Are Your Leadership Ideals Creating Barriers to Increasing Diversity?
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In a perfect world there would be no more hunger. In reality, about 690 million people worldwide go to bed hungry each night.
Achieving a position where there’s no more hunger is an ideal which is aspirational. It is what something would look like at its highest standard. Reality, on the other hand, is what it looks like today. Here are some famously historic ideals:
This was heard in Lincoln's Gettysburg address...
"Government of the people, by the people, for the people."
This is a phrase from the Declaration of Independence...
"Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
This is an ideal etched into the Statue of Liberty...
"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free."
Just as these examples are ideals for an envisioned nation, on the roadmap to increasing diversity within organizations there are also many ideals. I believe that for too many leaders it is challenging to see the reality of their organization because they are stuck in a rosy ideal. And digging one’s heels in the mud on an ideal does nothing to change the current reality. As a matter of fact, it further damages the reality and decreases retention as employees continue to express disdain and ultimately leave the company.
Specifically, there are three main ideals upon which leaders fixate that create blind spots to seeing the current reality for what it is: (1) we believe in a culture of inclusivity and belonging, (2) we embrace diversity, and (3) our employees are our most valuable asset.
This problem is akin to the challenge of fixating upon an ideal of “I’m a good person,” that it blinds leaders from the reality of the policies, practices and behaviors with which leaders comply that continue to preserve outcomes that disenfranchise historically underrepresented populations. Let’s take a moment to unpack these examples of ideals and realities observed in many workplaces.
Ideal: We believe in a culture of inclusivity and belonging. Reality: Non-white employees have expressed concern over not having a voice at our company.
Think about it this way. I often hear companies speak about their amazing company culture and then I hear from employees from underrepresented backgrounds who are not experiencing this amazing culture. It could be because of their business unit, department, or manager creating its own culture of exclusion or favoritism, or it could be because of the prevalence of bias baked into the way the company is ran, overall. Ask yourself who gets to feel this sense of being included? Which populations within the organization have indicated that they feel most like they belong? Pay attention to the results.
Ideal: We embrace diversity. Reality: 100% of our senior leadership team identifies as heterosexual, White, and male.
Think about it this way. Being underrepresented at a company comes with its own challenges and often it means not seeing yourself represented at the top. How much visible diversity can be observed? When you look at the data, what does it indicate about the homogeneity of your organization? Also, the length of time there has been no representation in senior leadership as well as throughout the organization also shapes the reality that many employees experience.
Ideal: Employees are our most valuable asset. Reality: The turnover rate is above industry standard for women of color. The number one stated reason for leaving due to the perception of a glass ceiling at our company.
Image Credit: LinkedIn Talent Blog
Think about it this way. Which groups of employees are looked upon as so valuable that they gain first access at new opportunities? Observe how opportunities are accessed at all levels of the company. Pay close attention to the reality behind how the most coveted positions get filled and the qualifications necessary to get into those roles. Pay close attention to who gets passed over for opportunity whether it be lateral or promotional. Observe who gets recognized at the company and the reasons for recognition. This is all an indication of who gets to experience feeling like a valued asset.
In order to increase diversity in your workplace, leaders must move the needle from the current reality toward the ideal. Here are a few steps to help your organization reposition itself:
Step #1: Use Data. Rather than forcing your employees to embrace your ideal, focus more on helping your leaders see and acknowledge the current reality. As often as possible, use data. Whether its an employee wide engagement survey, or data that shows demographic hiring outcomes, data is one of the best tools to make any enterprise wide changes. As a leader, your ability to see, acknowledge and take accountability for the current environment is your organization’s starting block. Reaching the ideal is the goal. Your team could even take SurveyMonkey’s free Belonging Survey. They’ve created a survey template that focuses on three key components of inclusion: growth mindset, belonging, and objectivity. Each component is based on research by Stanford University experts Carol Dweck, Greg Walton, and Geoffrey Cohen.
Step #2: Take all your employees on the journey. Be honest and transparent about the current realities of specific underrepresented populations (based on the data in step #1) and ask all employees to contribute ideas to improve. Encourage all employees to be allies. You’d be amazed at the number of ideas your employees have in moving from the current reality to an ideal. Create a committee to review ideas and amplify those most aligned to your goals.
Step #3: Create a roadmap and take action. The best time to have the map is before entering the woods. The same is true when taking on new initiatives like increasing diversity. Just as important as it is to recognize your starting block and to know where you are going, it is equally important to know how you plan to get there and by when. Leverage internal expertise or consultants to help you to prioritize and implement the ideas that were approved by the committee. Once the map is developed, publish it company wide and invite employees to hold the organization accountable for its commitment.
No one ever said that reaching an ideal would be easy. It is not. It is hard work. Want to know what else is hard work? Backfilling positions, fixing a bruised employer brand or reputation, and/or paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in lawsuits from disenfranchised employees. So, think of these steps as preventative measures that not only benefit you, but everyone.
What are some additional ideas you recommend to help leaders move from a current reality to it’s ideal?
Join the conversation in the comments.
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