Diversity and Inclusion Matters. Jason R. Thompson

this tree was quite large, and there were walnuts everywhere. I did a quick Google search and found that a mature walnut tree can produce up to 350 lbs. of nuts. The average nut weighs between five to ten grams and there are 454 grams in a pound. You can do the math here, but that is a lot of walnuts!

      As you can imagine, the young child looked at the tree, looked at the walnuts all over the front yard, and was immediately overwhelmed by the task. The small child knew immediately this task was too big and they would never be able to pick up all the walnuts. Without responding, the child began to cry. The child was overwhelmed by the task. I could relate to this child as I, too, was immobilized by the task of writing my graduate theses. It was just too big.

      The parent said to the child, “Go into the shed and get some string and seven stakes.”

      The parent placed seven stakes evenly around the tree. They then tied the string from the tree to each of the seven stakes creating what looked like seven pieces of pie. They then looked at the child and said, “All you have to do is clear one section of the pie every day for seven days. At the end of seven days, you will have picked up all the walnuts.”

      This helped me to get started on my graduate thesis, as it reminded me that you don't write the thesis in one day. Most importantly you have to break the task into manageable pieces in order to get started. You need a plan.

Over my career, I have launched four diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) programs in four different industries, and I have often reminded myself of this story to help me get started and keep the faith that my work will bear fruit. When you start a DE&I program, there is typically little budget, no staff, and everyone wants everything fixed on day one. Things move slowly, and at times it feels as though nothing is moving. To keep momentum and track my progress, at the start of any DE&I program I remind myself and the people I'm working with to not get overwhelmed, stick to the plan, stay flexible, and realize we have been given a huge task. Much like the parent's advice in this parable, the CAPE process was designed to help you stay on task and identify which section needs to be picked up first. Not everything will get done on day one, but keep working on the piece you need to fix on that day. Walnuts will keep falling, but you can use the CAPE process, create a plan, and stick to it.

      In this chapter, I'll cover the basics of a DE&I program and talk about the two central aspects of DE&I work:

      1 Establishing a shared language for DE&I

      2 Recruitment and retention

      Throughout this chapter, you will be introduced to a model for managing the change that DE&I brings into any organization so that you can set some stakes into the ground of your DE&I work.

The Basics of Every DE&I Program

      Starting a DE&I program can feel overwhelming, a bit like that child standing at the foot of the walnut tree. Where to begin with such a huge task in front of you? Remember, this is also a big organizational shift for the company; therefore, much like the story above, start with simple tools and basics.

      The goal of any DE&I program is cultural change. To change the culture of the organization, you need a shared language and understanding of where the company is going. I recommend two simple tools. First, take a moment to make sure everyone is using the same definitions (language) for diversity, equity, and inclusion. The second is using some basic organizational change theory. I use a model of organizational change developed by Jeff Hiatt called ADKAR. I will provide a simple understanding of the change management model that will prove to be very effective.

      Shared Language (Basic Definitions)

By committing to a collective understanding of these definitions you can set expectations and know everyone is using the same fundamental understanding. Below are examples, but I would develop definitions that resonate with your company or organization.

       Diversity: What do we look like? Diversity is about reflecting the mixture of differences and similarities that we find in the world and acknowledging the related tension as we strive to develop more inclusive and high-performing environments.

       Equity: How do we treat each other and what are our policies to ensure equity? Equity is the principle of creating full access and removing barriers to participation. Equity is fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all people, while at the same time striving to identify and eliminate barriers that prevent the full participation of some groups.

       Inclusion: Why we stay? Inclusion is about making people feel welcomed and valued. Inclusion is retention.

       DE&I Change Management Model versus Diversity Training

Diversity training is part of how you create a more diverse and inclusive work environment, but it is not a solution in and of itself. A one-time training, whether it's 45 minutes or a whole day, will not change the culture of the organization or one's views. Diversity training is part of the process the company will use to create the needed change for the organization. In 2019 a Harvard Business Review article stated that virtually all Fortune 500 companies offer diversity training to their employees.¹ Despite this “since 2000, 99% of Fortune 500 companies have paid settlements in at least one discrimination or sexual harassment lawsuit, according to a report from Good Jobs First, and that's not including the cases without a public record or incidents victims didn't report.”²

So why doesn't diversity training work? The biggest challenge for diversity programs is unrealistic expectations! Think about it: It would be impossible to teach someone calculus in a one-hour session. Yet, we think a one-hour mandatory session on diversity will teach employees everything they need to know about race, ethnicity, discrimination, privilege, the LGBTQ+ community, persons with disabilities, unconscious bias, and so on. Even if you did a two-week, all-day mandatory session, you could not reasonably think all the items listed above could be taught, and no one would ever assume everyone would retain all that information.

      JASON-ISM

      One of the biggest challenges for diversity programs is unrealistic expectations.

The best way to get organizational change and create an inclusive environment is to use organizational change models and principles. The one I recommend is the ADKAR model created by Prosci founder, Jeff Hiatt.³ ADKAR is an acronym that stands for awareness, desire, knowledge, ability, and reinforcement. I've adapted Hiatt's model to address the specific needs of DE&I (Figure 2.1).

      The adaptation from a diversity-training model to a model that supports change at the organizational level is necessary because DE&I is broad, complicated, and requires lots of repetition. For example, I could have a very good understanding of race, but that would not mean I also have an equally good understanding of anything to do with people with disabilities. Moreover, even within the concept of race, an understanding of the experience of African Americans would not mean I have an understanding of the experience of Indigenous people. Each of the concepts would require its own model to increase understanding.

Figure 2.1 ADKAR® model for organizational change.

      Source: ADKAR is a registered trademark of Prosci, Inc. Used with Permission.

      Recruitment