Читать книгу Diversity and Inclusion Matters - Jason R. Thompson - Страница 11

Every company, institution, organization, or association will, at some point either realize the benefits – economic, moral, and social – of diversity, equity, and inclusion, or, in spite of its blindness, will be forced to create programs to survive. There are a lot of DE&I programs, and even more are being started every day. Unfortunately, many of them struggle to fulfill their intentions, and they make common mistakes.

To help illustrate how difficult this process can be, I like to share a story from my personal life. I have dyslexia but was not diagnosed until adulthood. Growing up, I was often told that I was a terrible reader, but my teachers and parents didn't know that I was dyslexic – and I wasn't even aware such a condition existed. Because no one knew the root of my reading troubles, I was often told to work harder on becoming a better reader. To become a better reader, I needed a bridge. It wasn't just about working harder. Identifying a problem (I was a terrible reader) is different from diagnosing it (I am dyslexic), so simply working harder was never a solution. I have worked on being a better reader and writer, but the turning point was being able to type on a computer that can identify my mistakes in real time as I make them. For example, no matter how often I type my first name, I typically misspell it. Luckily, spellcheck puts a red line under my name whenever I make an error. The computer is a bridge to better reading and writing because it helps me see the errors and the solutions. Without that bridge, I simply could not see the errors I was making.

My daily misspellings are a reminder that disconnects can cause problems everywhere. When I cannot consistently spell my name correctly, despite all the repetition, it causes me to wonder whether the disconnect is in what I see or in something that got lost between my brain and hands. These personal challenges have made me think about DE&I differently. In my work, whenever I wonder Why are so many DE&I programs struggling? I know the real question is Where is the disconnect? To become a better reader, I had to identify the root of the problem. There is still some disconnect between my brain and hands, but there are tools that help me achieve. Similarly, trying to figure out where the disconnect is between intent and impact for diversity programs has driven me to find and create the tools to bridge the disconnect. For many diversity officers, there has been a gap between theory and execution, and the recommendations haven't worked.

This book was written to help diversity professionals, corporations, small businesses, large institutions, and associations cross the bridge from theory to execution. The message from the Ivory Tower is clear: We need bridges. But the high-level theory is less clear about where or how to build the bridges your organization needs. There are a lot of books and articles on the importance of DE&I and how it can make your organization more successful, yet companies have struggled to create diverse, equitable, and inclusive workspaces. They have not found the bridge.

Instead of theory, this book will give you time-tested tools and tried-and-true techniques to help you overcome the challenges of running DE&I programs. My coaching, advice, and techniques come from thousands of hours working with the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee, major sports organizations, large corporations, tech companies, universities, and countless DE&I professionals on what is needed to build successful DE&I programs. Throughout the book, you will also find Jason-isms. Jason-isms are things that people have pointed out that I say often to illustrate a point or concept.

I recently received a copy of a book on DE&I, and after reading it, I realized everything was theory. Nothing was practical. I then looked at the author's work experience and saw that the author had never actually ever worked as a DE&I professional in any capacity. Everything in the book was summarizing other articles, but there were no actual practical examples. Like most books and articles in this space, it explained the goal but not how to get there. The resources were good, but they lacked a practical application. As a result, I have gotten regular calls from seasoned professionals, as well as individuals new to working in the DE&I space, asking me for advice and recommendations.

That is why I decided to write this book. I have taken what I learned over 25 years of working in the DE&I space in four different industries to create practical tools and offer tips for creating DE&I programs. For example, it has been well documented that DE&I programs need CEO commitment, but what does that look like? What does the CEO do to show commitment? When does this happen? How can you measure it? I will give you practical advice and tips in this book to answer questions like this and many others that are about the day-to-day tasks that DE&I leaders need to execute to be successful.

My experience and approach have evolved to become a process I call CAPE. Each letter stands for a step you need to build a DE&I program:

 C – Collect: Collect the necessary data.

 A – Analyze: Review the data to identify the problem.

 P – Plan: Create a plan to address the problem.

 E – Execute: Progress toward meeting your goals and execute on your vision.

CAPE was specifically developed for solving DE&I problems, and it allows you to build the bridge to the right programs and measure the return on investment (ROI).