Diversity & Inclusion is a topic that I have always tried to stay close to and this past year I have made more of an effort to listen and learn from those around me so that I can not only be close to it but be an active participant in it. One of the driving forces was being invited to chair a discussion as part of the Micro Focus Women in Leadership Event back in December 2019. One year later, last Thursday I had the honor of hosting the 3rd event in this series (there was also a mid-year event, hence the 3rd). As part of the event I was joined by leaders from across industries, from high-tech to banking as we discussed and debated some of the key pieces of advice that we would offer the next generation of women leaders. For me, it came down to the 4P’s:
Being PRESENT
As we continue to work remotely – it is even more important for leaders to find new ways to be present in the remote or hybrid work environments so that they can continue to be available to support their teams and lead by example. However, in a world where the pressure of work life integration (I’m never sure if there can really be a balance) shows no sign of letting up, this can be easier said than done. For some helpful tips and food for thought, I like Nancy Cahn’s piece in Forbes entitled: “How to be a Successful Leader in Our Work Anywhere World”. As Nancy ends her article she sums it up perfectly
“To lead remotely, you need to build on your existing management skills – and develop new ones.And if you do, you’ll be more successful than ever.”
Being present was always a skill of a great leader, now we have to adapt and find ways to be present without proximity.
Being PROACTIVE
As the famous quote goes “Saying and doing are two different things”. The very definition of the word proactive is about creating a situation by causing something to happen rather than responding to it after it has happened or it could be said in the case of I&D sitting by as something happens. For me, a personal example of this was taking inspiration from the Micro Focus Software Innovation Dialogue in 2019 where I heard Monika Chourasia speak about the role of Digital Transformation in India and the Telco industry. Monika’s strength and smarts inspired me to be proactive and start the INSPIRE20 podcast with my team. An Inclusion and Diversity podcast where we invite leaders, from around the world to talk about what they have done in their companies to be proactive champions for all types of Inclusion and diversity from the role of female leaders to the importance of mental health topics to supporting the LGBTQ community to creating a workplace that embraces those with disabilities. This proactive step for me, has helped me learn, see things through a different perspective and has helped shine on a light on what’s possible if we as leaders are proactive and step up to add our voice and our actions.
Being PERSISTENT
Finally – being persistent. With so much attention on the topic of I&D it can be easy to think that the battle has been won, but there is still much work to do. There are plenty of positive statistics about the progress that has been made and we should celebrate that. McKinsey & Company did a great piece in 2019 entitled “Diversity wins: How Inclusion Matters”. However, at the same time, we can see from this post by Employee Engagement vendor Emplify that gaps still remain. Some of their key points:
- Women ask for pay raises as often as their male contemporaries, but receive them five percent less often
- A separate tech industry survey found that24 percent of employees have personally felt discriminated against
- Some 40 percent of employees have citedunfairness in the forms of harassment, bullying, or stereotypingas a major reason they chose to leave a company.
Data and stats are normally always dependent on context, but the numbers don’t lie. If we want to ensure that I&D stays a board level initiative and that board level initiatives turn into positive actions and outcomes we have to be persistent and we have to continue to drive awareness and visibility in all that we do.
Being PASSIONATE
Finally, passion. This P was brought up as part of the discussion by Mini Gupta. I think it’s a great add to the framework and nothing encapsulates it better than a quote many attribute to non other than one of the legends of tech Steve Jobs:
"You have to be burning with an idea, or a problem, or a wrong that you want to right. If you're not passionate enough from the start, you'll never stick it out."
I think that says it all. So, with that I'll wrap up the 4 P's of Inclusion & Diversity and end with a thank you.
Thank you to the Women in Technology panel attendees: Monika ChourasiaAmrita GangotraSatyavathi DivadariVirginia SharmaMini GuptaShikha PillaiShweta BaidyaRuna DalalSunita HandaBhawna AgarwalSayantani Mukherjee Roy
And #Kaustubh Patki and the wonderful APJ and India leadership team Smita BanerjeeDivita SinghSaurabh SaxenaSara Serrao EvansMichelle TanYing Tze (YT) ChuaScott JamiesonSarah AtkinsonNeeraj AhujaAmol KhanvilkarParveen SheikhSuchika Wadhwa
