Scene One: January 23, 2007:
Leaning into our discomfort around inclusion
Exercise One: Diversity Intentions
Intention is critical in understanding actions. And the importance of intention is critical in deciding one's actions.
What do you think your company's intentions are with its diversity and inclusion efforts? To whom or what is that intention directed?
Group Exercises:
Option 1:
- Ask above question of a larger group of individuals
- Collect/compile answers
- Discuss the implications for both the individuals and for the organization as a whole
Option 2:
- Ask the above question of a smaller group of individuals
- Compare your answer with two other people
- What are the differences and similarities in your answers?
- What implications do your answers have for your organization's diversity efforts?
Do you see an action you could take? What actions could you or would you be willing to take?
Examples:
- My company's intentions with its diversity and inclusion efforts are surface level. We circulate heritage month newsletters and feature people with disabilities and minorities on the covers of promotional brochures, but as far as any real inclusion work, executive representation or recruiting efforts, there are very few.
- The implications this has are potentially very harmful. We're currently in the running for the Forbes Best Places to Work, but without solid diversity and inclusion efforts, our reputation is hurting. And because we are in fierce competition with the other top organizations in the area, we often lose out on candidates because we consistently go to the same 15 universities to recruit. As an organization we are in need of some genuine diversity and inclusion efforts, or we will start to lose our customers and employees.
- A personal action I could take would be to re-define my career intentions. Do I want to work for an organization that does not value me beyond a newsletter? Or do I want to commit myself to be part of the change that the organization needs?
- A systemic action I could take might be writing a new recruitment proposal. Suggesting to widen the applicant pool. I could ask my direct manager to ask other employees and co-workers what the diversity intention is in our organization, to get the conversations started.
What do you think you could do?
Patti Digh and David Robinson of The Circle Project were the presenters for the first session, January 23, 2007, on inclusion and engagement in the workplace. Diversity and Inclusion Intentions are one of the main constructs of diversity and inclusion work.
Scene One was the first session of the 2007 NW Diversity Learning Series held in Seattle Washington, Life theater - Inclusion and Engagement: Challenging and Expanding My diversity Competency: Moving Beyond My Comfort Zone. The Series is organized by The GilDeane Group, publishers of DiversityCentral.com.