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In the article to follow, I’ll unpack why fitness is the perfect DEI analogy - and why firms need to continually strive to get better, with an intentional attitude towards DEI.
As we all know, getting fit requires continuous work over months and years, and it’s the same for any firm wanting to become equitable and diverse. It’s a long term project.
The first step: identify where you are, and where you’d like to be
Imagine you’re unfit and decide that, to counteract this, you want to run a marathon in 4 hours.
4 hours is the goal. But to reach it, you pound the road day by day, month by month, continually shaving time off your runs. These are the habits that take you to the goal, and build up your fitness as you go along. With time, you start to notice areas you’re lacking. You might, for instance, be fast out of the blocks but tired after an hour. So you increase the mileage and reduce the tempo to build your stamina.
It’s the same in the corporate world. Firms need to first identify a goal - e.g., more leaders of different races, genders and disabilities - then take practical steps to reach that point. As milestones are hit, areas of weakness become clear. A simple gap analysis helps to plug the gaps and ensure the finish line is crossed.
The opposite - and incorrect - approach goes as follows: You’re an HR manager committed to diversity. So you host a DEI workshop and tweak a policy or two. While well-meaning, this strategy sidesteps all of the habits that build up your “fitness”. You might be ticking a box, but you’re not actually affecting change.
The workplace is a performance environment
Sporting endeavours like running are a great analogy because the workplace is yet another performance environment, and all your employees are potential athletes with goals they need to reach.
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To stick with running, perhaps Employee A already has trainers, but, because of historical disadvantages, Employee B doesn’t. However, Employee B has a never-say-die attitude whereas Employee A is easily dissuaded.
Both team members have the potential to run that figurative 4-hour marathon but they have to overcome different obstacles to make it there. Firms that truly embrace DEI - and don’t just hire for compliance - empower staff by understanding their unique needs. People are treated as individuals within a team environment.
It’s never a one-and-done deal
You were once unfit, but you’ve now run a marathon in four hours. Chances are you’re now fitter than most. Next year, you plan to run those same 42 kilometres in 3 hours 30. In the same vein, successful companies adjust their goals as an equitable employer to continuously strive for better, and remain curious about ways they can empower staff and engender DEI practises in new and exciting ways.
When a firm strives for better, employees follow suit. Continuous self-improvement becomes a habit across the ecosystem of the company. Soon, everyone is pounding that figurative road in their own way.
We all need a coach
To reach our potential and hit those heady heights, we need a coach. Or in other words, a manager.
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Great leaders aren’t necessarily the most technically astute. What they have is compassion, empathy and a great degree of EQ. That’s because it’s the high EQ managers who are able to get the most out of their charges.
There are the famous stories of Sir Alex Ferguson, the legendary Manchester United head honcho, who’d take only a half hearted interest in the technicalities of kicking a ball around a field. What he was really looking for during practice was intent from his players. Who were the one who were up for it, and who were the ones who were dragging their heels?
Ferguson was the classic “people manager”, because he knew how to get the most out of every player. He had a squad of athletes from all four corners of the globe - some came from rich families, some were from families living in poverty; some had left their homes aged 13; some had been in the Manchester United Academy near their parents’ homes - and no one player was the same. But Ferguson never missed a beat. Good managers in business follow the same principles. They understand the individual and work out how to empower them.
As it stands, too many companies in South Africa are focused on hiring for compliance - but nothing much beyond that. They might hold a DEI workshop or two and tweak a policy here or there, but their attitude is that with these boxes ticked, it’s back to business as usual. To transform the landscape in the country, we need to view the world of work through the lens of high performance sports. Where do we want to be, where are we currently, and how do we bridge that gap?
Then, it’s all about committing to that goal.
In summary
DEI cannot succeed without concrete goals.
DEI cannot succeed without a concerted push towards that goal day in, day out.
Hiring for compliance is not enough. You need to give people the best chance to thrive.
Good teams are made up of diverse sets of people - just like a soccer team, or a running club,
Good managers understand that everyone in that diverse team requires different treatment.
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