seeing a series of wins. But unfortunately (or fortunately), they are the exceptions. That’s because many companies are facing a dilemma with having DEI initiatives failing to foster real change, and not being sure why. So, the question is: What are those who are getting it right actually doing?

We spoke with Girish Ganesan, Senior Vice President, People at S&P Global and the former Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion at TD. Girish has experienced remarkable success leading DEI initiatives, even during a time of health, humanitarian crisis. Here’s what he had to say about effective DEI leadership:

• Keep an eye on representation. It matters more than ever. Work processes and company cultures are guided and influenced through your workforce. If you have a lack of diverse representation especially in leadership, you’re not going to make real progress in the equally essential and more impactful cousins of equity and inclusion.
• Double down on inclusion as employee experience is crucial. We’re no longer in a time where there’s a clear separation between personal life and work life. You want all your employees feeling safe, appreciated, valued, and included in the workspace – thus bringing their full selves to work.
• Give others, and yourself, the benefit of the doubt. Choosing to offer the benefit of the doubt eases uncomfortable conversations and allow people to learn from.
• Invest in diversity and inclusion education. DEI is a learning journey with many layers of complexities. The new way of thinking about D&I is not only about having diversity within a company but leveraging that diversity to produce better products and services. It is wise to remember that diversity means different things to different people which requires constant education.

Girish goes on to say,

“But there are different levels to this, which require organizations to be intentional about their efforts. One such aspect is intersectionality. Intersectionality shows us that social identities work on multiple levels, resulting in unique experiences, opportunities, and barriers for each person. Understanding intersectionality is essential to combatting the interwoven prejudices people face in their daily lives.

A lot of times, people think of intersectionality as only gender and race intersecting. They forget about things like sexuality, ability etc. —all these different identities that can interplay and are subject to systems of power that privilege certain people over others. Leaders should work to dismantle these oppressive systems of power. Seeing multiple attributes of diversity represented across leadership levels empowers your workforce throughout the company to speak up. People feel more comfortable offering the diverse opinions that benefit an organization—opinions which are often largely, if not entirely attributable to their identity—when they know they’re being represented higher up on the chain of command.

By reflecting on our own identities, their intersections, and practice being mindful we can become better allies for historically underrepresented groups or better able to articulate our own experience.”

This is why DEI initiatives have to go beyond the one-and-done experience. Those would be the standard type of trainings that focus on awareness without accountability. As Anu Mandapati, Vice President, Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, the Americas, Talking Talent points out “As soon as a person leaves that session or webinar and gets back to “real life,” those lessons are filed away. Yes, the box has been ticked for DEI training; but it’s unlikely to turn into meaningful, cultural change when there’s no mindfulness around actually applying the information.” Your people deserve much more than that.

Talking Talent recommends a Learn, Amplify, Sustain model through blended coaching. It’s proven to make the learning stick and shift mindsets sustainably, changing outlooks and the way we think.

• Learn: People learn inclusive behaviors and develop their awareness and skills.
• Amplify: In a safe space, expand on what was learned. For example, through coaching.
• Sustain: Leaders ask their teams how they’ll commit to practicing inclusive behaviors. This is supported through on-going coaching.

That’s a difference we can help you make. Talking Talent has solutions and strategies to support you in your mission to cultivate a more equitable workplace, where every employee can thrive. Our highly accredited DEI expert coaches will empower your people to co-create inclusive cultures at the team and organization levels, which leads to greater engagement, improved productivity, and better performance.

Which means:

• Your organization retains and progresses people faster, achieves lasting change, and sees measurable ROI.
• Your leaders and managers become more self-aware, inclusive, and effective.
• Your people enjoy more fulfilling careers and a greater sense of belonging.

Ready to become more effective in DEI? Let’s talk.