Diversity has activist roots and at the same time, it was created as a positive, constructive addition to social and political equality movements. SustainabilityMag#15 explains how to manage the dynamics created by #metoo or BlackLivesMatter. Looking at the General Shareholder Meetings of BP or Engie tells us: Polarisation is not a special interest discussion in D&I but a central issue of Corporate Governance. How to acknowledge and eventually incorporate new expectations from customers, employees, candidates, shareholders or other stakeholders? And what if these expectations would lead to ..read more

DE&I experts see both a need to consider vast local differences in what to address and how, and a huge attractiveness of global ‘best practices’ followed by an eagerness to import them. But: What to copy and what to tailor – and to which context? The DEI Trilogy ‘Stop polarisation & exclusion’ – part 3: The power of contextualised relevance, e.g. Spain Tailoring DE&I to a local context, e.g., by using local language, addressing local topics or showcasing local examples seems to serve an obvious purpose: Making DE&I relevant, relatable and applicable for people on the ground ..read more

When people talk about bias & barriers or privilege & power, older white males seem to be the implicit object of description. Increased activism (and polarisation) intensifies the blame & shame on this group. At the same time, they are asked – or urged – to become active allies and empathetic mentors. Can we have it all? The DEI Trilogy ‘Stop polarisation & exclusion’ – part 2: The Pale Male – desirable ally or source of all evil? Who serves as inspiration for DE&I? Voices that were not heard before, stories that were not told and barriers that were not visible in the pas ..read more

Should the definition of Diversity include people that explicitly reject some aspects of DE&I? Or should Inclusion demand reciprocity from everyone who requests to be valued and heard? Or do both Diversity and Inclusion have to be all-encompassing? What may sound like a no-brainer turns out to unfold as a deep ideological divide, which has remained unnoticed for quite a while. DE&I 2023 Trilogy (part 1) Which dimensions do you include in your Diversity definition? Which topics are actively addressed and which ones are just (passively) mentioned? These are common questions to kick-st ..read more

Schwarze Models, schwulesbische Flaggen, sprachlich gegendert: Die Werbung ist bunt geworden. Gefühlt über Nacht, überall und für manche übertrieben. Die Art und Weise wie Unternehmen Vielfalt sichtbar machen erhitzt die Gemüter auf teils unerwartete Weise und auf allen Seiten. Anscheinend geht es hier um deutlich mehr als Geschmacksfragen – das besprechen auch aktuelle Medienberichte. Unzählige Unternehmen schlagen – scheinbar einmütig – eine neue Richtung ein und ernten damit von (fast) allen Seiten mitunter heftige Kritik. Dieses Phänomen muss überraschen und als Indiz für tiefere Verwerfun ..read more

Are numerous likes from followers indicative of valuable, inspiring content? Do many participants illustrate the impact of a D&I initiative? Is positive feedback at a DEI meeting confirming your DEI strategy design? As a critical D&I engineer, I see a need to look at different DEI target groups and related objectives in the first place. For this helps us to contextualise some of our evaluation results. The 20¦21>22>> Trilogy (part 3) If you are the CDO or Head of D&I of an International corporation – or work with them –, which of the following do you say or experience ev ..read more

One of the shared beliefs in D&I appears to be that issues from the past will be resolved with new values, generations and business approaches. Does this hope withstand reality and evidence checks? The 20¦21>22>> Trilogy (part 2) Power & privilege to set and enforce rules has been a critical focus for Diversity & Inclusion, in particular from the equity and belonging perspectives. Our new business environment with globalised labour markets, inter-cultural mind-sets and virtual connectedness across all kinds of borders seem to provide a new, levelled playing-field. Actual ..read more

Using power is different from showing leadership in DE&I and both are key to successfully driving change. Traction, however, can also be reduced – or limited – depending on how power is used. This often happens unintentionally or when a leader is not aware of the side-effects of their ‘powerful’ decisions. DE&I 2023 Trilogy (part ..read more

Standing up for your case has a long tradition in Diversity. Today, media amplify various forms of activism and DE&I is increasingly perceived as a personalised or political form of engagement – rather than a future-oriented way of supporting organisational priorities. Read about unwanted side-effects of this. DE&I 2023 Trilogy (part 2) The roots of ..read more

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