DITCH EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY

What!  Did I read that right?  Ditch ED&I?  What on earth is this woman talking about!  ED&I is at the core of everything and if it isn’t it should be.  As leaders we’re supposed to be promoting ED&I all the time aren’t we?
 
Well yes, but shouldn’t we talking about social and racial justice instead?
 
I do a lot of work with the NHS and equality and diversity is always the underlying theme of all the leadership work I undertake.  We speak about the different ethnic groups in our society, that perhaps the workforce doesn’t match that of the community in which the service operates.  We speak of the difficulties of gender and how it can prevent, or enhance, progression through careers.  Increasingly we look at neurodiversity and how services are delivered by those who are neurodiverse as well as experienced by those who are neurodiverse.
 
It's all good stuff.  And I do exactly the same with other organisations.  But is it enough?
 
I’ve challenged my thinking on this and I want you, as a leader, to challenge yours.
 
Because, what is being experienced by everyone is a disparity, a difference that is either being exploited negatively, or engaged with positively.  And when we look at this disparity isn’t it demonstrated in our socio-economic distribution?  There are those who are able to engage their ‘difference’ positively. The ones who achieve this are usually born into a wealthy, white, well-connected, non-disabled group.   By default, those who are exploited negatively are….  I’ll let you finish that sentence.
 
What I see happening increasingly is that EDI& is becoming a tick box.  An activity we undertake because it’s expected of us.  Our Board wants us to report on the number of BAME employees, on gender quotas, on numbers who declare a disability.  Are we in the upper quartile compared to our competitors.  Will it make our shareholders happy?  Can we get acknowledgement from government about what a good job we’re doing?  Is HR OK?  Are we ensuring our job adverts or recruitment processes don’t discriminate? Am I using the right language when talking to a colleague about under-performance because I don’t want to be accused of discrimination?  Should we be offering leave for all religious celebrations?
 
What’s missing from all of this is the drive, the energy, the campaigning zeal that’s needed to go beyond the processes that sit on the surface and to really dig deep into our values, our actions, our thoughts.  Where is the motivation, the vision, the clarity that will sweep others along?  This is what leadership should be about.  We should be shouting about social and racial justice.  We should be bringing the emotion, real lives into this.  For without that emotional connection we will continue to tick boxes.  We won’t take to our hearts the profound changes that are needed to achieve social and racial justice for everyone.
 
So, take the time to think. Consider your own behaviour, your assumptions about who you are and what you do.  Are you ready to take up the challenge?  Be honest, because not everyone is up for it.  But we can all take a small step along the way.
 
And if you want to get the time and the space to think about who you are, how and why you’ve got to where you are, and how you’re going to go forward, join us at The Retreat on 25 March.  Use the energy of Spring to put the spring into your leadership as you take on the task of moving from ED&I to social and racial justice.