by Chris Powell, CEO, Talmetrix 

The COVID-19 pandemic was an accelerant to change. Remote work, virtual teams, a pause on business travel. The adjustments we made led us to reconsider the “old” ways of doing things: Did we really have to travel that much? Could our teams actually be more productive remotely? And we got an unusually intimate look into each other’s lives on Zoom — kids and pets in the background, clothes hanging off the elliptical, makeshift home offices. It’s going to take time to digest what happened – individually and collectively. And to consider how we want to move forward from here. Do we just pick up where 2019 left off? I don’t think so, but I don’t know.

Conversations around diversity also accelerated. What do the deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd and the protests of the summer of 2020 mean? How do we respond to even more recent events, like the Atlanta murders in the Asian community? It’s going to take a long time to adequately face, much less deal, with these and other deep seated and painful realities.

But what about this moment, right now? What we’re living through now is an inflection point; a raw and unprecedented awareness of and accelerated commitment to diversity efforts. The sense of urgency is palpable. McKinsey reported that U.S. companies have pledged $66 billion to advancing racial equality, with much of that money going to programs that have long histories, like affordable housing and financial inclusion. These efforts are motivated by good intentions. How do we make sure they lead to the results we want to see? What does real, lasting change look like, and how can we achieve it? I don’t have a crystal ball to tell you it’s going to be different this time, but I do have something to say about how we can make the most of where we are right now.

The way we leverage this moment has everything to do with the results we’ll realize. In other words, don’t think of this moment as an opportunity to solve your company’s diversity problem. That may sound provocative, but I don’t mean it to be. I just mean that if you’re a business owner or leader, chances are your success is bound up in your ability to solve problems. The faster you can correctly diagnose and mitigate a problem, the more successful you, your company and your stakeholders will be. It’s worth appreciating just how invisible and unexamined this universal concept is: we celebrate and reward problem-solving. From Ken Chenault to Marissa Mayer, we idolize leaders who produce results. Why wouldn’t we want to see results from our DEI efforts?

Don’t misunderstand me – we do want results, that’s for sure. But the sooner we recognize and accept that a diversity problem isn’t the same as a supply chain hiccup or a resource deficit, the better we’ll be equipped to shift out of our usual results-driven approach. If we approach diversity as we do other “technical” problems, it takes us down the “good intentions” path. We come up with a “diversity plan” quickly and then we get on the treadmill and pursue results, the same way we pursue revenue or operational results (aggressively). And that’s how we miss the moment. Say you want to embed anti-racism into your mission statement and establish specific hiring goals based on a cursory review of employee data. These are good intentions. But without inviting your organization to do the analysis work in a structured, scientific, data-driven way, it’s so easy to end up with window dressing at best. Worst case, by changing your mission statement and arbitrarily committing to goals, you end up taking a step back, pushing your company culture to do something it can’t.

Instead, leverage this moment to discover how diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) are actually valued in your organization by asking the hard questions: How can you assess what DEI looks like for your employee population and organization’s culture? Does DEI have roots in your existing company culture (not the culture you think you have, or wish you had)? Is leadership on board and if so, are they on board the same ship? How will you know if unaddressed (or unknown) bias is holding you back? Where is more accountability or support needed? What does objective success look like, and how will you know when you’ve achieved it?

These aren’t easy questions to dive into, and our clients are often surprised (in both good and bad ways) by what they learn in the discovery process. But every organization that begins with genuine discovery, that knows what the tough questions are and asks them first, is better off in the long run.

I’ll leave you with two things. First, equity–real, dynamic, energizing equity, the kind that transforms an organization and that drives all those good things, like revenue and employee engagement and retention, is a systemic thing; it can’t be cut & pasted into a mission statement. It must be cultivated and nurtured properly so it becomes part of the fabric of company culture. Second, don’t miss this moment to take the first step. A good intention without a solid plan is just a wish. The time is now. The world is watching. Let’s do it right this time.