Unity Centric Values to drive Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in our Workplaces

Our increasing awareness of climate injustice, coupled with the world-wide Black Lives Matter protests in recent years, have been drawing forth values into our collective that emerge from the ground of our shared existence.

Our witness together of the stark inequalities present in our society has evoked a call from our depths for the values of truth, peace, social justice, and dignity for all. 

Values such as these are universal. They emerge from our essence, and are expressions of the inherent unity underlying each of our unique lives.

Some of us may call these authentic, essential, or core values. Others of us may call them spiritual, faith, or soul values. By whatever pointing term we may refer to, these values are unity-centric – they emerge from and serve the interrelated and interconnected nature of the whole of life, of which we are each a part. 

Not one of us can be a fully evolved human being until all of us are equally granted equity of opportunity for self actualisation.  In service to the integrity of the whole, unity-centric values call for a united stand for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging for all, in all spheres of life, including in our workplaces.  

We all want to work in an environment where people can be fully seen, heard and valued. Where our differences are welcomed and celebrated. Where everyone has an equal chance to succeed.

Yet, the real inequities that exists in our societies also exists in many of our organisations.

In recent years we are seeing a surge in organisations commendably taking ownership, stepping up, and making strides by turning diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) pledges into clear actionable strategies, policies, practices, and living action plans.

The challenge for many organisational leaders is driving meaningful and sustainable change long-term into the future.

Many of us advocating for some time for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in the workplace quote from consistent findings in research that continue to demonstrate how a diverse workforce is critical to every organisation’s innovation, performance and success.

We very rightly advocate for change by highlighting that DEI also encourages greater employee engagement, increases job satisfaction, and leads to better business outcomes.

These are all very important and valuable drivers, and absolutely necessary to be included as part of our conversations.

However, as someone interested in the root causes of human behavioural change, we know that any real and lasting shift in our society emerges from a re-orientation of the inner place from which we operate first.  

Albert Einstein is often quoted as saying that no problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.

This means we need to examine and transform our underlying causal intentions, values and beliefs if we are to drive the much needed change in our workplaces for DEI long-term into the future.

Recent neuroscience research reveals that our values influence how we perceive, decide and act. Executive centres in our brain that drive creative problem solving switch on when we are living true to what matters most to us. 

In this article I propose a solution, which is within every leader’s and career professional’s reach.

For real transformation to emerge, I propose that we as CEOs, HR leaders, organisational leaders, and career professionals, first need to be willing to go back to the source, and inquire into the original intention for our work.

We need to uncover the true intention and purpose of our work, and open to the ever emerging potential for our organisation to be agents for peace, unity, and social transformation.

There is an innate impulse in our human conscience that always calls us to live in accordance with our most essential values. I’m persuaded that our work for DEI in our workplaces is a form of just peace work, and that what is needed is for more of us to welcome the universal values for equity, peace, and wellbeing for all, into our hearts.

It is only then, when our work, our business, our NGO, our enterprise are offered as agents of peace, in service to the real needs of the whole, that these unity-centric values can come fully alive, and this is what will drive real systemic diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging for the benefit of all current and future generations.

I’m persuaded that this is the real impetus, the fuel, that will ensure real systemic equity will be at the forefront of our consciousness now, and long-term into the future.

If we choose not to return to the source of our intention for our work, if we choose not to embrace values that support our belonging to each other as one human earth family – we will miss an opportunity for evolution, and we will return to the same ‘business as usual’ individualistic values and mindset of separation that has caused the division and inequities in the first place.

We understand that diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging is a long-term journey for any organisation to truly embody across all the categories of under-representation and marginalisation.

Yet it is also time—past time, for us to do the systemic work of building justice, equality, inclusion and belonging for all.

Bryan Stevenson, American Lawyer, Social Justice Activist and Founder/Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative states so eloquently: “We cannot be full evolved human beings until we care about human rights and basic dignity. That all of our survival is tied to the survival of everyone.” [1]

We are still in the movement for equality and freedom that many of our ancestors have stood up for before us. As we each contribute our part to DEI in our workplaces, I believe great souls like Harriet Tubman, Javed Abidi, Rosa Parks, Harvey Milk, Susan B Anthony, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jnr are walking by our side reminding us even now that ‘justice too long delayed is justice denied.’ [2] 

In reading these statistics, do you feel a sense that justice is too long delayed in our workplaces?

