Case Study: Fostering a Transparent DEI Culture
Goal
Our mission was to lay a strong foundation for a diversity, inclusion, and equity (DEI) driven environment within the firm. We aimed to clearly document strategic DEI goals, establish measurable benchmarks, and track progress in these critical areas to cultivate an inclusive corporate culture.
BARRIER
The initiative faced initial resistance due to a prevailing fear of transparency within the leadership team. Concerns about revealing too much internal data and the potential backlash from external stakeholders made our task especially challenging.
Solution
To overcome this hurdle, we employed a two-pronged approach:
Stakeholder Engagement: We facilitated one-on-one dialogues with key stakeholders to gain a comprehensive understanding of their concerns and perspectives. These conversations were instrumental in aligning the leadership's objectives with our DEI goals.
In-depth Research: Our team conducted thorough research to identify the most effective methods for documenting DEI objectives and processes. This ensured that our approach was not only structured and systematic but also aligned with best practices in DEI strategy formulation.
We provided a detailed Proposal outlining our planned approach and a Progression Matrix designed to visually track the advancement towards our DEI goals.
OUTPUT
Our efforts resulted in a significant shift in the leadership's stance:
Commitment to DEI Goals: The leadership team moved past their initial apprehension and made a firm commitment to actively track and support the DEI goals and initiatives.
Positive Feedback: The communications and content related to DEI, especially the Progression Matrix, received overwhelmingly positive feedback for their clarity, comprehensiveness, and impact.
By addressing the leadership's fear of transparency head-on, we laid the groundwork for a more open, diverse, and inclusive culture at the firm—one where DEI goals are not just aspirational, but actionable and accountable.