Strategy, Tactics, and DEI
The demand for strategies that address multicultural competence and inclusion within organizations continues to increase. In this brief article, I describe the building blocks of a conceptual model of DE&I strategy for teams and organizations. In addition, I provide examples to stimulate creative thinking.
Albert Einstein stated that “Today’s problems cannot be solved with the same level of thinking that created them”. When I reflect on DEI, this quote comes to mind. Specifically, when I think about organizational blind spots related to DEI. If leaders are trying to change an organization by utilizing the same perspectives and processes that more than likely created equity gaps and problems with inclusion, they might benefit from exploring diverse solutions.
The strategy model I describe addresses four building blocks; accelerating awareness, broadening cross-cultural exposure and interdependence, cultivating an environment of continual learning and engagement, and developing cross-cultural skills that can be employed in everyday interactions.
It is important to note that this is one way. There are a variety of ways to implement DEI strategy and efforts. The problem is that sometimes the word strategy becomes mystified. It becomes a word that creates unnecessary hierarchy or confusion. To make it simple, think about each of the building block as guiding behaviors. If you read the article with that perspective, it will enable us to keep the strategy simple, yet robust.
1. Accelerate Awareness
The first step in the DEI strategy is to accelerate awareness. The notion is simple; people need to know more about inclusion, equity, diversity, and multicultural competence. Some team members may not understand these terms or baseline definitions. Getting the team or organization on board with the definitions is helpful when we begin to have a baseline understanding and shared language of what we are talking about when we discuss DEI. This step may seem elementary to some, but it is important to accelerate the awareness about the topics that are covered in DEI efforts. And by accelerate, I specifically mean ongoing learning for each member of the organization. Therefore, accelerating awareness is embedded in selection, assessment, onboarding, leader development, and firing processes.
Example: An initial tactic that we implement in our work at Legacy is an introductory workshop that addresses key components of our agreed DEI engagement and baseline definitions. This helps all stakeholders to have a clear understanding of what will be covered and what will not be covered in the DEI consulting agreement. Everything from language, definitions, potential barriers of DE&I engagements, historical context/survey, and desired end state is addressed to accelerate the overall awareness of the topics that will and will not be addressed in the engagement.
2. Broaden Cross-Cultural Exposure and Interdependence
The second building block is to find ways to broaden team members exposure to other voices. Specifically,voices that they might not have heard at this point in their DEI journey. This building block is loosely based on some of the work of Robbers Cave experiment by Sherif regarding superordinate goals. Superordinate goals are goals in which all members must participate in to achieve the desired end state. In other words, these are the types of goals that require participation from separate groups from different identities to achieve the desired goals.
Example: This could be initiated in the form of reading groups, articles, guest lectures, and specific coaching or consulting activities that foster interaction. At Legacy, we believe that the more people have opportunities to know each other beyond a transactional interaction, it will contribute to the diffusion of indifference and increase awareness of shared human values. Teams or organizations may opt to engage in off-site learning experiences that help forge opportunities for this level of collaboration and interdependence.
3. Cultivate an Environment of Inclusive Learning
Cultivating an inclusive learning environment means that members of the team or organization will continually be presented with opportunities to learn about the nuances of our cultural identities. Learning and education are ongoing but are not solely based on DEI. Our perspective is that some of the best DEI efforts are embedded in leader development. Our work at Legacy views DEI and multicultural competence as an extension of any functional or relevant leader development program. Having learning and education workshops that correspond with leader development principles is an important characteristic of any type of long-term DEI strategy. The one-off learning of DEI is not the answer to cultivating an inclusive learning environment. In many cases is feels rushed and reeks of organizational liability. If DEI is a component of leader development, and leader development is a component of being a part of the organization, DEI can become a normative component of the organization.
