DEI – It’s like riding a bike.
I often I tell people that I do this work so that I ultimately don’t have a job. It often elicits looks of confusion or nervous smiles, but I’m serious. Any ‘good’ DEI professional knows their job is to empower others to do the work of DEI without their guidance. You should look at us as training wheels. We help you build confidence in DEI topics, serve as support when you feel you are about to fall, and should be removed once you are comfortable enough to ride on your own. That doesn’t mean you won’t fall or hit a bump or two. But like riding a bike, you don’t return to training wheels when you fall. You brush yourself off, learn from the mistake, and carry on.
I want leaders to begin riding their bikes without training wheels.
Where does DEI live?
I’ve long shared my thoughts on where DEI should NOT be within the organization (you can check out my previous blog posts here and here). Part of my strategy in not having a job is to provide leaders at all levels of the organization with the skills, tools, and resources they need to operate with a lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion, regardless of where they sit in the organization.
But just like with the bystander effect, when everyone thinks someone else will do the work, no one does it. So how do we combat this? By including metrics that everyone is responsible for meeting as a part of their performance evaluations. It depends on the organization, but that can vary from hiring percentages to psychological safety scores, retention rates based on demographics or other DEI-based criteria, and customer and community engagement. All of this data is captured by the office of the Chief Diversity Officer. They set the criteria but they are not responsible for meeting those numbers.
The Manager’s Role in DEI
Because I believe every leader is responsible for DEI, it did not take long to see that many of my clients had absolutely no clue what to do. They attended all of the ‘check the box’ diversity training offered over the years, but very few knew how to make the theoretical practical. My coaching practice now focuses on people managers and helping them understand how they can become more inclusive leaders. The heart of this work? Psychological safety with a touch of emotional intelligence.
In this episode of DEI After 5, I sit with consultant Martine Kalaw to discuss where DEI should sit in the organization and the manager’s role in supporting and uplifting DEI in the workplace. You can also check out her book, The ABCs of Diversity: A Manager’s Guide to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the New Workplace. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases via the link provided.
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