5 Things / ask better questions
I'm leading with a tiny bit of self-promotion. My company has a new website. I'd love to hear what you think.
Recently I was in a pitch meeting with a company when one of the senior leaders said bluntly: "I just don't know where to look for Black people with a PhD in statistics."
I told him he was asking the wrong question. The better questions are: Why do we require a PhD in statistics? Is there another way to acquire those skills?
Ask better questions.
IBM agrees, at least about 4 year degrees. This week I learned that 43% of their open positions no longer require a 4 year degree. This matters because higher education is not attainable or affordable for all in the U.S., especially for people of color. Removing degree requirements provides greater access to well-paying jobs which can reduce the racial wealth gap.
Here are some things that inspired me this week:
Amidst some somber news about layoffs, Disney also announced that they've added a fifth "key" (core value) of inclusion. This matters because all cast members (their term for employees) will now be trained in this value. This is significant because customer-facing employees don't often receive this kind of training -- and they should.
60% of new members to company Boards of Directors in Ireland are women. This beats the rest of the EU, which averaged 49%. (Other under-represented groups still struggle for Board appointments, however). Gender diversity has been directly linked to innovation and profit, but this really matters because women should be equally represented. Period.
Sesame Workshop produced a new series of videos and resources to help kids with autism be more comfortable with mask-wearing and other realities of the Covid pandemic. This matters because kids with autism face unique challenges these days and Julia, the muppet with autism, can help them realize they're not alone.
The Ford Foundation announced Covid-relief grants totaling $156 million for arts organizations run by and for people of color. This matters because Covid has disproportionally affected those communities, and because those organizations have been historically under-funded.
Finally, this week begins LGBTQ History Month and National Hispanic Heritage Month continues until October 15. This is the time to do some programming or otherwise show your employees that your organization celebrates these beautiful communities. Reach out if we can help.
Thanks for all you do to build a more inclusive world-
Photograph by: Inc.