Practical Diversity -- Expanded Edition

Practical Diversity

Meri Williams, ChromeRose

@Geek_Manager

What Do I Know?
•

Lead international, multi-disciplinary teams ranging in size
from 30 to 300.

•

Moved recruitment from 70-30 M-F to 50-50 in IT function of
a large company.

•

Founded LGBT network that was recognised by Stonewall as
a Star Performer; 5 years in the Workplace Equality Index
(100 best places to work for LGB employees in UK)


@Geek_Manager


@Geek_Manager

I’m A Bit of a Diversity Statistic








Woman…
Gay…
Foreign…
Employed (this is a bad thing if you’re foreign…)
Multi-lingual
Disabled…
Atheist…

 BUT grew up hugely aware of (unasked & undeserved) privilege I had
growing up white in Apartheid South Africa.

@Geek_Manager

My childhood
was FULL of
signs like these

Horrible & horrific
but impossible
to escape

@Geek_Manager

I CANNOT DENY THAT PRIVILEGE
In fact, the most useful thing I can do is
assess, understanding & acknowledge that privilege


@Geek_Manager

In Apartheid South
Africa, ALL systems were set
up to actively & blatantly give
advantage to white folks and
disadvantage non-whites.
We are less good at spotting
this when it isn’t so blatant.
Check out the original article from Peggy McIntosh:
http://www.amptoons.com/blog/files/mcintosh.html

@Geek_Manager

“We have to aggressively, and
uncompromisingly, attack the pernicious lie that
the technology industry is a meritocracy.
Perpetuating this myth only serves to bolster the
egos of those who have succeeded already, at
the expense of saying that people who are
underrepresented in tech today aren’t present
because they aren’t good”
– Anil Dash

@Geek_Manager

NOT DISCRIMINATING IS
IMPORTANT
Legally, if nothing else


@Geek_Manager

BUT TOLERANCE IS A
TERRIBLE WORD
Would YOU want to be tolerated?


@Geek_Manager

WOULDN’T A FULLY
INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT
BE BETTER?
PROTIP: Helps Everyone!


@Geek_Manager

Diversity is a Spectrum
Active hatred &
discrimination (*isms)
Micro
aggressions


Indifference

Active inclusion
Tolerance

@Geek_Manager

“A micro-aggression is
telling young boys that
they are very smart, and
telling young girls that
they are very pretty. ”
- Faruk Ates @kurafire


@Geek_Manager

The Benefits of Active Inclusion
Research shows that diverse teams are more creative, innovate
and successful. Why?
1) As a lesbian board member I am a magical rainbow unicorn
and my diversity dust ™ leads to greater profits … OR
2) A fully inclusive environment gives you the benefit of all the
different viewpoints & experiences and offers many paths to
success

@Geek_Manager

So How Do We Move Right Way?
1. STOP allowing underprivileged groups to be pushed
away
(actively/deliberately OR passively/unintentionally)

2. START building actively inclusive environments

@Geek_Manager

Some Things That Work…
(some of these surprised me)


@Geek_Manager

Reduce Fear
Increasing opportunities is worthy & important.

But reducing fear is equally so.
(tips: reduce impact of failure, risk of humiliation,
acknowledge risk IS DIFFERENT for those in
underprivileged groups)

@Geek_Manager

http://xkcd.com/385/


@Geek_Manager

EDUCATE YOURSELF & OTHERS
ABOUT PRIVILEGE & IMPLICIT BIAS
If you keep doing what you always did, you’ll keep
getting what you always got


@Geek_Manager

Implicit Bias
Very interesting Harvard research into implicit
bias – we don’t realise it, are not ACTIVELY but
rather PASSIVELY discriminating
There is a site with tests you can do that reveal
your bias: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/

@Geek_Manager

Privilege 101
The number one thing that privilege gives you is
a belief that you CAN.
(… go to university … work in the industry you
want … marry who you want to … get out of bed
each morning…)

BELIEF YOU CAN IS A PART OF PRIVILEGE.

@Geek_Manager

Privilege 101
The other thing that privilege convinces you of is
that you are there because of your skills &
abilities.
BELIEF YOUR INNATE SKILLS GET YOU WHERE
YOU ARE IS A PART OF PRIVILEGE TOO.

@Geek_Manager

Check the Signals You Send
• Logistics matter – do all your events exclude
people in particular groups? (e.g. those with
caring responsibilities)
• People can’t judge your intent – only your actions
(you can harm without meaning to)

• Language matters

@Geek_Manager

Check If Systems are Loaded
Companies that assess effectiveness / performance and then AUTOMATE pay
rises based on this tend to reduce the gender pay gap.
One interpretation:
“Pitching for a pay rise” inherently favours men, who tend to be more
confident in their abilities and more comfortable talking up their results.
Shy/humble guys suffer too.


@Geek_Manager

Johnny Clegg
They taught us to forget our past
And live the future in their image
…
They said
“Learn to speak a little bit of English,
Don’t be scared of a suit and tie.”
Learn to walk in the dreams of the foreigner.
I am a third world child.

@Geek_Manager

MOST ADVICE READS AS
“BE MORE LIKE A LOUD
STRAIGHT CIS AMERICAN WHITE
GUY”
Finding a way to be successful and still be yourself is
important

@Geek_Manager

Frame Guidance Altruistically
• Advice which focuses on how to “do better for
yourself” has a very limited appeal. (a la “steal more
pie”)

• Altruistic advice (a la “bake more pie”) appeals to a
much broader audience (including non-individualistic
cultures…)

@Geek_Manager

When We Reframed Networking…


@Geek_Manager

The Most Important Question
Best predictor of recruitment AND retention?
Someone’s ability to agree with:

“Someone like me can be
successful here”

@Geek_Manager

As much as 40% better
Much energy is spent
if you have to hide
your private life, or
pretend to be
something you’re not

@Geek_Manager

Role Modeling Matters
• When a woman presents/represents at
recruitment events, more women apply

• When you present a monoculture, people
make assumptions you won’t like

@Geek_Manager

“Did You Always Know You Wanted to
Be So Senior?”
Men leaders tend to say:
“Yes, I always knew I could do more.”
Women leaders tend to say:
“No, but my mentors believed in me, and I trusted they were
right.”

@Geek_Manager

If You Only Do ONE Thing Differently

TELL THE PEOPLE YOU BELIEVE IN THAT
YOU BELIEVE IN THEM – THAT THEIR
SKILLS & THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS ARE
VALUABLE

@Geek_Manager

So How Do We Move Right Way?
1. STOP allowing underprivileged groups to be
pushed away
(actively/deliberately OR passively/unintentionally)

2. START building actively inclusive
environments

@Geek_Manager

Practical Diversity Recap
Some things that help


@Geek_Manager

Practical Diversity
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)

Assume fear. Understand risk. Then focus on reducing.
Advise people to bake more pie, not steal more pie.
Understand & educate about privilege & implicit bias.
Connect people with role models.
Grow more role models. Encourage them to be visible.
“Someone like me can be successful here?”
Tell people you believe in that they can.
Tell people you believe in that they are there because of their skills. (no one likes
being a diversity stat)
9) Find ways to be true to self AND successful.
10) Look at whether your processes/systems discriminate. Fix.


@Geek_Manager

Practical Diversity -- Expanded Edition

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Similar to Practical Diversity -- Expanded Edition

Similar to Practical Diversity -- Expanded Edition (14)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Practical Diversity -- Expanded Edition

Editor's Notes