In March, we continued our broader engagement with members through our first Member Forum where the focus was on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). David Mbaziira, Head of EDI at the Chartered Institute, provides a summary of the key themes that emerged from those sessions and discussions.
The consistent element from charities that are making progress around EDI is that leadership - often the CEO or another member of the executive leadership team is not only talking about EDI and its centrality to enabling the charity to deliver on its mission but is also about making EDI the day job. Leaders set the tone including the recognition there is no perfect time to start, and that their approach is as important as what they do. We heard examples of leaders, recognising their privilege, and finding opportunities to demonstrate that they are learning and don’t have all the answers. This prioritisation, making senior leaders accountable, changes their focus on EDI. This visibility in turn cascades through the levels of the organisation, showing that EDI is now something that individuals will be accountable for and measured against. This is significant in changing some existing perceptions of the desired, collective ownership around EDI.
Leadership must also demonstrate that the charity is committed to change through resourcing effectively and setting realistic timelines against activity and progress measures. We also heard that there is no ‘silver bullet' but rather activity should be focused on addressing the unique dynamics and cultural characteristics present in the longer term.
There were some interesting discussions around the role of protected characteristics. From a data and measurement perspective, the consensus was a resounding yes around the need to do more on recording and reporting. Some organisations are looking beyond these measures, when it comes to the work itself, asking questions like ‘How can we be there for everyone?’ recognising the need to show and demonstrate that their EDI activity is relevant to all, including the majority of the workforce who perhaps don’t disclose (currently) or identify as having a protected characteristic. Inclusion is always going to mean lots of different things to different people, so it is essential to try to ensure you have an understanding of the full person. Charities are doing this by co-creating interventions with a diverse section of employees, including those with lived experience to better inform what they do.
All of the sessions touched on the importance of communications, and during the forums we also heard from delegates who reflected on where their work in this area had hit an impasse. In the examples provided the focus had been on pockets of good activity that often the wider organisation was not fully aware of. This highlights the important role of leadership to utilise communications to consistently deliver the message about why they are committed to this, and that EDI is everyone’s responsibility. Good communication is also integral to frame and reframe perceptions about where the culture is currently, and the shift required to deliver the change in behaviours. We also heard examples of charities that had created opportunities for the authentic, expert voices already present within organisations to have the platform internally, shining a light on their work and its impact. Finally, the need to demonstrate that organisations had engaged, listened and could show the practical outcomes, the ‘you said, we did’ approach was shown to be fundamental.
Perhaps less obviously one of the most important messages that emerged during the sessions was the need for self-care. The openness that all our presenters and delegates who contributed to discussions conveyed was due to an acceptance that for us to collectively move forward we must get used to a level of discomfort, and that often a different lens of (perceived) judgement may be applied to us as individuals.
One presenter talked about how they prepare themselves for interactions and conversations that could and should take them out of their comfort zone, by starting their day with some physical discomfort in the form of taking a cold shower. I think the connection between the physical and psychological, recognising that sometimes this work will take its toll on our mental health in ways which may not always be apparent at the time, is something we need more conversations about. This could be triggered by different events, interactions and conversations, this level of self-awareness is important for ourselves and our colleagues. Whilst I’m not expecting everyone to start the day in that manner, it’s about recognising how you can prepare yourself in a way that is authentic and meaningful for you.