Lessons for 2021: Diversity and Inclusion
Happy New Year!
2020 was rough and 2021 is off to a difficult start but we’re hopeful! Last year taught us many important lessons in diversity & inclusion that I hope we can all carry through into 2021:
Keep uncomfortable conversations going
We’re having more open and honest conversations about race and ethnicity. We need to keep the difficult conversations going, add in some structure to ensure there’s continual feedback and progress checks. The listening ears should be that of senior leadership, feeding directly into strategy. Meanwhile, we all have a responsibility to keep learning about lived experiences different to our own.
Do it anyway
COVID-19 meant that many projects were cancelled or put on hold. Some of last year’s great surprises came from virtual events or restriction friendly events that managed to reach bigger audiences and have greater impact. While things are still very different to how they were back in 2019, D&I work shouldn’t be put on pause. We just can’t afford anymore delays!
Represent the underrepresented
We saw and are still seeing stark and painful reminders of inequality along the lines of race, disability, social mobility and age. The direct effects of COVID-19 and also knock-on effects such as job losses/business closures disproportionately impact the most marginalised in our society. As D&I professionals, our mission should be to prevent these disparities as much as we can and provide support where it’s needed the most. At work, decisions should consider those living with underlying conditions, those with dependants, those with less than ideal living conditions etc. Let’s continue to speak up on behalf of others.
There’s plenty of different lessons we can carry forward. For me, the 3 here are crucial to keeping up momentum and doing so in the right direction. Here’s to a 2021 that’s full of promise and new opportunities.
