Читать книгу Diversity and Inclusion Matters - Jason R. Thompson - Страница 20

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.

In 2016, a colleague that was the chief diversity officer at a very large tech company called me and said, “I have a problem, and I need your help. We sent out an email after the presidential election as we knew emotions were running high and people were very concerned about Donald Trump being the president.” My colleague told me that as soon as the email went out, they began receiving emails from African American employees. The employees were questioning why the company had not also sent out an email in support of Black Lives Matter. In exasperation, this particular chief diversity officer said, “I am getting it from all sides. I can't win.”

I could fully appreciate that my colleague felt as though their work were being criticized. Being a chief diversity officer can be very isolating. Many times other executive leaders don't understand this concept and the non-executive employees often have expectations that can't always be met. I did not want to diminish how they were feeling, but I told them, “Your program is working.” The fact that employees were contacting the chief diversity officer meant that they felt empowered to speak up. Inclusion means employees can share their concerns without retribution. It means we can talk openly about sensitive subjects like race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, ability, and many other identities and subjects. Tension is a natural part of those conversations, which is why good DE&I programs have tension.

It is not unusual to see something similar after sexual harassment training. People mistakenly think that sexual harassment training will reduce complaints because employees will stop the harassing behavior. While training can reduce occurrences of harassment, we typically see an increase in complaints after sexual harassment training. Why? Because when sexual harassment training is done correctly, it reduces the behavior of harassment, but more importantly, it signals to employees that they do not have to accept inappropriate behavior and that there is a process to protect and support them.

Effective DE&I programs have ongoing training and policies to limit bias and bad behavior, and they also have clear processes for addressing complaints. In the early stages of a DE&I program, ongoing training is proof of the organization's commitment. Cultures take time to change, so ongoing training is necessary to help employees understand the change and expectations. Once they do, employees working in inclusive cultures will let you know how they think you're doing.