Companies that hire a new Diversity and Inclusion person and expect things to change overnight are planning to fail.
D&I initiatives don't work that way. They take time. They take conscious effort. Intentionality. Strategy. They take evolving mindsets and transforming culture.
Here's an analogy:
I was out of shape. A bad foot meant I couldn't run or play soccer. I was lethargic and bummed out.
What I could do, though, was push ups and sit ups.
On January 1, I committed to doing ten push ups and twenty sit ups.
I did them. And almost threw up.
On day six, I increased to fifteen push ups and thirty sit ups.
Every five days, as I built my strength and stamina, I increased my numbers.
I'm now up to fifty push ups and 100 sit ups.
Every morning.
I feel stronger. More fit. More confident. I see and feel the progress – physically and mentally. I feel good. Accomplished.
I haven't thrown up once.
I could never have done on January 1 what I did five minutes ago. I had to work up to it. I had a strategic plan. I had long term goals, and I worked toward reaching them.
Intentionally. Unwaveringly.
Don't hire a D&I person and expect them to do 100 sit ups on day one.
They'll throw up.
Your D&I program will stink.
And you'll be left with a big mess to clean up.