By: Sher Singh
NFBPWC JDEI Chair

A new year, a new administration leading the USA. New and old statements on DEI started a couple of years now. However, over the years we have struggled with the acceptance of Diversity Equity & Inclusion. To date, companies are scrambling with fire and fury to adjust to the flavor of the day. Billionaires are removing DEI and renaming it.

We can take the largest retailer, Walmart Inc. making changes to their DEI replacing it with “Belonging.” At least 40 anti-DEI bills have been introduced in 22 states and at least seven have passed, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. Earlier this year, onegovernor banned DEI offices at public colleges and  universities,  while  another  defunded  such programs. Those of us who believe in Justice Diversity Equity Inclusion must be super creative and stay the course.

Let’s look at women in the workspace:

Companies that focus on inclusion and creating a diverse workforce tend to have lower employee turnover, a better brand reputation, and a higher likelihood of market share growth. Promoting workplace diversity, particularly through gender equity initiatives, significantly enhances a company's overall performance.

For career and organizational success, DEI can help individuals with enhanced creativity and innovation, improved problem-solving and decision-making, and increased employee engagement and morale. DEI can help with employee satisfaction and retention.

Having women on teams can help develop team processes and promote collaboration.

Research shows that teams with greater representation of women have more effective and efficient conversations, leading to enhanced knowledge sharing and skill development among team members. In general, we must also think of some of the stumbling blocks of discrimination – Ageism, racism, ableism, disabilities and LGBTQIA+

Let us look at the 7 Traits of Inclusive Leaders.

Fairness and Respect. The first step to combating bias and discrimination is recognizing and identifying it. Collaboration. Emotional and Cultural Intelligence. Empowerment and Growth. Insight. Promoting Psychological Safety. Trust Binding.

The 6 C’s for inclusive leadership:

The definition of inclusive leadership through six traits are: Commitment, Courage, Cognizance of bias, Curiosity, Cultural intelligence, and Collaboration.

The lesson? Get ahead of the narrative - Can we accomplish these actions? Yes!

I recently read an article (Author Aron Goldman) that made me take pause - it indicated 7 principles to follow:

It is not a hobby - Commit yourself to programs that incorporate JDEI – Don’t stop there - Go beyond palliatives - Build your DEI policy and overall approach collaboratively - Hold yourself accountable - Remember we are all human - Once you’ve done the work – Don’t keep it a secret.

Does DEI matter to you/me/us?

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are not only important to an organization but beneficial as well. Diversity allows for new perspectives, equity creates a fair environment and can help to provide opportunities for individuals who need it, and inclusion helps employees feel a sense of welcome and understanding.

We must champion people. Let’s champion the mission and the cause, that's leadership. That's the six E's of leadership: Envision, Enlist, Embody, Empower, Evaluate, Encourage.

dei@nfbpwc.org– Join me in this work!

SHER SINGH

NFBPWC JDEI CHAIR