3 Ways to Make Actionable Changes to Support Underrepresented Communities through your Business
Given the recent Black Lives Matter protests and our growing awareness of the essential changes that must be made in our country, it’s no surprise that changes must also be made at the workplace. Let’s explore 3 ways that you can help make your business community a more unified front for all people.
Take Account of Your Own Biases
Whether you are an assistant or the CEO, it is essential that everyone takes accountability for their preconceived notions about others based on outward factors such as race. One great way to take account of your biases is to practice mindful meditation. Through meditation, you can learn to challenge your unmerited judgments or opinions about other people.
For instance, imagine that you are given the task of choosing which of two candidates to grant a promotion to. Your first thought is that one candidate would be more suitable for the role because you assume that they have better qualifications to succeed based on their race. You assume that this means that they have had access to better education and will be more successful. In this scenario, it is important to stop yourself and recognize that you cannot group people into categories regarding achievement based on their race. It is important to ask yourself who truly has the best qualifications for the promotion and who has worked the hardest for it.
Take Account of Employee Diversity
Not only is it essential to pay attention to how the upward movement within your company is racially distributed, but it is also important to examine who you are hiring.
For instance, if you notice that one department consists solely of people from a particular race and gender, there may be an issue that needs to be addressed. Perhaps there are preconceived notions at your company that a certain race and gender is best for a particular role. One great way to increase your company’s diversity is to openly provide members of minority communities with an equal opportunity to be hired at your company as non-minority people.
Set an Example
Whether you are in a management position or not, setting an example of inclusion and appreciation of diversity is a great way to support minority communities. There are many interesting ways to set an example. For instance, you can speak to HR about your company’s response to the BLM protests and recommend more that can be done. You also could express your company’s need for more diversity training. You could even suggest that your daily or weekly company lunches are from black-owned restaurants or even from restaurants from sometimes stigmatized cultures.
The Sukhi Project supports you no matter how you decide to make important changes at your company in order to create a more inclusive world.
Steps to Take
87% of American consumers will purchase a product because a company advocated for an issue they care about. Here are some changes we think you can make to show your communities of interest that you aren’t all about performance activism and that you really do care!
1. Focus on Company Culture at All Levels
It is important to make sure that the company culture is always changing and catering to women and underrepresented communities. In a multitude of situations, it is demonstrated that action must be taken at all levels. Accountability must be built, measured, and maintained from senior executives down to trainees.
Moving beyond just talking about these issues is important-- we need diversity events that encourage thoughtfulness and resourcing efforts for these endeavors, involving a myriad of voices being able to mitigate workplace problems and design better solutions. Have leaders be diverse and embrace diversity as part of the company culture!
2. Un-learn and Reduce Unconscious Biases
According to research by the Level Playing Field Institute, more than 2 million employees a year leave their jobs due solely to repeated instances of unfairness or unconscious biases. Furthermore, many are not even hired due to subconscious prejudice towards names and appearances. Making sure that managers are aware of their tones and behaviors can have a long-term effect on employee satisfaction and will better the work environment for underrepresented groups.
Companies can consciously hire and work towards bringing in talent from pools that are often not sought out or recruited carefully. Women and minorities need to be advocated for during their recruitment process and time at a company so they can find more comfort in the leadership around them.
3. Show your Intent in Critical Movements like #BlackLivesMatter
In creating a statement regarding a pressing and sensitive subject, individuals and organizations need to show their passion and action, rather than using their words as a form of performance activism. Firstly, companies should clarify their intentions by supporting this movement, specifically highlighted in attainable goals. They should identify steps and specify actions to take to make this impact and not let it fizzle out. Lastly, they should show their results and the product of their labor to their consumer base. By bringing this all together, companies can show their customers how they hold themselves accountable and contribute to solving society’s large problems at hand. This can convey how you are genuine and build your support over time.
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Cole, Samantha. “10 Actionable Ways To Actually Increase Diversity In Tech.” Fast Company, Fast Company, 26 Jan. 2015, www.fastcompany.com/3041339/10-commitments-that-will-make-a-difference-in-increasing-diversity-in-tec.
Dobbins, Melissa. “Three Steps to Creating an Actionable Response to Black Lives Matter.” Careerplace, Careerplace, 1 July 2020, www.career.place/post/three-steps-to-creating-an-actionable-response-to-black-lives-matter.
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