Slide 1 Title Page, Practical Intersectionality
Rowland Mosbergen
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.19518001
Full workshop "Improving Diversity and Inclusion in Senior Leadership": https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.14315846
Slide 2 - Impact across organisations
This presentation explains the underlying principles that have helped other communities. In one example, setting up a committee for the RSE-AUNZ community that was overwhelmingly (91%) male, with the end result of this was we selected two very capable co-chairs - both women, with one being a woman of colour.
Slide 3 - Feedback
Your work is *enormously* helpful to put down to concrete actions all the well-intentioned DEI words I've seen prolifically circulating. Citing your work every chance I have. - Laura Ación
Slide 4 - Systemic imbalance
There is an imbalance in the system that is biased against people from marginalised groups. We cannot fix this imbalance by treating people equally as if they have had the same opportunities, resources and rights. Reference to the concise history of black white relations cartoon
Slide 5 - Neutral sides with oppression
Systems are biased to the right so the car in the picture drifts if we keep the steering wheel neutral. We have to turn the steering wheel to the left to stay in our lane to avoid an accident.
“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.” – Desmond Tutu Link to the quote by Desmond Tutu
Slide 6 - Discrimination results in a lack of opportunities
You can see the two people in the picture don't have an even race. Not everyone gets the same opportunities. The picture is from manu.se.
Slide 7 - Lack of opportunities over time reduces employability
Slide 8 - Give people from marginalised groups more opportunities
This is why the key is to give people from marginalised groups more opportunities to make up for the ones they have lost. https://twitter.com/__BHB__/status/1386365587153055751
Slide 9 - Intersectionality increases the degree of difficulty
Intersectionality is belonging to more than one marginalised group. It means that you have more “areas” that can open you up for attack. Understanding the range of areas and the effects is key to being able to help. Full workshop slide 16.
Slide 10 - Intersectionality Spectrum - Triaging similar to a hospital setting
We should be triaging to help those who need it most, similar to a hospital setting. So those with the highest degree of difficulty with the most amount of marginalised groups should be helped as a priority compared to those with lesser degree of difficulty.
Slide 11 - Capability Maturity Model for Diversity in Organisations - Levels 2,3 and 4
The next two slides show you how you can move from Level #2 to Level #3 and help your organisation move to Level #4.
| CMM Level | Understanding | Key Question |
|---|---|---|
| #1 Systems encouraging lack of diversity | There is no understanding | There are no questions being asked. |
| #2 Systems neutral that keeps status quo | There is understanding of blatant issues in diversity, but not systemic issues. | How do we stop unconscious bias and only judge on skills and experience? |
| #3 Individuals actively fighting the status quo | There is understanding of blatant and systemic issues in diversity by individuals. | How do we get privileged people to give people from marginalised groups more opportunities? |
| #4 Systems improvement in one organisation | There is understanding of blatant and systemic issues across the organisation. | How do we build systems to give people from marginalised groups more opportunities? |
| #5 Systems improvement across organisations | There is understanding of systemic issues across multiple organisations. | How do we build systems to give people from marginalised groups more opportunities? |
Slide 12 - How can you help as an individual
How can you help as an individual?
Slide 13 - How you can help as an individual?
Centre people who are marginalised in your social media and use your privilege to give others opportunities.
Instead of applying for a choice opportunity for yourself, encourage, mentor and help people from a marginalised group apply.
There are 13 tips to review in the Appendix.
Slide 14 - How you can help as an organisation?
How you can help as an organisation?
Slide 15 - How you can help as an organisation?
Aim for a 50% target of people from marginalised groups on the selection committee, reviewing resumes and doing interviews.
Redefine merit by increasing the emphasis on ability and potential while de-emphasising experience, as experience can be correlated with opportunity, not ability.
There are 30 tips to review in the Appendix.
Slide 16 - Acknowledgements
I would really like to acknowledge the large number of people who helped me directly and indirectly, but in particular Manodeep, Yo, Michelle, Malvika, and Camille. I recommend that you follow the following people on twitter as they have all helped me at some point in my journey and still do: https://twitter.com/i/lists/1386261499321065478.
Appendix - excerpt from "Improving Diversity and Inclusion in Senior Leadership".
Slide 50 - How can you help as an individual?
How can you help as an individual?
Slide 51 - Moving from CMM level 2 to CMM level 3
This is what you need to do to move from CMM Level #2 to CMM Level #3.
Slide 52 - Centre people from marginalised groups
Because people from marginalised groups get erased from the conversation every single day. Setup your social media to include a core of people from marginalised groups that you wouldn’t normally see. Proactively find databases of intersectionality marginalised people in your industry to build new relationships. https://www.earthday.org/ugandan-climate-activist-vanessa-nakate-provides-voice-for-the-global-south/
Slide 53 - Step aside for people from marginalised groups
Instead of applying for a choice opportunity for yourself, encourage, mentor and help people from a marginalised group apply. This is not tokenism if they have the talent and potential and you are willing to share your skills and experience with them. https://twitter.com/__BHB__/status/1386365587153055751
Slide 54 - Encourage people from marginalised groups
Interview marginalised candidates by default and provide them with constructive feedback. Go out of your way to engage with, help with introductions, and mentor them. When you see a marginalised person do something well, compliment them. This can help with fighting the effects of gaslighting. Encourage them to build a support network from their own marginalised group who can support them now and in the future. https://scholarshare.temple.edu/bitstream/handle/20.500.12613/847/BransonDavis_temple_0225E_13394.pdf?sequence=1
I get excited when I see us [Black women] do well. When I see African American women doing great stuff, I get excited. Usually I drop them a note and say, ”Hey, you go for it”, “You go girl!” It’s never that, oh, “Who do you think you are?” Or, better yet, I’m not going to help you, or I’m not going to be a part of that.” I don’t have time for that. You know what, we don’t have time for that. ‘Cause there’s still too few of us... So again, so that’s why it’s important that when you see in opportunity you, you pick up the phone, say, “There’s a position that’s available. You need to go look into it.” Okay? Or, become the on-ramp (Health Care / Executive, personal communication, February 9, 2018).
