Progress Is Observable

Diversity, equity, and inclusion progress is observable.

That is true. And I’ve found myself saying it a lot lately.

Progress is not just a warm fuzzy feeling in your heart, or a shift in office ‘vibes’ – although both can be nice. Progress on race and gender equity is observable.

- You are either consistently taking 3 seconds when introducing yourself to offer your pronouns, or you’re not.

- White people at your organization are either talking about their awareness of the relevance of their own race out loud, or they are not.

- Men are either asking for consent before they hug or touch a colleague, or they are not.

Which one is it? What can you observe?

People who care about diversity, equity, and inclusion ask me, “How will we know if we are being successful?” They ask, “What are we supposed to be measuring?” or put another way, “What are the ‘deliverables’ on this work?”

I understand why folks are asking. They take this work seriously. And, for the most part, modern-day leaders were not taught how to interrupt inequitable patterns and replace them with more equitable ways of doing business.

Working to close racial and gender equity gaps is something most of us learned on the job in the face of trying to figure out how to right a wrong.

The same is true for working towards greater equity across all the lines of difference we highlight in our Embodied Identity House model of intersectionality: Race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, ability, age, religion, language, class, and experience with immigration or forced migration.

Personally, many of us have experienced discrimination and disparate treatment based on our combination of identities.

We have noticed how people do and don’t talk to us - how people do and don’t approach us for leadership and promotion opportunities – how people do and don’t take our salary and benefits conversations seriously.

Many of us are goal-oriented, and some of us feel much more comfortable when plans are in place. We desire to know what is coming next and to predict how things will play out.

Making progress toward equity, in my experience, is both an art and a science. I name this because I think it is important to prepare activists with the expectation that there will be undulations, surprises, and choice points along the path we’ve set out to level the playing field.

Currently, there are some facets of predictable workplace inequities that I would categorize as “big ticket items” – namely hiring, pay, and promotion.

We live in a capitalist economy. Therefore, our ability to get and keep a well-paid job impacts our lifelong health, wealth, and well-being.

Currently, racism and sexism are both still predictable realities in the U.S. work context:

- More pay and more promotions are flowing towards white workers than workers of color.

- And currently, more pay, and more promotions are flowing towards cisgender men than any other gender identity or expression.

Given that current reality, progress will be, quite literally, observable.

Let’s start with pay transparency and movements towards pay equity and pay parity – put simply, being paid equally for equal work. Radical, I know ;)

Here is a list of progress on the pay front that could be readily observed:

 Are you currently proactively and consistently (e.g., annually) tracking staff demographics and reporting what you notice about patterns, themes, and trends regarding which demographics are in the low, medium, and high pay bands at your organization? Or no?

 Do you ask for and consider job candidate’s previous pay when determining starting salary at your company? Or no?

o Important reality check: People of Color, women and trans folks are highly likely to have been previously underpaid. Your job if you care about equity is NOT to try to “get a good deal” on the backs of people who already have the least access to cash and capital. Pay people based on how difficult and impactful the job is, not what you can “get away with.”

 How are you feeling about how you currently offer and respond to requests for pay raises? Do you feel good and clear and consistent about that process? or not really?

o Leaders committed to equity should be aware that white men are more likely to ask for and receive significant pay increases. Make a plan for increasing compensation alongside responsibility, impact, and value-added to the mission. It is helpful to have a broader philosophy and approach to pay increases and a plan in your budget and management processes about how and when you do and do not offer pay increases.

Here is a list on the promotion and professional development front where progress could be readily observed:

 Check with your staff – what do they say about how clear or confusing it feels to get a promotion at your company? If they report that it feels more obtuse or esoteric, do what is required to lay out and communicate a more transparent and consistent path. And be honest – if there is little room for upward mobility at your company, don’t lie or lead people on. Does it feel like to your staff that they have caught their supervisor on the right day and in the right mood? Or is there an accessible path and process they can trust?

 Have you reviewed recent promotions (say, over the past three years) and cross-referenced that with staff demographics to see what you notice in terms of which identity groups were more or less likely to be offered or consented to a promotion? If not, do that important self-reflective work now and make whatever adjustments are needed if one kind of person is being tapped for leadership more than another.

 What is the proportion of women, trans folks, and People of Color at your organization’s leadership level? On your board? As your managers and key decision-makers?

Often, when organizations are first shifting from being primarily homogenous (ex., vast majority white), racial and ethnic diversification happens at the lowest levels of the organization first (ex., interns, entry-level roles, etc.).

Currently, what is observable about your organizational leaders? Have you successfully diversified across all levels of your organization or no? If not, what is your plan, timeline, trajectory, and accountability in place to make those changes in the near future?

Also, when it comes to diversifying your leadership, how clearly are you articulating your “why”? Remember, if diversification is ‘just for show’ it will not feel good and it will not last. It will be observable whether or not you are consistently articulate about the added value you place on a staff mixed across meaningful lines of difference.

If you or your colleagues want help moving towards greater pay transparency, a more clear approach to promotions, and/or what you can try when there appears to be a glass ceiling on your diversification efforts, feel free to reach out – trina@trinaolson.com - and I can problem-solve alongside you.

P.S. One week left before Early Bird Registration for my Four-Part Cohort for Leaders switches to full price. Contact me before September 1 to take advantage of early bird rates.

Until next week,