CHAPTER 1
The Blueprint

The number one question I am always asked when it comes to diversity and inclusion initiatives is "How will we know we're doing the right thing?" I have been asked several versions of this question in podcasts, at conferences, on panels, by CEOs, during a fireside chat, and in educational workshops by employees.

No one wants to get this wrong. Or at least, from what I have seen, no one wants to appear as if they don't care. However, the difference between whether you actually care or whether you care more about the appearance of seeming to care makes all the difference to your success.

The first question I ask company leaders when I am tasked with advising them on their next steps is "What is your strategy?" Unfortunately, it is no longer surprising that they answer all too frequently, "We don't know."

My goal is to answer both "How do we do this right?" and "What is your strategy?" because the answers to both of these questions are related.

The concept of diversity is difficult because there isn't a one-size-fits-all solution. What works for one company will not work for another. Companies like Ben & Jerry's are being applauded for their statements, their social media presence, and their loyal customer following, and business leaders want to be that company, but aren't willing to do the work it takes to get there. Instead, there is a belief that diversity is minimal, and inclusion is elusive. Business leaders make excuses and use them as a shield to absolve them of their duty as leaders to do the work.

Ben & Jerry's Exceeds the Bar

On April 18, 2016, the cofounders of Ben & Jerry's were arrested on the steps of the U.S. Capitol Building as part of a group of activists who were fighting for a better democracy. Right before they were arrested, Ben is quoted as saying, "The history of our country is that nothing happens until people start putting their bodies on the line and risk getting arrested."

In an interview with CNBC in June 2020, CEO Matthew McCarthy said, "Business should be held accountable to setting very specific targets, specifically around dismantling white supremacy in and through our organizations." He also said, "In businesses, in a lot of ways, you treasure what you measure. You measure what you treasure. If you don't put goals around these things, they simply don't happen."

Ben & Jerry's operates on a three-part mission that aims to create linked prosperity for everyone connected to their business: suppliers, employees, farmers, franchisees, customers, and neighbors alike. They have an economic mission to manage their company for sustainable financial growth, a social mission to use their company in innovative ways to make the world a better place, and a product mission to make fantastic ice cream. They are clear in those missions and ensure everyone else is too.

Their FAQ page answers questions like "What is Criminal Justice Reform?" and "Why would reforming cash bail be a good thing?" They post articles on their website that help people find their polling place, advocate for women's equality, and discuss racism in America.

Neither Ben nor Jerry have been shy about taking a stand and they are well known for creating ice cream flavors with big chunks, swirls, and textures that resonate around the world.

Some of those excuses include:

• Diversity doesn't work.
• I don't see color.
• We just hire the best without regard to gender or race.
• We don't want to lower the bar on job requirements.

I find these statements to be troublesome. At best they are ignorant, and at worst they build barriers to diversity by creating a culture where the status quo is acceptable. These statements create roadblocks to innovation by stifling the ability of leaders to harness the creativity of their workforce by restricting diversity.

These excuses stem from failing to be clear on your strategy. What is your motivation for wanting to take action? Do you have an authentic desire to change or is this a publicity stunt to placate your employees, customers, and investors?

The excuses also stem from failing to define organization values and align strategic diversity outcomes to those values. Do you know what you stand for as an organization? Do your employees know? Are you clear on which behaviors you will not tolerate in the workplace? Without a clear understanding of your organization's core values, it's impossible to embed effective diversity strategies into your systems and processes. Chapter 3 further discusses the establishment of values and how that relates to real organizational change.

Failure to create accountability in your senior leadership team is yet another area that cultivates these excuses. Do your leaders have clarity on what is expected of them and what their role is in creating an inclusive workplace? Do they know what level of ownership they have?

Have resources been allocated? Commitment goes beyond words. We focus on the failure to allocate time, energy, and dollars, but the failure to allocate decision-making power is often overlooked. Without the ability to hold others accountable, your policies and procedures have no teeth.

Doing "the right thing" is difficult when you don't have information to direct your actions. The excuses that leaders rely on also stem from a failure to obtain data and create achievable metrics. How do you know if the needle moved when you don't know where it was when you began?

The Framework of the Blueprint

I work to remove barriers and reduce bias as a mission, but my mission is only successful when yours is too. The blueprint I work from is my own strategy that, when applied across the commonalities of business, provides a place from which to measure how close you are to achieving your goal. In my experience working with thousands of employees at companies around the globe, I have encountered common themes, common challenges, and common solutions that run across industries, across company sizes, and across cultures.

The basic framework is the same for each organization, whether you have one hundred employees or one hundred thousand. Where the difference lies is in the implementation. With the opportunity to observe actions and behaviors, as well as to begin to recognize the mindsets that drive them, I have been able to classify companies into four main levels or phases: Awareness, Alignment, Action, and Advocacy.

The categories collectively characterize the practices, policies, and procedures that an organization needs to address and the order in which to do it. While the concepts around diversity and inclusion may come from a U.S.-centric lens, they are applicable globally. I also use the term "inclusive workplace" to refer to the concept that company leaders must create a culture that is accepting of individual differences. However, when you consider the vast number of dimensions of diversity in the Four Layers model (see Figure 1.1), you can see they influence each other, which is why intersectionality is so important (but I'm getting ahead of myself). That convergence and influence of dimensions is what can make this work seem difficult, and as you'll hear me say repeatedly, "Complex doesn't have to mean difficult and it definitely isn't impossible."

You've probably also heard it said that you cannot have inclusion without diversity, but you cannot have an inclusive workplace culture without an organization that respects the diversity of the individuals, acknowledges the value that diversity brings to the organization, and actively works to ensure all employees within the organization are included in the practices, policies, and procedures of the workplace.

FIGURE 1.1 The Four Layers of Diversity.

Sources: Lee Gardenswartz and Anita Rowe, Diverse Teams at Work, 2nd Edition (Society for Human Resource Management, 2003); Adapted from Marilyun Loden and Judy Rosener, Workforce America (Business One Irwin, 1991).

Awareness

The Awareness phase is the starting point for any organization's journey into diversity, equity, and inclusion. The goal is to become aware of the current state of your organization. It sounds much simpler than it is because this phase informs your strategy. It provides guidance and direction by surfacing the challenges to increasing diversity and creating inclusion while simultaneously offering evidence of what is working and what you should do more of.

Obtaining the data and the artifacts that will drive your pursuit of greater awareness can be done through several means. Surveys, focus groups, townhall meetings, feedback/suggestion boxes, and interviews can be used independently or in concert with one another to create a robust vehicle for listening to your employees.

This phase is not all about data and metrics. In each phase, there is an overarching need for education and communication. When working to "wake up" your organization leaders and employees as a whole, transparency of decisions being made is just as important as requesting feedback, while foundational diversity, equity, and inclusion concepts help stakeholders begin to see how their...