Example: One example of this type of cultivation is to have members of the organization come alongside subject matter experts to help facilitate the courses. Although consulting psychologists and DEI experts are important in the process, there are ways to identify and incorporate team members to partner with external consultants to facilitate an inclusive learning environment. This type of collaboration communicates to the organization that the work of DEI will go beyond the external consultant, and is a component of the embedded fabric of the organization. It is a subtle partnership, but powerful in the communication. It is also important to note that a single internal employee should not be pegged as the “DEI person”. Everyone is the “DEI person”. Everyone. Therefore, the ownership and weight of this work is not carried by a few within the organization, but all. C-suite, managers, janitors, all.
4. Develop and Employ Cross-Cultural Skills
Developing cross-cultural skills is essential to any DEI strategy. Our team uses a lengthy list of key skills that we believe are necessary for individuals and teams to possess. An example of a necessary skill would be key issues in selection and assessment. The way that a person starts with a company is important, and there should be training regarding how to interview, how to engage in appropriate testing practices, and the developing an understanding about adverse impact. Acknowledging and addressing these topics highlight organizational blind spots. Blind spots such as this could also be in the form of inappropriate group or individual interview formats or location of interviews. In addition, developing some emotional intelligence skills around cross-cultural conflict, difference in time management, or communication preferences are all cross-cultural skills that require development and implementation.
Example: Developing cross-cultural skills requires repetition. This could be done during practical exercises that are meant to simulate real-world organizational situations. This type of training allots for opportunities to help employees develop heuristic processes that contribute to more inclusive problem-solving. DEI training can’t stop at the cognitive level, it must be embodied and experiential to increase the likelihood of impact and implementation.
DEI strategy does not have to be complicated it needs to be continuous. DEI requires flexibility and engagement at all levels. It requires less finger pointing at work and more hands joining in the work. This is not idealistic. As a DEI consultant I see this happening. I see people choosing micro-interventions to combat racism rather than engaging in micro-aggressions. I see people choose strategies that think about retention and not solely recruitment. I see organizational leaders who are examining their blind spots and actively seeking ways to LEAD the initiatives instead of making them a talking point on a HR sheet.
This work is worthwhile. It is meaningful. Lean in.
Dr. Cedric Williams is a Consulting Psychologist, Assistant Professor, & CEO of Legacy Consulting & Research Group. His work and research interests are in the domains of Multicultural Competence, Emotional Intelligence, and DEI. He served as the Diversity and Inclusion Chairperson for the American Psychological Association’s Division 13, the Society of Consulting Psychology from 2020-2021. Dr. Williams provides executive coaching, assessment, and consulting services for individuals, teams, and organizations. He facilitates workshops on Multicultural Competence, Anti-Racism, and Building and Sustaining DE&I Initiatives. To inquire about speaking, executive coaching, or consulting services, please fill out the service request form below.
REFERENCES
Banks, B., Adams, D. F., Williams, C., & Pina, D. (2020). Preliminary Investigation of Efforts to improve awareness of racial microaggressions on campus. Journal of Underrepresented & Minority Progress, 4(1), 20-43. doi:10.32674/jump.v2i1
Glover, J. & Friedman, H.L. (2015). Transcultural Competence: Navigating cultural differences in the global community. American Psychological Association.
Mielach, D. (2012) Business News Daily. We can’t solve problems by usuing the same kind of thinking we used when we created them. Accessed at https://www.businessinsider.com/we-cant-solve-problems-by-using-the-same-kind-of-thinking-we-used-when-we-created-them-2012-4
Sue, D. W., Alsaidi, S., Awad, M. N., Glaeser, E., Calle, C. Z., & Mendez, N. (2019). Disarming racial microaggressions: Microintervention strategies for targets, White allies, and bystanders. American Psychologist, 74(1), 128-142. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/amp0000296
University of Oklahoma., & Sherif, M. (1961). Intergroup conflict and cooperation: The Robbers Cave experiment. Norman: University Book Exchange.
Williams, C. (2020, March 27). What is Multicultural Competence? Retrieved from https://legacycrg.com/blog/2020/blog2
Dr. Cedric Williams
Founder + CEO
Legacy Consulting & Research Group LLC
