DE&I Correction
Sharing my rough ideas
I have tried my best not to wade into the discourse about DE&I being dead or the possibility of reshuffling or amending the letters of DE&I to enable impact. On the latter point, that is like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic: futile, pointless and reductive. As practitioners, our energy is best spent elsewhere, such as creating shared meaning and language around DE&I, not throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Yikes, these aphorisms are getting a little out of hand.
Regarding the main point, is DE&I dead? Well, no, merely because it is impossible - where there are people, there will forever be people fighting for justice in society and organisational practices to support disenfranchised people. My lukewarm take on the organisational shift is that the foundation upon which DE&I was built was questionable (in most instances) at best or faulty. You can not build DE&I only on optics (they matter) or when societal events happen. It will not lead to long-term system change or behavioural change, as we saw post-George Floyd. IMO, this reactionary DE&I reinforces the idea of quick wins and low-hanging fruit-style DE&I through inflated budgets and an emphasis on marketing. The long-term consequence is the DE&I department being viewed as a negative cost centre, further heightening scrutiny and criticism. Is this fair? Absolutely not; are other departments running as negative cost centres? Yes. However, the uniqueness of the DE&I department is the lack of process ownership, so it is easily viewed as unnecessary and extractable.
So what is happening now:
Rescoping and reframing DE&I through meaningful data and actions focusing on systems change over hearts and minds - we have all been trained within an inch of existence.
DE&I leadership is being hit, but I am sorry to say that many DE&I leaders lack the correct background and credentials to drive change. Marketing expertise will only get you so far, and being a social justice warrior in the C-Suite is incompatible.
Holistic DE&I, gone are the days of ‘fixing the problems’ of one group and then focusing on other communities later. The focus is now on holistic initiatives that lift all boats like a rising tide.
🔊 Spread the word
So, with all your newly acquired knowledge, how about taking me for an outing on LinkedIn or stunting on a colleague? Don’t forget, likes are free, so press my buttons…
Currently Vibing
📚 The Eternal Ones - Namina Forna
I don’t know if it is the book or if it is me; I have not taken this long to read a book in years. I initially loved this series and enjoyed the world-building; however, as we hit the finale, it is not hitting. The pacing and characters feel so one-dimensional, and the existential dread feels incredibly oddly paced; one minute, it feels impending, and the next, they have a month. I don’t know, but I am thinking of switching this out and reading something else to get my reading mojo back…sorry, but I'm also very bored with this book.
📹 Anatomy of a Fall
Can Sandra Hüller make a bad film, actually?! Every film I have watched with them as a lead has been fantastic. Not to note, I absolutely love Toni Erdman (if you can make a 3-hour comedy that is funny, WOW). What struck me with Anatomy of a Fall is the complexity of relationships and how everything is a bit messy - even those in a relationship only know half the story. This is for you if you are into the courtroom and domestic life tales. If you don’t like that but also enjoy delving into the internal lives of others, this is for you. Basically, watch this film!
🎧 Flo - Walk Like This
I have been a big fan of Flo since Cardboard Box, and they are nothing but creatively consistent. They are not reinventing the wheel, however newness does not equates to greatness. As a group, they are a three-part harmony group inspired by 90s and 00s RnB. The overall result so far has been fun, glossy, and on point. If this is your era or musical style, definitely give them a listen.