One person alone can’t carry the load of the DEI agenda on their back. The ONLY way to make real ... [+]
Diversity, equity and inclusion leaders are often asked to do more with less. Only 32% of DEI professionals say that their organizations has enough resources to support their DEI initiatives, according to the 2022 Workplace DEI Report. So, with budgets, time, and energy stretched onion skin thin, the mission can feel daunting for that person who is considered as the organization's end-all-be-all for DEI. But there is a breakthrough solution to consider.
In a recent virtual roundtable that I hosted for DEI leaders, a few of them suggested that the only way to make true progress in their DEI efforts was to clone themselves! It’s understandable. One person alone can’t carry the load of the DEI agenda on their back. The only way to make real progress is to equip others in the organization to also do the work. In other words, cloning. But how?
Think of it as the DEI leader really cloning their human skills and inclusivity knowledge. That way they can hopefully work more sustainably and reroute burnout (a.k.a. DEI fatigue).
Here are three ways to clone yourself as a DEI leader—or come pretty close.
1.) Help managers and others lead conversations around DEI issues by providing prompts or talking points.
Taking the initiative to lead conversations around DEI issues is paramount to creating a safe, inclusive environment. But the mere idea of broaching certain conversations related to DEI might intimidate some managers. However, it is important for people leaders to be present and involved in DEI dialogues. To help them get started, provide them with some kind of script. Prompts or talking points enable people to gain knowledge of key DEI topics, which in turn allows for a more productive conversation. A resource like this provides information, structure, AND confidence for tackling seemingly difficult conversation topics.
Start with senior leaders and then set the expectations around trickling those messages down to the next level of leadership as well. A to-the-point strategy around this could look like:
- Giving people what they need in plain, simple language, not overwhelming them with any unnecessary details
- Providing clarity around the main goals of the company’s DEI efforts
- Being very specific concerning the 3-4 themes that should be championed in their conversations.
A good way to extend your voice as a DEI leader is to equip and empower leaders in this way.
2.) Assign key leaders inclusion-focused goals to which they will be held accountable.
DEI is not solely the job of the DEI officer, HR, or Learning & Development team. Everyone has a role to play when it comes to creating an inclusive workplace. Inclusion-focused goals can help executives with being more intentional towards creating a culture of belonging within the organization. And when accountability is added to that, the outcome can be an environment where everyone feels psychologically safe, valued, and is experiencing a sense of belonging. Employees will feel more comfortable to open up, share ideas and collaborate with each other. That’s a DEI leader’s dream!
In one organization where this particular “cloning” strategy was applied, leader bonuses were withheld when certain DEI targets were not met and inclusion commitments were not fulfilled. That is what it looks like when a company is literally putting their money where their mouth is! But just as importantly, by engaging the key leaders, DEI professionals are essentially creating a crew of culture co-creators - an allied and aligned community where everyone is committed to daily doing their part to lend to an inclusive culture.
3.) Coach managers to lead inclusively so that their support is informed and genuine, rather than forced or performative.
Leading with inclusivity in mind doesn't come naturally for everyone, but coaching can help managers develop the necessary human skills for fostering a culture of inclusion in the workplace. Through coaching, they learn tools and strategies for fostering connection and collaboration, which ultimately encourages a culture of innovation and shared success.
Provide opportunities for managers of teams to not only learn, but to feel. Help change hearts and minds by creating opportunities for managers to hear about their team members’ lived experiences. Connect leaders with others' personal stories as they do the inner work of building empathy for their people as they learn more about them. Ultimately, this level of support also helps leaders become more aware of their own internal biases, enabling them to make more strategic decisions.
For those on the frontlines of DEI initiatives, it can often feel like an uphill battle with no support (or vacation) in sight. Due to the emotional exhaustion of advocating for change in silo, and sometimes without meaningful progress, many DEI professionals are on the brink of burnout. The only sustainable path forward is that DEI leaders not carry the load on their own.
If you are a DEI leader who feels like you could use a clone right about now to lighten the load, consider
- Enlisting the help of others
- Equipping people with information on how to follow in your footsteps
- Expanding the impact that you have been trying to make alone.
DEI is about creating a culture of belonging for every individual. It's about making sure that everyone in an organization feels respected, appreciated and valued for who they are and what they bring to the table. Everyone has a part to play in that—clones included.
