This post has been in my “drafts” for awhile now.

I have been wanting to publish it— but something held me back.

I wanted it to be meaningful and not a bunch of politically correct BS. I wanted to strike the balance between informative and provocative. And I was not sure if I could do that AND connect the events of the last couple weeks to what we experience in the workplace everyday.

But I’m going to try.

We've read all of the research-- a diverse workforce increase value and the bottom line.

The combination of different perspectives and backgrounds help companies innovate and drive change.

In fact, there is no reason NOT to strive for it.

No surprise— I’ve been asked a number of times in my corporate career to be a champion for diversity & inclusion.

To be a champion for women
To be an ally of the LGBTQ community
To be a mentor for other Asians
To support all of our working moms

I’ve partnered with Talent Acquisition and hiring managers to encourage diverse slates and blind resume screening.

I’ve sought out partnerships with colleges with diverse populations, and internships for disadvantaged youth.

AND YOU HAVE PROBABLY DONE THE SAME.

BECAUSE ALL COMPANIES HAVE RUN THE ESSENTIALLY THE SAME PLAYBOOK FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS.

AND THEY FEEL REALLY PROUD OF THEMSELVES FOR IT.

Because if you sponsor a happy hour for the Asian American employee group-- you're totally a diversity champion, right?

Because if you volunteer your services in a predominantly Black neighborhood-- you've done your good deed for the quarter!

Because if you wear that rainbow flag pin and have a gay friend, you are automatically an ally!

That is SMOKE AND MIRRORS, my friends.

That means we checked the box.

That is ALL that it means.

I was asked to talk about our D&I strategy at a business kickoff meeting.

I showed our pitiful stats.

I listened to excuses. I listened to them questioning the data. More excuses.

I thought… why do they always stick the diversity job with the only diverse person in the room? WHY?

And then I said, to the (mostly) White room:

Guys - I'm tired.
I want to support our teams, but frankly-- why are you not in the game? I've been in the game for over 40 years.
This might be MY job, but it is OUR problem.
We are trying to solve a problem where maybe 20% (tops) of our people are working to address.
IF you (leadership) want to move the needle-- you need the majority (yes, white dudes!) to come in, pick up the slack and start pulling your own weight.

One PERSON cannot solve anything. Companies try and do the right thing and hire D&I leaders* because they want to do the right thing-- and then shortchange their efforts when it comes to resources and meaningful support.

It’s WINDOW DRESSING.

Racial bias, women's rights, Black & Brown inequality, ignorance, prejudice-- these are problems that have been in existence in the US for centuries.

So why do we think one person or team can solve the issue? Why do companies continue to do the same damn thing when it yields the same incremental result?

*Please note, I have many friends that work in the D&I space, and this is not a knock on them or their work. This is about the ecosystem that surrounds them.

I am always a proponent of offering up a solution, but I don't know how to solve for what our country is facing right now.

Here's what I do know:

I could go out for a run and not fear for my life.
I know that if cops stopped me, they would not hold their knee on my neck, choking me to death.
I know if they did, SOMEONE WOULD STOP THEM.
I don't have to worry about teaching my two Cauc-Asian daughters what to do if they get pulled over one day.
Wearing a hoodie will make them look cool; not get them killed.
I have friends who do not have that luxury. And I cannot pretend that I know what that feels like, because I don’t.
But I don't have to sit on the sidelines and pretend like it's not happening.
I can ask how they are doing-- I can ask how I can be of service, I can let them know that I am here.
Maybe more importantly (and they will let me know!)-- I can throw the flag when I see behavior and treatment that is not right.
I can teach my kids to be respectful of everyone and use age-appropriate language to explain racism.
I can ask questions when I am unsure.
And I will be one of the lucky ones because I have a safe space so I can learn and grow as a human and as a member of my community.
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If there is anything I know, it’s that I don’t know what I don’t know. So I’m asking you to all SHOW UP.
If you don’t know how, ASK.
If you don’t know who to ASK, google it. (I’m serious, we google everything else)
Finally, if you have a resource you’d like to share, please leave a comment so we might all benefit from it.
Stay safe, stay well. Take care of each other.
Jean