• While the Fortune 500 is making progress when it comes to Black leadership, only eight Fortune 500 companies have a Black CEO. That’s just 1.6%.[3] 
• The 2023 report on closing the global gender gap indicates that it will take 131 years to close the global gender gap. [4]
• Although 90% of companies claim to prioritise diversity, only 4% consider disability in those initiatives. [5] 
• While LGBTQ+ women make up 2.3 percent of entry level employees, they comprise only 1.6 percent of managers and even smaller shares of more senior levels. [6] 
• In 2022, the overall or national unemployment rate in Ireland was 8%, while the unemployment rate for Ireland’s Indigenous Travellers Community it was 61%. The unemployment rate for American Indians and Alaska Natives was 11.1 percent in January 2022, much higher than the rate of 4.0 percent for the overall population. As a matter of urgency, we must commit to addressing the scale of the socio-economic exclusion for Indigenous people. [7].
• Transgender adults are twice as likely as cisgender adults to be unemployed. More than half of transgender employees say they are not comfortable being out at work. Two-thirds remain in the closet in professional interactions outside their own companies. [8] 
• The unemployment rate for the blind and visually impaired stands at over 70%. [9] 
• In April 2024, the veteran unemployment rate was 3.2%, up from 2.2% the prior year. [10]

Individual and collective cultural and structural shifts are needed to address the deeply ingrained attitudes, behaviours, policies and processes that perpetuate inequity in our society. 

Exemplary leaders at this time are embracing the honest and vulnerable inner work that’s needed to re-assess our personal worldview and values, and our organisation’s values, and witness how these values have been guiding the perceptions, decisions, behaviours and company culture up to now. 

Many leaders are listening, learning, unlearning, and engaging in connected heart-felt conversations on racism, power, privilege, and inequality – understanding that we are all part of each other.

Every DEI strategy must be multi-faceted, planned and phased in it’s approach and implementation. Touchpoints like the following are important to be included into an organisational wide approach: 

1. First and foremost, in the pursuit of cultivating an inclusive and equitable workplace, a pivotal initial step involves securing buy-in, commitment, and support from your organisation’s senior leadership team to champion DEI efforts. 

2. As an organisation, you need to meticulously define the diversity profile of your organisation.

Define the diverse characteristics that your organisation will report on. This may include gender, ethnicity, race, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, socio economic background, faith, cultural background, nationality, education, language proficiency, veteran status, and other diverse characteristics.  

Track workplace demographics and representation levels across your organisation.  It is important to track representation throughout the employee lifecycle journey, and across all levels of the organisation, including representation at leadership positions. 

Research the demographics of people in your local community to check for data gaps.  Stay up to date on emerging diverse characteristics and trends. For example with the rise of remote and hybrid work in recent years, tracking diversity in work arrangements ensures that policies and practices are inclusive of employees working in different locations and schedules.

Robust DEI Data helps you:

• Identify, discern and address if there are any underlying Structural Barriers within the workplace that impede the advancement of underrepresented groups.
• Design Fair processes and procedures for all individuals in your organisation.
• Proactively Mitigate Pay Gaps and other compensation disparities, to enable to you to foster an environment of equal compensation for equivalent work
• Foster the development of enhanced working practices, including the implementation of flexible work arrangements and supportive environments tailored to meet the diverse needs of employees.
• Create Resource Allocation plans to ensure resources are present where they are most needed.
• Craft an DEI Strategy and Action Plan: Knowing the diversity profile of your organisation also helps you to determine the specific organisational DEI challenges to enable leaders to design a relevant DEI strategy.

3. Building upon the insights garnered from the diversity profile of the organisation, DEI Leaders are more empowered to create an overarching organisational DEI strategy, including an action plan, initiatives, accountability measures, and a sustained budget dedicated towards it’s implementation.

Get your DEI strategy reviewed and approved by your legal representative, and that all your initiatives are lawful and compliant with your jurisdiction’s laws. Ask your legal representative and DEI leadership team ensure that all of your organisations DEI initiatives are focused on levelling the playing field, promoting equity of opportunity for all your employees, and that none of the initiatives you design are at risk of being a form of reverse discrimination.

4. Empower your organisation’s leaders to take ownership of their DEI responsibilities by fostering a culture of accountability among leaders in fulfilling their DEI responsibilities. Provide requisite resources and education, and be strategic about when and how you provide leaders with communication reports on DEI to amplify the impact.

Keep your leaders up to date on legalities around DEI. Support leaders to clearly articulate the purpose of DEI initiatives, emphasising the goal of equity and fairness for all employees, not just specific groups. Grant them the training and resources to be able to educate all employees on the benefits of a diverse and inclusive workplace, including the positive impact on creativity, innovation, and overall company performance.

5. Conduct a structured broad review of your organisations compensation structure, including a fairness analysis to ensure there is pay equity regardless of race, gender, disability, and background.

6. Consider creating a DEI committee/steering group to help drive your organisation’s agenda, and innovate ways to encourage and invite staff involvement across your organisation.

7. Consider inviting DEI allies within our organisation, including from the senior leadership team.

8. Consider appointing a DEI leader or team to advancing your organisations strategic direction in the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion. 

9. Consider creating a DEI strategy in every department to guide employees on how they can directly contribute to helping the organisation promote equity, diversity and inclusion.

10. Ensure your organisation has Employee Resource Groups, with allocated budget to each to both support their activities and contribute to their evolution. Support ERGs to provide a space for different groups to share experiences and support each other while also promoting cross-group collaboration and understanding.

