Celebrate & Cultivate Diversity

“Inclusivity means not ‘just we’re allowed to be there,’ but we are valued. I’ve always said: smart teams will do amazing things, but truly diverse teams will do impossible things.” - Claudia Brind-Woody

Happy Pride Month and Juneteenth, everyone! This June, it’s important more than ever that we engage in authentic and sustainable DEI initiatives as opposed to performative activism. Even during transitions to a hybrid or remote work environment, as many have done recently, a company must still maintain its commitment to both celebrating and cultivating diversity across all mediums.

That’s why this week, we’re dedicating our Tweet Chat to speaking on the importance and impact of inclusion in business. We’ve invited expert panelists Ash Beckham @ashbeckham, Shana Sumers @Shanahasatwitr, and Nathalie Gregg @NathalieGregg to lead us in this conversation and help you understand what building a diverse and inclusive bottom line looks like.

Missed the Tweet Chat? Here’s a recap:

Q1. We all come from different walks of life, & are bound to have different opinions / experiences. What's your approach to understanding the perspectives of colleagues from different backgrounds? How would you resolve misunderstandings due to conflicting perspectives?

Ash Beckham: First and foremost LISTEN. You have to be genuinely interested in learning about someone else’s human experience. Not through your lens and with no judgment. It all goes back to listening.  The best way to work through misunderstandings is to communicate and the first way is to listen. Just because someone’s perspective is different does not make it wrong. 

Nathalie Gregg: Understanding others starts with the willingness to be open to the perceptions of others. Always asking what the ideal resolution looks like and negotiating an agreement.

Shana Sumers: I ask. I share. I celebrate. I educate. I’m patient. I encourage my team to speak up. I create safe spaces. This all sounds very generic, yet it is a great combination of actions to allow your team to feel seen, heard and safe enough to do all of those actions.

Q2. We all have to start somewhere. How can a company that isn't diverse create initiatives to become more inclusive? What are the best tips and actions to start when implementing an inclusive culture as a priority in their business?

Shana Sumers: Hire someone to help. Literally. Have them do an audit on the areas you can work on and take action. Recreate your mission statement to show that DEI&B is a priority. Implement regular training. Update the language that is used. Fix your recruitment pipeline. Have trainings on unconscious bias. Mainly, don’t be the company that feels like you can’t do anything or don’t get started out of fear.

Ash Beckham: It is a combination of policy and practice.  You need both.  Look to peers in the industry to see what they are doing.  No need to reinvent the wheel. Train leaders specifically in DEI initiatives.  Cultural change can be scary.  Confident, steady leadership regarding the shift calms the waters. You have to be willing to explain the "why" behind the initiatives to give them longevity.

Q3. How can businesses that already are actively cultivating environments of diversity, equity, and inclusion further enhance their practices? What can businesses do to raise awareness here? How do you create a sense of belonging for all employees in your business? 

Shana Sumers: @HubSpot shares their diversity report every year. This highlights what has worked, what hasn’t and the initiatives that are in place. As well, our executives put themselves into conversations (whether they are online or in person). Creating a sense of belonging means providing psychological safety. Move past only celebrating holidays. Include your teammates in conversations, mentor, learn about your biases, and celebrate their wins both personally and professionally 

Ash Beckham: Do a constant analysis of who you may be leaving behind.  If your policies were written 10 years ago or even 2, they will need an update. Make DEI goals part of performance reviews.  What gets measured, gets changed. Employees must feel that they can be authentic with no fear of repercussions or judgment.  They need to feel safe being themselves.

Q4. Though remote work has a plethora of work-life balance and productivity benefits, it can be easy for the company culture to suffer. How can hybrid or remote companies make sure diversity is still a priority and continue to enhance an inclusive company culture?

Shana Sumers: Be aware of time zones! I think this is a big opportunity for companies and we still haven’t fully figured it out. Identify areas where people can connect locally. Celebrate new folks and folks that have been there by featuring them in announcements or newsletters. Regular 1:1s, group meetings, and fun times. Ask what your team wants to do. Even as simple as celebrating birthdays goes a long way. Identify new ways to connect (@Loom has been amazing for our team) and provide opportunities for people to get involved. 

