Are we all included when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion?
Navigating the world of diversity and inclusion isn’t easy. It’s fraught with many difficulties, and it’s frustratingly slow to change. Our world has become much smaller with the differing social movements across the globe. We have to pay attention to meeting the needs of individuals, groups, organizations, and more.
The spectrum of diversity is broad and isn’t about being Black or White. It means understanding each individual is unique, and recognizing our individual differences. These can be along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other attributes.*
I recently participated in a training session and was called out by a White male for not including White males in the conversation. He said, “You mentioned everyone else but didn’t include us because we’re to be blamed for everything.”
The collective group I mentioned were Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, Women, LGBTQ2S+ people, immigrants, and Jewish People, who encountered certain discrimination and racism that straight, White males don’t experience or may never encounter. The fact is I did not deliberately set out to leave out White males but, on this occasion, someone felt left out and aggrieved.
For a while now, I have been talking about the role of White males in diversity efforts and I’ve been criticized for doing so. My strong belief is, if we are to progress in creating a diverse and inclusive workforce, we must engage White males and work alongside them to get them to become our allies as we seek to remove systemic discrimination, and other barriers to achieve transformational, cultural, and organizational change.
The simple fact is when engaging in conversation about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), many leaders in organizations predominately run by White males would often say, “I don’t know where to start.” “I don’t know what to say.” Or, “I don’t know if this includes me.”
Some individuals can be highly defensive and uncomfortable, and behave in a manner which Robin Di’Angelo refers to as White fragility and White privilege.
DEI isn’t intended to take away the roles of the privileged. Marginalized groups absent from the decision-making table want organizations to create opportunities for parity and create a path for all to succeed. In addition to parity, they want recognition for the value they bring and add to the organization. Their differing identities, creativity, personality, strength, innovativeness, and diverse talents contribute to the organization’s returns on investment.
In my experience working with diverse organizations over several decades, I find the best results come from those organizations with the active involvement of their leaders, who are invariably White males. However, many organizations have the perception diversity initiatives primarily address inequalities faced by women, Black people, People of Colour, Indigenous peoples, and other marginalized groups. This has unintentionally excluded White males.
Research from the study White Men’s Leadership, found 70 per cent of White male respondents and 60 per cent of women and minority leaders weren’t clear whether diversity initiatives are intended to include White males. By nature, diversity and inclusive programs are designed to address systemic barriers and challenges faced by genders, persons with disabilities, race, religion, age, and other marginalized individuals or groups. It impacts pay equity and opportunities for underrepresented groups.
Historically, there has been deep rooted systemic discrimination both at the individual and institutional levels. These biases are rooted in beliefs, upbringing, educational institutions, the media, social media, and other influencers of behaviour. There’s also the general lack of cultural competencies in working with those who are different. Individuals may include those on the autism spectrum and neurodiversity groups who are often left out of the conversation.
Many organizations don’t understand their role in addressing these issues. Nor do they understand the role White males could play in DEI.
I recall my own experience in the 1990s when I was chairing an employee resource group for an organization where I worked. I wanted to partner with the CEO, who was a White male, to get some resources for our group and he wanted to meet with my colleagues, his employees. In the past he had been refused access to the group. I approached my colleagues who said, “No!”
I took the view he needed to hear from first voices about the racism some of our colleagues were experiencing because he could play a critical role in addressing it. In the end, we came to an agreement he would visit twice a year and hear from us. In return, he gave us the resources we needed to obtain to assist with our professional development and career progression. Both parties benefited from this working relationship.
In order to accomplish greater understanding and gain the perspectives of those individuals from marginalized groups, they too must find proactive ways in which to engage those who are in positions of power, decision-making, influence, and privilege. White males for their part must be willing to listen and not be defensive. They must be humble enough to allow themselves to be taught by others, to share their stories and experiences, build relationships of trust, authenticity, and commitment to act and make change where necessary.
It’s also critical for them to recognize and understand they have privileges conferred on them and access to certain places and spaces given to them by virtue of who they are, their family status, economic status, education, etc. In many instances they are given opportunities and job recognition without having to go through the hiring process, completing an application, or submitting a resume. Most importantly, these privileges are given because of their race.
The aim of marginalized groups should be to engage White males from being by-standers to active champions for diversity and to bring about organizational change.
It’s also recognized that White males can make a strong contribution to diversity and inclusion and help remove some of the barriers faced by marginalized groups.
I have seen where some are willing to engage, but lack the support they need from their organizations, leaders, employees, and their board to make the necessary changes.
Engaging DEI isn’t a one size fits all, nor a short-term fix. It’s an investment for the life of the organization.
In order for White males to actively and genuinely engage in DEI, they must be included, they must be invited to participate, and welcomed in the same manner we wish them to welcome those of us from marginalized groups.
Diversity Best Practices offers some tips to get the conversation started:
- Emphasize inclusion, not just diversity
- Help build relationships across difference
- Select influential White male leaders to champion diversity and inclusion
- Include White males on diversity committees and encourage an influential White male to chair it
- Educate White male employees about diversity and inclusion business imperative and its return on investment
- Help them become aware of unconscious bias and hidden inequalities
- Get them to become involved; assign tasks and recognize participation
- Conduct White male focus groups or establish White male ally groups
- Tie compensation and incentives to diversity and inclusion participations and outcomes
- Encourage Employee Resource Group leaders to invite their mangers to senior leader meetings
Some of these suggestions might be hard to come to terms with or embrace given the lived experiences many individuals may have encountered.
According to Diversity Best Practice, the best way to capitalize on the power and influence of White males is to provide them a meaningful role and purpose in diversity enterprise.
* Higher Education, Kendal Hunt Publishing
Resources:
- How to show White Men that Diversity and Inclusion Efforts Need Them, Lily Zheng, 2019
- What do White Men Really Think About Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace, 2020, The Centre for Talent Innovation
- Engaging White Men As D&I Champions and Allies, 2020, Diversity Best Practices
- White Men’s Leadership Study, 2013, The study of White Men Leading Through Diversity and Inclusion
