D&I Lesson Learned: Employees Told to Be Less ...

A major brand recently found itself in the spotlight for what was believed to an anti-racism course for their employees. However, we learned it was not the company training rather a consultant for the company. Nonetheless here’s what happened and what we can learn.  

The company allegedly advised white employees to “be less white.” Participants were informed that being less white meant “to be less oppressive, ignorant, defensive, and arrogant.”

Not surprisingly, this training quickly became a controversial D&I fail that can be examined through 3 lessons:

Lesson 1: Training Must Be Inclusive Singling out a specific race creates workplace resentment. Practical D&I training respects differences gives a voice to the underrepresented and positively addresses biases and prejudices within an organization. Well-designed culture change should bridge and build trust and community in the workplace.

Lesson 2: Meet People Where They Are But Don’t Leave Them There This course and its objectives did not provide employees with actionable information for changing behaviors or attitudes, or the tools to discuss D&I concerns adequately. Executives will be left where they are unless they receive proper feedback, coaching, mentoring, and experiential D&I.

Lesson 3: Make D&I A Business Priority When D&I is a business priority, it’s reflected in an organization’s culture, training, and values. D&I respects does not punish employees by acknowledging individual perspectives, needs, and potential within the organization.

Effective D&I requies company policy changes, consequences, and buy-in at all levels of the organization, to garner trust and strong commitment from the workforce.

To learn more about how diversity and inclusion can improve your organization, reach out.