It starts from the top.

It starts from the top…

But, how do you get the Board on board with Inclusion and Belonging?

I had a frustrating conversation with a senior team recently. I was sharing data and insights into how colleagues feel about inclusion and some very clear next steps that they could take together to improve. Just when I thought the group got it and were committing to action, they started to talk themselves out of it. One Board members suggested they needed more data, another started to question the data they already had. Having worked in Inclusion and Belonging for a while now, this is familiar ground. I remember another organisation where we all agreed on an Inclusion and Belonging action plan. I use the analogy of hiking up a hill. I forged ahead, got half-way up the hill, looked back and realised everyone was still in the carpark, tying their shoelaces. For some reason the espoused commitment to the plan didn’t materialise into action.

These scenarios can be all too familiar to anyone that leads Diversity and Inclusion. We gather the data, listen to colleagues, prioritise actions, make it as simple and effective as possible, and still find gaining commitment is tough. When I held internal roles, I often found bringing in an external person helped. They could add an objective perspective and say the things myself or the Chief People Officer/ HR Director probably couldn’t. Hearing from somebody outside the organisation about how we compared to others or that what we were proposing was sensible added that little bit more oomph. 

Now, with Belong at Work, I hold the role of that external, objective voice in the room. I am extremely mindful of the expectation that the HR Director or other D&I advocates are holding in me. I am sensitive to the mood in the room; who needs to be brought in, who is resisting and who is holding the frustration that more needs to happen sooner. My training in counselling is invaluable – we talk about “tracking” the client, not just listening to them, and this holds true to working with a senior leadership team. It is about getting in step with, holding the pace, the tone and walking alongside so I can say whatever they need to hear to take action.

Is this scenario common to you? Would it help to bring in some external perspective to move the conversations into action? Get in touch if you’d like to chat about where your senior leadership team are at.