Planning your dei future, consider your dei past

In DEI we often focus on:

Where are we now?

Where do we want to be?

The present and the future.

But knowing the past on individual, organizational and socio-cultural level is crucial.

To forget the past is like driving a car without rear view mirror.

It’s not only risky.

It may lead to a clash.

When planning DEI program development, it’s important to consider:

·      Individual history, values and pain points of the employees in relation to our organization

Are we starting fresh?

Do we have a history together e.g. are we re-launching or rebranding? How that can influence the individual perception of our organization?

What were the factors in the past that could influence the future and cause anxiety and limited trust, e.g past layoffs, maternity policy, badly handled mobbing?

·      Historically shaped organizational culture

What is our history?

Have we been founded on values we want to promote now or does our past need to be confronted and addressed?

What our organizational culture has been based so far? How was it perceived by our employees? Is it coherent with our DEI plans?

How was the topic of DEI introduced previously? What was the response?

·      Cultural context

What was the socio-political situation of the employees that could have shaped their attitudes and values?

How past socio-political situation could have potentially influence response to DEI now?

What are the historical pain points and societal power dynamics that can play a role in how DEI programs will be perceived?

What other questions do you think the organization should be asking themselves when considering introducing DEI?

This reflection is a part of learning sharing from the Global Inclusion Dialogue meeting I participated in, in Norway. Thank you, the whole group, for great discussions and Nene Molefi for reminding us of this metaphor to illustrate the importance of the past in DEI progress.