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Last July I joined @Brandwatch as the 1st VP Global Community & Belonging:
My mission?
Make our global teams more diverse
Make anti-racism & inclusion the default across the org
Drive equity thru awareness of privilege & bias
Wanna know what's working?
*A THREAD*
My mission?
Make our global teams more diverse Make anti-racism & inclusion the default across the org Drive equity thru awareness of privilege & biasWanna know what's working?
*A THREAD*
Listening.It's imperative to speak to as many people in the biz representing diff seniorities/depts/lived experiences.
Listen to what they say should be a priority on the belonging front.
Listen to WHY they think that's a priority & WHAT they would do differently.
Experiments.Be willing to try new things.
We launched sourcing jams to increase the diversity of our pipeline.
We invested in new recruitment partners to help us fill roles @pocintech @jointechladies @DiversifyTechCo
We've made some wins & keep measuring results.
Build a roadmap.Imagine the culture change you want to achieve is a product.
What are the milestones you need to hit?
I use @trello to manage diff work streams & milestones & share with the team to get feedback & buy-in.
Build in the open to drive engagement.
Embrace discomfort.@BreneBrown says comfort is a privilege.
Challenging all the -isms, putting diversity & inclusion first, is the work of challenging the status quo.
It takes courage & the willingness to make mistakes & be uncomfortable.
Embrace the growing pains.
Talk about the challenges.Sometimes putting diversity first means extra work.
Sometimes it means sticking your neck out.
Sometimes we get it wrong, we hurt feelings, we create NEGATIVE impact despite POSITIVE intentions.
These are the MOST valuable times to talk & learn.
Have a long term view.Dismantling systems of oppression which we have internalised in our own minds is enduring, continuous work.
Be committed to this journey for DECADES.
It's easy to feel like "nothing is working" when you're expecting an overnight paradigm shift.
Tap into curiosity & joy.Our monthly sofa sessions on @zoom_us let us discuss our lived experiences.
>25% of the company show up.
We share stories of pain, of growth, of progress.
It's easy to bail on the belonging journey if its ONLY arduous. Be sure to make it fun, too.
Accept that not everyone is ready to do the work.Each person's reality is their truth.
It can take time for a person to recognise the role they play in perpetuating injustice.
Expect resistance. Just don't get distracted by it.
Focus your energy on those willing to work.
How is the journey of increasing belonging in your team going?
I'd love to hear what's working for you.
Any wins? Effective tactics?
I'd love to hear what you're stuck on too, maybe I can help.
I'd love to hear what's working for you.
Any wins? Effective tactics?
I'd love to hear what you're stuck on too, maybe I can help.
