PROGRESS THROUGH QUALITY

With increased attention from top management, politics and the Media, the work on D&I has become a tougher business. Not so long ago, awareness raising programmes, networking platforms and informational communication were considered effective if they were positively evaluated. Nowadays, expectations for double-digit growth are extended to the representation of women in management, and stakeholders can be impatient at times when it comes to progress. The good news is, that now resources are less of an issue than they used to be, but what about the acknowledgement of the complexity of D&I and hence the sophistication and time a powerful programme needs? In the new environment, pioneers and leaders in Diversity review and reassess their strategies and programmes to date, some of which have been running for a decade. That is when some have to face their moment of truth, realising that their progress has been below expectations. It is fascinating to participate in these discussions and to detect and moderate the different perspectives, opinions and approaches involved. Never before has it been clearer that there is no best solution for D&I and obviously no universal fit of any programme either. Looking at a number of international D&I strategies I can reconfirm two conclusions, which used to be educated guesses: First and foremost, issue-specific and group-focused initiatives will help and provide support, but they won’t change the game plan. Organisational development experts had preached for a long time that the mainstream groups should not only be involved, but they should be the focus of D&I implementation. It has become obvious at last. The second lesson is that the mere integration of D&I into processes and systems won’t deliver progress in the absence of deliberate change elements. A new model is the management of the D&I in the very same way as the business is being run. First results show that the nature of pure management processes are not well enough aligned with the very nature of Diversity & Inclusiveness, which is not only a process, driven by numbers, but an organic, human system, driven by people – and their emotions. Fortunately, most initiatives still create balanced yet complex plans, where we can apply the quality work and experience gathered over 14 years. Also our research has been taken to a new level of quality and sophistication: With EDS3, we are pushing the boundaries of gender research to create an innovative inventory of EMEA practices. Don’t get left behind – join in (see last page).