Expand Your DEI Leadership Scope
Instead of minimizing effort and duties, consider expanding the scope of your DEI leadership role to include a wider array of populations and business domains within your purview, giving yourself a more holistic view of your organization’s needs. By doing this, you break down the figurative walls that keep DEI initiatives siloed and at-risk in many institutions. This can result in true integration of your work across the enterprise.
Up Your Upstander Game
Decades ago, the DEI arena gave significant attention to the “bystander effect” that occurs when the presence of others discourages someone from intervening in an emergency, against a bully, or during an assault. The greater the number of bystanders, the less likely it is for any one of them to provide help to another person in distress.
Beware of DEI Data Traps
Learn how data-driven diversity strategies can unintentionally create additional marginalization of populations in an organization that are small in number… How often do you look for within-group differences in your data? How does attrition data for Black women in your department or residency program compare to the overall rate for all women?
Understand the Roots of Resistance – and the Strategies to Overcome Them
Resistance is not going away anytime soon. In some places, it’s heating up. The more we understand its roots, the better equipped we are as leaders and innovators in this complicated, critical journey.
Make Allyship Cool Again
I propose that we, as DEI leaders, make allyship cool again. This takes more than an award or a social media explosion calling out our favorite mentors. This requires true, genuine relationship and education.