Pavel Stepanov @pavelStepanov77: Conduct daily check-ins and weekly meetings. Find communication apps where they can express emotions and reach out easily. These apps could bridge and serve as a new way of water cooler talks. Organize activities as well where everyone can participate.

Q5. Let’s talk about it! What are some effective communication tips for a thriving diverse work environment? How do you encourage conversation about diversity and inclusion in the workplace?

Shana Sumers: On my team we have “How I Work” Docs. This breaks down where you are located, what your environment is like, how you best communicate (i.e. Slack for quick questions, email for longer items, tag me in Asana or Trello). How I like feedback. Even their personality types are there. This provides a framework to get started on and not have to assume how they work. When you follow this document it also builds trust on your team to show you read it and are invested. 

Ash Beckham: Communication is key.  These conversations are hard which is why they are avoided but we need to find the courage to start them to have an inclusive culture. They are worth it. Make it part of everyday conversation.  DEI is not an HR strategy or a marketing strategy.  It needs to be a company philosophy. The conversations must be dialogues rather than lectures. Company culture cannot be a top-down directive.  Employees must feel heard and valued.

Q6. What would you do?? How would you handle a situation where a colleague was being culturally insensitive, sexist, racist, or homophobic? What if this person was a client instead of a colleague? What are ways to prevent workplace misconduct/inappropriate behavior?

Ash Beckham: You can either Call in or Call out. Calling in is when you have a private conversation with them after.  We assume the best of people and that their lack of knowledge led to the mistake. In calling in, we explain the impact of their actions and discuss better strategies in the future. Calling out is immediately and publicly declaring that a behavior is unacceptable.  Both strategies are necessary.  An inclusive leader knows when to use which one.

Shana Sumers: To prevent this type of behavior in the first place, set the culture. State your mission everywhere. Include training that clearly states what will happen as a result. Make it a company wide strategy with accountability.

Q7. Let’s talk about leadership! Why is diversity important in leadership roles? How would you describe the relationship between leadership and inclusivity? What skills and practices should leaders be focusing on?

Shana Sumers: If no one in leadership looks like you or represents you, how is change going to happen? What motivation will your team have to move up the ranks? It will continue to perpetuate privilege and unfair stereotypes. Skills to work on: Networking. Communication. Empathy. Problem Solving. Mentorship. Being Human. These are core ones I look for in leadership.

Ash Beckham: It is very difficult to become what you can’t see.  When we see “people like us” in leadership roles, our scope of what is possible expands dramatically. I think inclusivity is a critical leadership skill that must be practiced and constantly refined. Personal inclusivity goals as part of professional development. Consistent continuing education through self-education and personal interactions.

Q8. How do you honor Pride Month & the Juneteenth holiday? What are your thoughts on accusations of “woke-washed” messaging? Do you think enhancing visibility is authentically supportive or exploitive? How can we celebrate & support diversity & inclusivity everyday? 

Shana Sumers: I am Queer and Black - so I just do me! Enhancing visibility for the benefit of the community is authentically supportive. Rainbow washing is exploitative (aka using Pride month for financial gain only during Pride Month) and never talking about it again.

Ash Beckham: Celebrate for sure, but also refresh on the history of the movement.  What was the cultural context that established these observances?  How has it changed over the years? We can’t figure out where we want to go without knowing where we have been as a community. 

Woke-washing and rainbow washing certainly exists but I also believe visibility is inherently more supportive than exploitative. We need to hold companies accountable for their DEI efforts year round.

The glass ceiling has indeed broken in some areas, but in many, many places there is still far to go. We hope you took valuable lessons from this week’s Tweet Chat and will choose some of our experts’ tips to turn into everyday practices for you and your company.

As Claudia Brind-Woody once said, “Truly diverse teams will do impossible things.” Once you open the door to new ideas and new people, you are sure to find results you’ve never seen before. 

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