Organizations today are rapidly transforming in an effort to become an employer of choice, remain competitive in the market, and respond to a global environment in turmoil. The need for transformation is affecting every aspect of our personal and professional lives: the advent of generative artificial intelligence is forcing organizations to rethink their practices. Policies and regulations are quickly evolving in many business sectors, which can introduce more ambiguity when determining the path forward. Current working patterns are not yet fully mastered or embraced. The world is hyper-connected, and no longer knows borders. Social media are used to “debate” ideas, and the expectations of customers and citizens are changing. At Sia Partners, we call this hyper-transformation.
Many of these areas expanding through hyper-transformation have become highly politicized, where we’ve observed their significant impact on business practices. This is particularly true for issues of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in organizations, which are subject to political influences. There are examples of organizations in Canada and in the United States that have recently made shifts in their approach to EDI.
Through all these upheavals, how can organizations, both public and private, come to depoliticize EDI and present it differently to avoid backlash? We suggest the following ideas.
Simple, practical ideas
Embed EDI into organizations’ procedures and processes: by making EDI inseparable from day-to-day operations, its objectives can be met without political scrutiny.
Become more agile in social and political communication: developing the art of constructive conversation and healthy disagreement in a manner that does not question people’s value/s, creates a virtuous circle where multiple points of view are welcome, and people remain open to each other’s ideas and positions.
Focus on what people can do: by equipping individuals, especially managers, and focusing on what they can do rather than what is taboo or forbidden, we reinforce skills rather than restrict behaviour.
Adjust terminologies that can generate a defensive posture (bias, microaggressions, systemic inequalities, etc.): by using a customer-reflective discourse, we put the odds on our side to tackle EDI-related issues constructively. While this means reviewing certain terminology, the important thing is to deal with topics – not to be attached to specific words.
EDI Training
EDI training has become extremely popular in recent years. These trainings, which are often mandated, are at risk of being ineffective, or even counterproductive. Dobbin and Kalev (Dobbin, F., & Kalev, A. (2022). Getting to diversity: What works and what doesn’t. Harvard University Press) – who have been covering the topic of EDI for the last three decades, and have performed studies on over 800 organizations – explain that the intent of EDI training, particularly anti-harassment training is to bring awareness to faulty behaviour, correct that behaviour, and encourage positive change. However, while general attitudes and biases can show signs of improvement after training, behaviours and discrimination can continue most often. Fortunately, workshops centred on inclusion and what people can do when interacting with others, and how they can intervene when witnessing harassment, show positive results. This means that the way that EDI information and training is delivered is just as important as the principles themselves.
What next?
As we are working with clients on this subject, we will be keeping a close eye on the evolution of EDI practices and principles across their organizations, and how social and political movements impact organizations’ cultures and contexts. It can be challenging for organizations to identify the “best” ways to approach EDI issues given our current environment. It will be interesting to see if and how organizations change their approach. One thing is for sure: we will bring you informed views on upcoming trends and state-of the-art practices.
Émilie Nollet, Ph.D., C.Med., is an industry expert at Sia Partners, a global management consulting firm. Through her professional and academic collaborations, she worked on topics as varied as inclusive leadership in the context of the Canadian military, the democratization of flows of capital for equity-deserving entrepreneurs, and democratized access to sustainable and socially responsible goods and services in green tech.
