“Why focus on Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion?” is one of the most important questions we ask our clients.
For anyone who has to spend any time taking care of children, it can be exasperating how often they can ask the simple question…
Why?
“Why can’t I stay up late?”
“Why is there war?”
“Why don’t caterpillars have shoes?”
“Why can’t I open my Easter Eggs by cracking them on my sister’s head?”
If “Why?” is the most troubling question, then the most troubling answer is just one word.
“Because.”
That’s it. No more explanation. It just is. And because it just is, no more explanation is required.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Last year, as we all still reeled from the murder of George Floyd and were excited by the voice of the Black Lives Matter movement, I read this article by Michelle P. Maidenberg
In it Dr Maidenberg, poses key questions that we can ask ourselves to gain insight into our own attitudes to diversity and race. For me underpinning all of the questions is “Why?” It’s a question we often ask our clients when they look for work on Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion. And often the answer that comes back is “Because.”
Simon Sinek asked people to “Start with the Why” (https://youtu.be/2Ss78LfY3nE ) and that’s as much the case for EDI in the workplace as for anything else. Why do you want to invest in Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion?
Is it because you believe that it is a moral imperative that all people feel included in the workplace?
Is it because you believe a plurality of voices will bring about better and more creative solutions?
Is it because you believe that having a workforce that reflects the demographics of society will ultimately help customer engagement?
We welcome a diverse range of candidates…Why?
I think about this every time I see a job advert that says, “We welcome a diverse range of candidates.” It’s nice to feel welcome. It’s nicer to know why I’m welcomed.
As leaders we need to get better at joining the dots and articulating the why. The danger is without a clear why, EDI programmes become unfocussed, tokenistic and at worst patronising. Right now, as budgets get strained, we know from previous experience that EDI projects can be seen as a nice to have rather than an organisational imperative.
The challenge we see at Aspire Leadership is to crack open the egg, and show everyone the sweets inside, and not assume that everyone understands how and why a societal movement should mean workplace change.
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