What if Diversity Training Is Doing More Harm Than Good?Why Inclusion Efforts Fail (& How to Change This)
A recent report in the New York Times posed the question: What if Diversity Training Is Doing More Harm Than Good?
And while there are true and valid concerns about the “performative” (i.e. more for public approval than actual change) steps that companies take to promote diversity, there’s a significant and compelling case for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion strategies that really work. As Robert Livingston, a lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School, emphasises: “Focus on actions and behaviors rather than hearts and minds.”
It’s all about having a robust, long-term plan based on measurable actions over sentiment and ‘politically correct’ sounding conversations. Our founder Abadesi’s recent LinkedIn post drove this home (tap-through to view the discussion).
There’s a reason why folks say “actions speak louder than words” and below we’ll address the common pitfalls most companies continue to make to sabotage their own diversity and inclusion efforts.
Hands up if you’ve recently been in a conversation at work where these statements were made:
“We’re passionate about making our company culture more inclusive.”
“We’re dedicated to increasing representation of underrepresented people in our team.”
“Black Lives Matter and we want to do more to be anti-racist.”
Now keep your hands up if you’ve seen any significant changes in company habits to match these statements…
We’re in a new era of corporate trust where accountability is key. Your company’s community goes beyond your current staff, customers and external stakeholders. We know one-off actions won’t change the world because they haven’t so far. We need new habits if we want everyone to feel like they belong.
As a company, the gap between your statements and your actions will negatively impact your ability to attract future staff, customers and stakeholders, too.
1. They fail to engage executive leadership in the conversation and execution of the plan, so it’s not really a top-down approach.
In McKinsey’s yearly “Women in the Workplace” study they report that the most effective D&I initiatives are those where the CEO plays an active role at every step like announcing plans, participating in training, and keeping the team accountable to action.
It’s no surprise why: the CEO has the most influence and the most power to reward good team mates and penalize bad team mates. Don’t let them take the side line when it comes to creating impact. They have to walk it like they talk it, as Migos said.
2. They fail to create penalties for the bad apples disrupting your plan, so they end up showing that it’s OK to be sexist and racist (not too mention all the other types of oppression…).
I’ve facilitated D&I workshops in-house where a certain participant made sexist or racist remarks and no one from their team spoke up.
I’ve received emails from workshop attendees where an individual will copy in other colleagues and insist they do not have bias and that they take issue with data points we share regarding double standards for men and women, and Black people and white people in the workplace.
No one in the thread will reply to show this person what’s problematic about their rant.
If you show people on your team that it’s OK to attack the social justice experts you have paid to teach you, you are showing people on your team that this work is not important, that expertise is not relevant when it comes to social justice and ultimately — that these efforts don’t really matter.
3. They fail to create incentives for individuals to create new habits that are anti-racist and pro-inclusion, so they’re showing them this work isn’t related to the bigger picture and long-term goals.
It all comes back to the carrot and stick. “Since it began linking bonuses to diversity hiring, Intel has met or exceeded its goals. In 2015, 43 percent of new hires were women and underrepresented minorities, three percentage points above its target.”
It’s that simple. You want to see results? Show me the money. If you aren’t creating any incentives to encourage team mates to adapt to a more equitable future, nothing will change. You won’t see greater representation, you won’t see sentiments of belonging increase over time. You’re stuck in the status quo in a system that’s set up to let only a minority of individuals succeed, while it oppresses the rest.
4. They fail to focus on tools and frameworks because they want easy answers. They fail to create accountability because you’re afraid of what will happen if they actually succeed.
Too often companies contact Hustle Crew seeking an easy answer to solving the racism and discrimination in their company culture. If it were that easy, Hustle Crew wouldn’t exist.
New habits will create lasting change in this world and to make new habits each of us need tools and frameworks so we can design solutions in the moment, regardless of the problem we’re solving, regardless of our role.
I don’t believe in dictating solutions — we don’t have enough data in this space to confidently create templates for success. Especially not in the current climate while businesses are adapting to macroeconomic shifts.
But if we approach belonging like any other product in our company: launching projects, measuring results, iterating and reiterating to get us closer to our milestones — then we will create positive, lasting change.
Here’s the kicker: not everyone on your team wants lasting change. There are folks antagonizing efforts while claiming to be “all for this” because they’re afraid of what happens to their influence, power and job security if anti-racism and inclusion efforts succeed.
Don’t let bad apples win. Ask folks to speak publicly about what they plan to do differently in their role to achieve equity in the org. Follow up to check on those actions. Discuss progress. Alleviate blockers.
Next steps for you and your team:
Download the free cheatsheet, 10 ways to create impact with your inclusion initiatives
Share this article in your network and keep the conversation going
Consider investing in Hustle Crew Academy to continue your inclusion journey, or enquire about a bespoke workshop for your company