You are a dynamic leader in an organization that is trying to center Diversity/Equity/Inclusion/Justice. You recognize this is a challenging (though rewarding) process and know that you can do better, faster if you choose the right help. You have limited bandwidth and have seen diversity initiatives fizzle out due to staff feeling overwhelmed. You know that soliciting support is how you demonstrate your commitment to sustainable, enduring change.
Commitments to help your organization change
I’m here to help you! When I work with your leadership team, we will start by establishing shared understandings and commitments. See below to get a sense of how we can work together to center Diversity/Equity/Inclusion/Justice from the start. If these speak to you, contact me so we can get started!
commitment #1
Unequal systems exist. We are not here to discuss whether inequities are an issue in the world. They are. Instead, we are here to establish an action plan to uproot them in your workplace in order to better serve your mission. We commit to the necessary reflections and open conversation needed to make sure we do not get detoured by questioning this fact. (From Got Green)
commitment #2
There is a power differential in the room, both hierarchical and social. To support open and honest communication without fear of repercussions, we commit to valuing lived experience as much as or over hierarchical power for these conversations. (I.e. we agree women know more about sexism in the workplace than men do, and therefore their voices must be heard more loudly and regularly, even if that means the male CEO listens more than he talks.)
commitment #3
Meetings are for setting strategy and moving forward; they are not professional development workshops. We commit to learning on our own or in groups outside the meetings, then bringing that learning into the meetings to inform our strategy.
commitment #4
We commit to centering the experiences of nondominant populations in the workplace, not of the reactions of dominant folks to learning about the experiences of nondominant folks in the workplace.
commitment #5
This work takes time and resources. In order to support those folks who are tackling this challenge, we commit to resourcing this work appropriately, both for direct expenses like workshops and trainers (and strategic planners), and indirect expenses like staff time to attend meetings and engage in necessary professional development. This also means having conversations with supervisors about work that comes OFF people’s plates as necessary to sufficiently allocate time and capacity to do this work well. Without this, you will likely run out of steam and your efforts will halt very quickly.
