The single biggest barrier to building inclusivity into the workplace and improving conditions for marginalized workers is simply getting people to pay attention. After spending their entire careers and lives facing exclusion and discrimination, minorities may find themselves exhausted from fighting for recognition and equitable treatment. Members of the majority, especially those in management, who do not experience discrimination have the luxury of ignoring discriminatory behaviors, if they even notice them at all. They may even consider themselves allies, but find themselves consciously or unconsciously perpetuating biases.
The Majority Challenge: Inspiring a DEI Mindset
Unfortunately, there is no easy fix to discrimination and bias. Women are the largest minority group in the world, and yet misogyny and gender-based discrimination are still global problems. Combating such things requires dedication and the spending of time and resources that may not be supported by members of the majority. White people and men, the two majority groups with the most structural power in general society, tend to show less support for DEI initiatives than women and racial minorities. This means the challenge for minorities, DEI practitioners, and their allies isn’t just to change conditions in the workplace, but also to convince the majority to change themselves, too.
That can be a hard bargain, especially for the most powerful, successful, and busy executives. While grassroots organizing can get the conversation started, leadership is the key to building and influencing organizational culture. If top management can become strong ambassadors of DEI who clearly communicate and demonstrate their genuine belief in progress, they can inspire major change within their organizations. According to HR.com’s survey, almost 90% of organizations measure DEI in some way, but only 7% consider themselves “expert” organizations with executives who prioritize and work to instill DEI values within their company cultures.
At a recent Learning Cycle DEI study session, Atsuko Oishi of the DEI Implementation Department in Kawasaki Heavy Industries was invited to give a presentation on her experiences to HR professionals from various corporations. Oishi has taken on the challenge of executives headfirst.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries has committed their organization to the promotion of DEI, with a particular focus on gender. Globally, the heavy industries are the worst for female representation, consisting of only about 18% women, so Oishi lobbied hard to convince the most senior executives in Kawasaki Heavy Industries to commit two hours every few months to learn about DEI. Executives’ time is in very high demand, and her success in carving out overlapping time in the schedules of multiple executives was no easy feat.
Average female representation in US and UK (2019)
Credit: Diversity wins: How inclusion matters, via McKinsey & Company
Engage on Issues, Put Solutions into Practice, Review Impact
In a typical DEI seminar, top executives often claim to understand the importance of DEI and to support minorities and marginalized people. However, when asked to express that importance in their own words, they may struggle. Many executives aren’t used to actively discussing DEI issues. Over the course of her term, Kawasaki’s male executives are required to not only attend her seminars, but also reflect and provide feedback on how they have applied their new DEI knowledge in their work. Oishi’s two-way seminar contains focused mutual examination and discussion, not a lecture. Through this active engagement, the Kawasaki Heavy Industry executives felt as though they were able to make real progress in supporting each other’s understanding of the value of DEI. Consequently, Kawasaki Heavy Industries has now developed a DEI vision that pushes the company forward, constantly innovating and promoting their diversity mindset.
At the end of Oishi’s presentation, participants reflected on their experiences implementing DEI programming within their companies. It is rare for company executives to be able to come together to experience DEI seminars and learn about the most recent DEI initiatives, so Oishi’s efforts were found to be a unique case among the attendees. Oishi’s seminar, where executives were learning and contributing by proposing their own solutions, seemed like an effective technique. The discussion reaffirmed participants’ beliefs that their work promoting DEI was important, despite its difficulty.
Insurmountable Challenges Make Powerful Allies Invaluable
Developing curiosity and an open mind about the experiences of minorities will truly help people learn and understand what diversity, equity, and inclusion mean. Especially for men and other members of the majority, becoming an ally is a powerful choice. As Netflix’s founder Reed Hastings says, talent density means that just one exceptional employee can influence over 100 average employees. Executives should always aim to be that exceptional person by educating themselves on the DEI issues. This will empower them to be the top-down influence that guides the companies’ core values.
Although addressing DEI issues can be difficult and discouraging, DEI practitioners should not be discouraged. Convincing even just one executive to proactively learn about DEI and become an ally can inspire exponential change not only within their organization but with their colleagues, communities, and personal connections as well.
Thank you to representatives from 19 companies who joined Learning Cycle’s recent study session with Ms. Oishi, including (in alphabetical order): Asahi Kasei Homes Corporation, CHEMIPAZ Corporation, Japan Association of New Economy, JAPAN POST Co., Ltd., Japan Social Innovation and Investment Foundation, , JTB Corp., Kanematsu Corporation, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd., Kracie Ltd., LY Corporation, Mitsubishi Materials Corporation, Mitsui Knowledge Industry Co., Ltd., Oisix ra daichi Inc., Subaru Corporation, Takamatsu Construction Group Co.,Ltd., TAKARA PRINTING CO.,LTD., TOKYU LAND CORPORATION, transcosmos inc., Unicharm Corporation.
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