Leader: Pay attention to these positive changes you need to make in 2022
DEI strategist Antonio Cabral outlined what leaders can foresee in the coming year so that they can move towards a more inclusive and successful future.
As a diversity, fairness, and inclusion expert, I have helped Fortune 500 companies, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations develop and implement strategies that integrate culture, diversity, and inclusion into the employee experience for the past ten years.
Last year, I made some predictions about diversity, fairness and inclusiveness in 2021. I predict that 1) remote work will become more common, 2) workforce diversity will change, 3) inclusiveness will become feasible and quantifiable, 4) non-inclusive culture will see the impact on its consumer base, and 5) marketing will Show greater diversity, 6) More allies and advocates will appear to call for racism in the workplace. In my opinion, 2020 is about the awareness and education of inclusive issues, so in 2021, more people will put their new knowledge into action.
In each case, we can cite examples of last year’s predictions becoming reality this year. As a consultant who works every day in many large companies that are committed to bringing about change, I can honestly say that a lot of progress has been made this year. But change is a dynamic thing, and we still have a long way to go on the road to true tolerance.
According to what I have seen in the companies I work with, there are more things to pay attention to in the coming year.
Reduce execution as required
Inclusiveness will become a permanent item in the annual budget, a part of the organizational structure, not a company's involvement in surface inspections. Companies will spend money, even if they thought they had no money before—just as they had to spend money to solve supply chain problems—because DEI is no longer just a good thing, it has become an essential business function priority. Not only do employees and potential candidates demand this, but they leave when the culture of the organization doesn't suit them.
Consumers are also becoming more savvy, and establishing an inclusive stance on Instagram will no longer be enough. Customers are looking for clues to prove that the company is serious and committed in the way it creates, sells, and markets any product.
Follow up on past promises
After the murder of George Floyd, big companies pledged large amounts of money to black communities, social justice organizations, and historically black colleges and universities (HBCU). Although these donations and pledges made powerful news headlines, they were too large to be forgotten. The public remembered. So in 2022, people will want to know what happened to the promise of $1 million, $10 million, or $100 million? Where did all the money go? What plans have been made? What fair results can we point out?
In 2021, many companies are figuring out how to spend their money. Many of the programs created have no plan how to run, and feel the pain of trying to start responsibly in the process of global identities liquidation. In 2022, we will ask about expenditure results and understand how the plan is tracked.
As future promises are made, investing in equity issues is not enough. Companies will continue to be required to provide evidence of their efforts to make the world fairer in tangible ways. We will increasingly see calls for accounting and reporting on promises of racial equality. Consumers will want to know how the money is spent, whether the company is really working hard to achieve racial equality, or whether this inclusive move is just an empty public relations stunt.
deeper
Consumers are challenging companies, need more evidence, and have higher expectations of corporate responsibility. They are increasingly tired of one-off token inclusion activities and celebrity collaborations. Consumers and employees are looking for long-term, sustainable actions that go beyond typical donations. The most successful leaders will work harder to support their journey towards inclusion through meaningful strategic partnerships and talent. We will hear more discussions about "systematic" problems and find long-term solutions to solve these problems, rather than the short-term, highly visible, and feel-good cooperation of the past two years.
Perhaps in response to public demand, companies may deepen their commitments and expenditures in inclusive planning and solutions, recruiting full-time DEI roles, and establishing a DEI department outside of the people. As more and more people express their desire to see meaningful changes, rather than superficial alliances, more resources will be devoted to research, data analysis, and strategy.
Listen carefully
By 2022, leaders will find more ways to listen to employees and customers as needed.
Comments