Are your beliefs about racial equity transparent enough?
In the modern setting, one trend that has grabbed my attention is the employers’ tendency to hire people from different races in workplaces to narrow the gap of discrimination. This mindset is not only incorrect and shallow but also incredibly divisive as well. You will often come across significant words like “inclusion,” “equality,” and “diversity” in your organization; but, the question is if you are they being employed in the correct sense? The chief objective of diversity, equality, and inclusion is to furnish everyone with fair chances of being productive and help the company flourish. It is to set the ground for talented and skilled individuals from underrepresented backgrounds to access equitable opportunities for empowerment.
Owing to the seriousness of the matter, it will not be entirely wrong on my part to assert that companies must let go of this implied narrative of charity and embrace equity. This narrative is because when you particularly point out a group of people and insistently give them the center stage, their purpose and struggle diminish entirely. Instead of investing your time and energy in finding systems that were meant to be inequitable, focus on removing those deeply prejudiced barriers that led to discrimination based on color in the first place. To make your attempts to communicate your beliefs about racial equity a tad easier transparently, I will be outlining a few strategies in the segment below.
- Put forward a solid reason for your beliefs.
Don’t just say that you support diversity and inclusion because every other organization is doing it or feels like you must propel society’s backward race because the regulating bodies have asked you to. If your organization is talking about its structural racism for the first time, do your bit and admit that the raging protests fighting for the black people’s rights were a reason that prompted this confession. Nonetheless, if your statements do not correspond with your business’s strategic priorities that are concerned about making a profit, the whole plan will fall flat on its face. Giving your team and customers reasons to relate to this change is very crucial. For instance, a simple, yet powerful announcement such as “we would like to cater to all of your needs but, by being biased we don’t think we are doing a great job and hence, here’s how we will alter our ways” can make all odds turn in your favor.
- Take advice from people of all colors and listen with humility.
You cannot hope to improve the present circumstances if you are not ready to pay heed to and go through people’s history impacted by racism. Your proclamations about anti-racism will be meaningful only when you seek input on predominating issues and scopes of improvement from everyone, especially those who have been sidelined ever since. The only thing that you must ensure here is that your endeavors shouldn’t increase your workload. Some might be brutally honest with their feedback and can be very hard to digest them, but, as a global investment strategist, I feel that is the only way of tugging the right chords in this scenario. Prove that you have sincerely listened to them by taking action and lead by an example.
- Change begins with you.
If you are in charge of an organization and know that there can be chances of partiality in the domains of hiring, the advancement of employees, and retention based on color, act without any delay whatsoever. Get to the roots rather than cocooning gestures that can get misinterpreted as PR stunts. Possibly, they can do the opposite of what the target was. Besides, it also increases prospects for people from underrepresented backgrounds to enter your organization and be a part of its progress.
Recent Comments