5 Things / The DEI PSA
When I’m prepping for a keynote, I love to spend time talking to the client about their DEI goals and current state. Between all these conversations, research for 5 Things, and research for my book, Inclusive 360, I think I figured out the winning formula for meaningful DEI progress: Purpose + Strategy + Accountability (PSA).
It sounds simple but we all know it’s not easy. Let me break it down:
Purpose must be a people-first message that employees can rally around. Leaders should also share their own individual purposes.
Strategy must be holistic and organization-wide, not simply workshops and coaching, not simply hiring more underrepresented talent.
Accountability must be for all managers, or everyone, if you'd like, where engagement in or progress on DEI goals is a part of performance reviews.
Consider Purpose + Strategy + Accountability (PSA) as a three-legged stool that wobbles depending on what’s missing (a metaphor borrowed from the book Unleashed). In a short conversation with a client, that framework will allow our team to quickly identify the areas of opportunity that can move the needle most quickly. I love that we get to do this stuff!
Here are the good vibes I found this week:
LinkedIn Adds New Accessibility Features, Including Auto-Captions on Videos
LinkedIn announced some new accessible features this National Disability Employment month. Uploaded user videos will now be available with auto-captions for people with hearing impairment; videos now also have a high contrast feature, which adjusts the colors to improve accessibility for those with visual impairment. Finally, standardized job titles like accessibility designer, chief accessibility officer, or accessibility engineer, have been added so people in the accessibility industry can more easily find opportunities. This matters because people with disabilities will have greater access to this content and these opportunities – and that can help them gain employment.
Software Helps Employers Fix Problematic Feedback Language Before It’s Delivered
Textio, the artificial intelligence-based tech company that flags gendered terms in job postings to help make them more inclusive, now has a new feature to reduce bias in performance reviews. The feature will be available through Workday. According to Textio’s research, women and Black employees are more subject to reviews that contain absolutes like “never” and “constantly” and are more likely to be referred to as “abrasive” and similar terms. The software flags biased, non-specific, and/or not helpful language, and prompts managers to make adjustments before posting the feedback. This matters because the software interrupts the bias that prevents women and BIPOC from being promoted at the same rate as white men, leading to a lack of diversity in leadership.
‘The Whole Country Shines With a Huge Rainbow’: Same-Sex Marriage Legal in All Mexican States
Same-sex marriage is now legal in all Mexican states. Prior to now, it was legal in a patchwork of states, similar to how it evolved here in the U.S., leaving some Mexicans with easy access to this right, and others without, simply based on where they lived. This matters because marriage rights should be equal, and love is love.
Diwali Will Be a Public School Holiday in New York City Starting in 2023
Beginning in 2023, Diwali, the festival of lights celebrated by many South Asians, will be considered a public school holiday in New York City. This holiday is celebrated by more than one billion people globally, 200,000 of whom live in New York – and it matters to them that this celebration is being acknowledged by the school system.
Disney Expands Costume Options For Children With Disabilities
Just in time for Halloween, Disney expanded its collection of adaptive costumes for people with disabilities. Disney and Target have both had adaptive costumes for several years now, including wheelchair covers, which I think are amazing. This matters because people in wheelchairs should also have access to a Black Panther or Elsa from Frozen costume if that’s what they’d like. I hope we see even more variety in the years to come.
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