11. Ensure your office building, or buildings, are accessible for colleagues with disabilities and that you have access to support across a wide range of needs, like physical desk setup, mobility support, and assistive technology.  Consider creating an internal content library with localised articles and guidance to increase disability awareness across your workforce.

12. Consider creating diversity and inclusion educational training programmes to explore objectives, implicit bias, unconscious bias, cultural bias, reverse discrimination, and and the importance of diverse perspectives. This training should be centred in empathy, non judgement, and psychological safety,  and made mandatory for all employees to ensure a shared understanding and commitment to DEI principles.

13. Guide managers to build strong and healthy relationships with their team in a way that serves to set the right foundation for greater trust and psychological safety for all employees. Develop and maintain transparent performance evaluation processes and feedback processes that apply to all employees.

14. Review your talent management processes, including recruiting, succession planning, and performance management. Identify and name the types of unconscious bias that can come into play in each of thee distinct processes. Train hiring managers how to identify these biases, and mitigate them.

15. Ensure you have DEI principles at the heart of your recruitment strategy. When I work with clients I typically propose 25-30 ways in which inclusive hiring principles can be embedded more fully into your organisations recruitment strategy. 

16. Ensure your learning and career development initiatives are fair and equitable for all your staff. Design programs that provide opportunities for underrepresented groups without explicitly disadvantaging others. For instance, mentorship programs can be open to all but targeted in ways that particularly supports those from underrepresented backgrounds.

17. Consider creating clear entry pathways built into the organisation for example work experience, paid internships, apprenticeships and graduate schemes. Ensure DEI principles are at the heart of these programmes.

18. Demonstrate care for all your employees through your employee initiatives including flexible work policy, maternity/paternity leave, fertility/adoption benefits, and wellness programmes. Have holistic wellbeing and mental health programmes in place for all colleagues. Include awareness and support in acknowledgement of the effects that trauma and internalised oppression can have on marginalised groups of individuals. 

19. Consider being transparent in your annual DEI progress reports. Openly reflecting on the progress you have made, the work you have underway and the opportunities where your organisation still have room to learn and grow.

20. Celebrate diverse cultures, backgrounds, and perspectives through events, communications, and recognition programs that highlight the contributions of all employees.

21. Evaluate inclusion through employee surveys, focusing on key areas that drive feelings of inclusivity. Ask colleagues for their input on the effectiveness and fairness of your DEI initiatives. Ensure employee confidentiality to generate high-quality data. When employees transparently see the outcomes firsthand, they will be more likely to share their honest feedback on future surveys so it is important to develop a plan to communicate aggregated survey results and outline the intended next  step actions following the survey.

22. Use the feedback to continuously refine and improve DEI strategies, ensuring they remain fair and effective in promoting equity.

23. Foster a commitment to stay up to date with emerging innovations in DEI in the workplace, while fostering an organisation culture that cultivates psychological safety, inclusion, belonging, and trust.

In a conversation on diversity and inclusion such as this, it would be anthropocentric of me to exclude an honouring of the rights of Nature for diversity, equality and inclusion.

The ecological diversity of the living earth is another expression of life’s diversity, and wholly interconnected with our social diversity.

We are becoming increasingly aware of our interdependence on Nature and our ethical responsibility to respect, protect and support to the Earth to regenerate the diversity of her species in our local workplace community.

Challenging inequalities both within and without is a central focus for all companies who want to protect human rights and earth rights, and help to build a fair and inclusive society. 

I look forward to continuing to learn from each other in the times ahead as we work together for diversity, inclusion, equality and belonging in our workplaces and beyond.

Endnotes:

[1] Bryan Stevenson is the Founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative, an American lawyer, a social justice activist, and a law professor at New York University School of Law. Quoted, with permission, a phrase from Bryan Stevenson’s Ted Talk, 2012: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2tOp7OxyQ8

[2] Quote by Dr. Martin Luther King Junior: https://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html

[3] Fortune.com: https://fortune.com/2024/02/09/black-ceos-fortune-500-high-workplace-diversity/

[4] World Economic Forum: https://www.weforum.org/videos/global-gender-gap-report-general-audience/

[5] Time Magazine: https://time.com/6246262/businesses-must-be-inclusive/

[6] McKinsey & Company: https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/how-the-lgbtq-plus-community-fares-in-the-workplace#

[7] a) Irish Indigenous People, Traveller Community: https://www.inou.ie/analysis/e-bulletin/2023/12/08/census-2022-key-statistics/

[7] b) American and Alaska Indigenous People: https://www.bls.gov/blog/2022/bls-now-publishing-monthly-data-for-american-indians-and-alaska-natives.htm#:~:text=The%20unemployment%20rate%20for%20American,percent%20for%20the%20overall%20population.

[8] McKinsey: https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/being-transgender-at-work

[9] World Service For The Blind: https://www.wsblind.org/blog/2021/6/16/employment-barriers-for-the-blind-and-visually-impaired

[10] Built In: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/vets/latest-number