Jason R. Thompson - Diversity and Inclusion Matters

The DE&I field is crowded now. The last year has seen companies invest in DE&I in ways never imagined by those of us who have been in the trenches a bit longer. But the reality is that change is remarkably slow. While it is great to see more diversity in marketing campaigns and to hear about companies creating more developmental and celebratory programs, sustainability remains elusive. The real work involves the day-to-day management, accountability, and investment in driving that cultural shift that normalizes and empowers diverse perspectives and people at all levels of the organization. Diversity and Inclusion Matters outlines how to get the real work done and accomplished in a way that allows it to live well beyond changing CDOs or business priorities. Investing in this goal goes well beyond investing in your company's agenda. It's an investment in your own success and, if applied thoughtfully, the success of future professionals and the culture. As my trusted colleague, friend, and someone I continue to call for guidance and perspective, Jason has created this book with a voice reflecting empathy, intellectual curiosity, and expertise I trust implicitly. I hope you enjoy it and get as much out of it as I have. I wish you the best of luck on your journeys. You have the right companion piece by your side.

Pa'lante,

Renee E. Tirado, Esq.

Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.

—James A. Baldwin

When my daughter Piper was in her second year of college, she came to me and said, “Dad, look at this!” Piper put a makeup advertisement under my nose and said, “This makeup company makes twenty shades of makeup for White people and only four shades of brown! This company needs a diversity and inclusion program!” We both laughed, but the reality of this statement hit too close to home. For my daughter, her brown skin is both beautiful and a reminder of the work we need to do.

This experience with my daughter was an example of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I), both literally and metaphorically. DE&I work is about more than four shades of brown. The makeup ad provides an entry point to the framework I use to think about diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Using the ad, I considered the company that developed the makeup and asked myself some questions related to DE&I.

Diversity: Were any of the company's employees from non-dominant ethnic groups, genders, or countries? Did anyone working on this ad or product line have brown skin?

Equity: Did any of the employees of the company realize the disparity in the ad?

Inclusion: If so, did they believe they could speak up?

I also wondered about the process this company used to make decisions. Was there a group of employees who sat together in a room to approve the ad? Was it possible that a group of employees saw the ad, and everyone agreed that there were only four shades of brown skin? Did they decide that four shades were all that was needed for people with brown skin, but twenty variations were needed for White people? Did they give any thought to the many different cultures in the world and how they use makeup?

DE&I work is about pointing out these types of disparities and developing solutions.

The challenge is not simply to develop an equal number of shades for people with brown skin. Rather, it is to change a company's culture so employees can recognize the disparity and see the opportunity. The more I thought about this experience with my daughter, the more I began to think about the opportunity that DE&I brings to companies. When companies have a great product and start to think there are more than four shades of brown , they expand their perspective and, therefore, their potential for success.

I wanted to do this work because it was a way to let people know there are more than four shades of brown, so to speak. The world is a diverse place full of people with different skin tones, identities, backgrounds, and experiences. Inclusion is about developing a culture that prevents moments like the one my daughter pointed out and about realizing that developing more than four shades of brown is an opportunity to expand a company's customer base.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion have become an imperative for nearly every major corporation, educational institution, and government agency in the United States, as well as globally. The many calls for substantial systemic change and protests supporting social justice in the United States require that all organizations and institutions must do more than make pledges – they must install the practices that make real change. To introduce you to your first Jason-ism: Audio must match video .

Audio must match video.

Matching audio with video is part of the landscape for change to achieve your DE&I goals. It means that the verbal commitments a company makes must be in sync with the company's actions. Words alone aren't enough; they need to be followed up with a financial commitment. An article on the McKinsey & Company website titled “It's a start: Fortune 1000 companies commit $66 billion to racial-equity initiatives” 1 shows that there are now major financial commitments to align with the statements to advance racial equity. This is a great start and points to much-needed change.

As a result of the growing importance of DE&I, the number of job postings for DE&I positions continue to rise globally. As Figure 1.1shows, the United Kingdom saw an incredible increase of 106% from 2018 to 2019. 2

Even more recently, CNBC reported an even greater demand for these positions in the United States, stating, “Demand is rising for chief diversity officers across the U.S., with job postings for diversity and inclusion roles on Glassdoor up 55% since early June 2020 when the conversation around racial tensions – and corporate America's response – took center stage.” 3 In early 2021, Bloomberg reported that job postings for chief diversity officers were up 75%. 4

Figure 1.1 YoY Percent Growth of DE&I Job Postings on Glassdoor.

Source: Redrawn from data from Gilchrist, 2020.

This demand has created an even greater need and urgency for tools, such as the CAPE process. It is a tool you will be able to use for your continued success and benefit from the return on investment that results from it. The upward trend in chief diversity officer position openings is indicative of the importance corporations are putting on the need to be socially responsible and have a diverse workforce.

What does it mean to have a diverse workforce? It simply means that your workplace looks like the world we live in, meaning it will share the same tension around politics, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and so on. A company with a good DE&I program is one in which people feel empowered to speak up, in spite of the tension. Even successful DE&I programs have tension because people don't always agree on issues or policies. Sometimes that will make you feel as though you aren't doing a good enough job. Let me provide you with an example of how tension is a necessary part of DE&I.

Good DE&I programs are not without tension. DE&I programs will have tension because inclusive and equitable work cultures create an environment where people can speak up and disagree without retribution. I am more concerned when no one speaks up on contentious issues.