Читать книгу The Anti-Racist Organization - Shereen Daniels - Страница 17

Everyone assumed that the death of George Floyd officially started the global race to equality, with everyone else coming out of the gates hard and fast. But that wasn't the case.

Yes, some did, for a variety of reasons – some personal, some not. Yet it actually serves no purpose to ruminate on this in an attempt to explain away the delay in taking action, other than seeking reassurance that other companies are lagging too.

The other point to note is that even though some companies did start their journey earlier, that doesn't necessarily mean they're ahead of the curve. Speed doesn't equate to depth of understanding and quality of action. Thoughtful action is better than knee‐jerk statements and aspirational goals that sound good but don't actually effect change in the long run.

Think about where your company was in the summer of 2020. What actions did you take? How much time, money and resources have you dedicated to this so far? To what extent has it made a difference? How would your Black colleagues respond to these questions?

Think about where your company is today. How much has changed? What are some of the conversations you're having now? Where are the challenges? What is stopping you from realising your ambitions to be seen as a company that is taking this seriously?

Whilst timing or speed doesn't necessarily equate to a better outcome, by the same token, claiming you are too busy or there is too much activity in your corporate calendar to give this the attention it needs is a delaying tactic your colleagues and stakeholders can see through. If people and culture are the bedrock of your company, then anything detrimental to the psychological and physical safety of your workforce needs to be addressed and prioritised.

Doesn't it?

We really want to do something about this, but my organization is not quite ready. I need to do more to convince them. I'm embarrassed to say it, but I'm being honest. This is what I'm dealing with.

Global chief diversity and inclusion officer, 2021

So in this case, timing doesn't necessarily equate to a better outcome. Yet by the same token, claiming you are too busy or there is too much activity in your corporate calendar to give this the attention it needs is a delay tactic your colleagues and shareholders can see right through.

Like most things in business, it's not always about what you did or didn't do. It's the why behind it that makes all the difference.

Whether you did a little bit of something or a whole lot of nothing, can you articulate why that was? Does your reason sound plausible? And if you had your time again, would you have done the same thing?

It suddenly struck me just how white my leadership board is. I'm embarrassed to say this but I never really noticed it before.

Founder and CEO, 2021