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Stopping discrimination is important, but tolerance is a terrible word (who wants to be tolerated?). What can we do to create more inclusive environments? Presenting some practical, pragmatic things that really work, based on real world experiences. Updated expanded talk, given to GE Oil & Gas Women's Network in Florence and Booking.com Annual Meeting internal tech conference in Amsterdam, both in Dec 2013.
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Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
Practical Diversity
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
What Do I Know?• Lead international, multi-disciplinary teams ranging in size
from 30 to 300.
• Moved recruitment from 70-30 M-F to 50-50 in IT function of a large company.
• Founded LGBT network that was recognised by Stonewall as a Star Performer; 5 years in the Workplace Equality Index (100 best places to work for LGB employees in UK)
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
I’m A Bit of a Diversity Statistic Woman… Gay… Foreign… Employed (this is a bad thing if you’re foreign…) Multi-lingual Disabled… Atheist…
BUT grew up hugely aware of (unasked & undeserved) privilege I had growing up white in Apartheid South Africa.
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
My childhood was FULL of signs like these
Horrible & horrificbut impossible
to escape
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
I CANNOT DENY THAT PRIVILEGEIn fact, the most useful thing I can do is assess, understanding & acknowledge that privilege
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
Check out the original article from Peggy McIntosh: http://www.amptoons.com/blog/files/mcintosh.html
In Apartheid South Africa, ALL systems were set up to
actively & blatantly give advantage to white folks and
disadvantage non-whites.
We are less good at spotting this when it isn’t so blatant.
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
“We have to aggressively, and uncompromisingly, attack the pernicious lie that the technology industry is a meritocracy. Perpetuating this myth only serves to bolster the egos of those who have succeeded already, at the expense of saying that people who are underrepresented in tech today aren’t present because they aren’t good”
– Anil Dash
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
NOT DISCRIMINATING IS IMPORTANT
Legally, if nothing else
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
BUT TOLERANCE IS A TERRIBLE WORD
Would YOU want to be tolerated?
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
WOULDN’T A FULLY INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT BE BETTER?
PROTIP: Helps Everyone!
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
Diversity is a Spectrum
Active hatred & discrimination (*isms)
Micro aggressions
Indifference Active inclusion
Tolerance
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
“A micro-aggression is telling young boys that they are very smart, and telling young girls that they are very pretty. ”
- Faruk Ates @kurafire
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
The Benefits of Active InclusionResearch shows that diverse teams are more creative, innovate and successful. Why?
1) As a lesbian board member I am a magical rainbow unicorn and my diversity dust ™ leads to greater profits … OR
2) A fully inclusive environment gives you the benefit of all the different viewpoints & experiences and offers many paths to success
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
So How Do We Move Right Way?1. STOP allowing underprivileged groups to be pushed
away
(actively/deliberately OR passively/unintentionally)
2. START building actively inclusive environments
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
Some Things That Work…(some of these surprised me)
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
Reduce FearIncreasing opportunities is worthy & important.
But reducing fear is equally so.
(tips: reduce impact of failure, risk of humiliation, acknowledge risk IS DIFFERENT for those in
underprivileged groups)
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
http://xkcd.com/385/
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
EDUCATE YOURSELF & OTHERS ABOUT PRIVILEGE & IMPLICIT BIASIf you keep doing what you always did, you’ll keep getting what you always got
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
Implicit BiasVery interesting Harvard research into implicit bias – we don’t realise it, are not ACTIVELY but rather PASSIVELY discriminating
There is a site with tests you can do that reveal your bias: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
Privilege 101The number one thing that privilege gives you is a belief that you CAN. (… go to university … work in the industry you want … marry who you want to … get out of bed each morning…)
BELIEF YOU CAN IS A PART OF PRIVILEGE.
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
Privilege 101The other thing that privilege convinces you of is that you are there because of your skills & abilities.
BELIEF YOUR INNATE SKILLS GET YOU WHERE YOU ARE IS A PART OF PRIVILEGE TOO.
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
Check the Signals You Send• Logistics matter – do all your events exclude people in
particular groups? (e.g. those with caring responsibilities)
• People can’t judge your intent – only your actions (you can harm without meaning to)
• Language matters
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
Check If Systems are LoadedCompanies that assess effectiveness / performance and then AUTOMATE pay rises based on this tend to reduce the gender pay gap.
One interpretation:“Pitching for a pay rise” inherently favours men, who tend to be more confident in their abilities and more comfortable talking up their results.
Shy/humble guys suffer too.
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
Johnny CleggThey taught us to forget our pastAnd live the future in their image
…They said
“Learn to speak a little bit of English,Don’t be scared of a suit and tie.”
Learn to walk in the dreams of the foreigner. I am a third world child.
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
MOST ADVICE READS AS “BE MORE LIKE A LOUD STRAIGHT CIS AMERICAN WHITE GUY”
Finding a way to be successful and still be yourself is important
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
Frame Guidance Altruistically• Advice which focuses on how to “do better for
yourself” has a very limited appeal. (a la “steal more pie”)
• Altruistic advice (a la “bake more pie”) appeals to a much broader audience (including non-individualistic cultures…)
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
When We Reframed Networking…
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
The Most Important QuestionBest predictor of recruitment AND retention? Someone’s ability to agree with:
“Someone like me can be successful here”
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
As much as 40% better
Much energy is spent if you have to hide your private life, or pretend to be something you’re not
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
Role Modeling Matters• When a woman presents/represents at
recruitment events, more women apply
• When you present a monoculture, people make assumptions you won’t like
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
“Did You Always Know You Wanted to Be So Senior?”
Men leaders tend to say:“Yes, I always knew I could do more.”
Women leaders tend to say:“No, but my mentors believed in me, and I trusted they were right.”
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
TELL THE PEOPLE YOU BELIEVE IN THAT YOU BELIEVE IN THEM – THAT THEIR SKILLS & THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS ARE VALUABLE
If You Only Do ONE Thing Differently
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
Diversity is a Spectrum
Active hatred & discrimination (*isms)
Micro aggressions
Indifference Active inclusion
Tolerance
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
So How Do We Move Right Way?1. STOP allowing underprivileged groups to be
pushed away
(actively/deliberately OR passively/unintentionally)
2. START building actively inclusive environments
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
Practical Diversity RecapSome things that help
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
Practical Diversity1) Assume fear. Understand risk. Then focus on reducing. 2) Advise people to bake more pie, not steal more pie.3) Understand & educate about privilege & implicit bias.4) Connect people with role models. 5) Grow more role models. Encourage them to be visible.6) “Someone like me can be successful here?” 7) Tell people you believe in that they can. 8) Tell people you believe in that they are there because of their skills. (no one likes
being a diversity stat)9) Find ways to be true to self AND successful. 10) Look at whether your processes/systems discriminate. Fix.
Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager
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