Slide 55 - Identify talented people from marginalised groups
Focus less on skills and experience and more on potential and talent. Go out of your way to engage with, help with introductions and job opportunities, and mentor. Especially be proactive in job opportunities! The more marginalised a candidate, the more the gap between skills and experience should be reduced as a weighting when hiring. Take into account extenuating circumstances eg. returning from long-term maternity leave when comparing skills tests. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.16725757
Slide 56 - How can you help as an organisation?
How can you help as an organisation?
Slide 57 - Moving from CMM level 3 to CMM level 4
This is what you need to move from Moving from CMM level 3 to CMM level 4.
Slide 58 - Proactive pre-recruitment activities
| Item | Proof/Reference |
|---|---|
| Ensure that your organisation strategy highlights increasing diversity. | Strong poll response |
| Proactively engage with diverse groups eg. Mentoring for PoC aspiring to senior management. | Lived experience |
| Setup a support network inside and outside your organisation for underrepresented marginalised groups. | Publication 1 |
| Keep a database of intersectionally marginalised people that have impressed you. Use this database to build relationships and distribution channels. | Lived experience |
| Look at opportunities to job-share a senior position ie. a person with talent and potential sharing a job with someone with experience | Publication 2 |
Publication 1
Publication 2
Slide 59 - Writing the position description
| Item | Proof/Reference |
|---|---|
| Ensure increasing diversity strategy is counted as a KPI or selection criteria in the position description. | Strong poll response |
| Do a discourse analysis to ensure the PD and the ad doesn't use stereotypical male attributes for leadership. | Publication 1 |
| Ensure the PD and the job ad point to the Diversity and Inclusion strategy. | Strong poll response |
| Ask for a referee that worked for the applicant and belongs to a marginalised group. | Theoretical |
| Highlight that feedback on the inclusivity and language of the position description is welcomed. | Theoretical |
Publication 1
Slide 60 - Writing the position description selection criteria
| Item | Proof/Reference |
|---|---|
| Demonstrated ability to have difficult conversations around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. | Lived experience |
| Demonstrated ability to raise and solve diversity and inclusion issues in the workplace. | Lived experience |
| Demonstrated ability to champion, identify and mentor diverse candidates for senior management roles and provide safe spaces for them. | Lived experience |
| Demonstrated ability to connect with diverse stakeholders. | Lived experience |
| Demonstrated ability to attract diverse, talented, future leaders to the organisation. | Lived experience |
Slide 61 - Examples
As I review position descriptions, I will add my suggestions to an online spreadsheet to explain what I changed and why. Here are some examples from that spreadsheet.
Example shown in image is: We are looking for an experienced candidate.
Reason why this should be changed: Experience can be highly correlated with opportunity, rather than ability. This is already reducing the chances of people from marginalised groups. If experience is a high factor in your senior leadership search you are going to reduce your pool of diverse candidates.
Updated sentence: We are looking for a talented candidate.
Slide 62 - Reviewing resumes and shortlisting for interview
| Item | Proof/Reference |
|---|---|
| Increase the emphasis on skills and ability and de-emphasise experience as experience can be highly correlated with opportunity, not ability. | Strong poll response |
| 50% target of people from intersectionally marginalised groups reviewing resumes. | Lived experience |
| Give constructive feedback to any candidates from intersectionally marginalised groups that don't make the interview. | Lived experience |
| Ensure candidates from intersectionally marginalised groups are kept in mind for other opportunities. | Lived experience |
| Add an extra weighting to a candidate based on their "Degree of Difficulty" or "Achievement relative to Opportunity". | Lived experience |
Slide 63 - Interview process
| Item | Proof/Reference |
|---|---|
| Increase the questions on skills and ability and de-emphasise ones on experience as that can be highly correlated with opportunity, not ability. | Strong poll response |
| 50% target of people from intersectionally marginalised groups on the interview panel. | Strong poll response |
| Ask diversity questions in the interview. eg. explain a time when you helped someone from a marginalised group deal with discrimination at work. | Medium poll response |
| Highlight commitments and support mechanisms to counteract the attrition that marginalised hires experience after successful recruitment. | Medium poll response |
| Ask how many diverse or highly marginalised people have you mentored, and can they be contacted as a referee? | Lived experience |
Slide 64 - Choosing the candidate
| Item | Proof/Reference |
|---|---|
| Increase the weighting on skills and ability and de-emphasise ones on experience as that can be highly correlated with opportunity, not ability. | Strong poll response |
| 50% target of people from intersectionally marginalised groups on the decision panel. | Strong poll response |
| Weight the diversity questions responses higher in the interview. | Medium poll response |
| Add an extra weighting to a candidate based on their "Degree of Difficulty" or "Achievement relative to Opportunity". | Lived experience |
| Review the diversity of the organisation and weight higher if this candidate will add to the diversity of leadership in the organisation. | Lived experience |
Slide 65 - Onboarding and beyond
| Item | Proof/Reference |
|---|---|
| Ensure there are commitments and support mechanisms to counteract the attrition that marginalised hires experience after successful recruitment. | Strong poll response |
| Setup a support network inside and outside your organisation for marginalised groups. | Publication 1 |
| Review their progress and ensure that they have the right supports to rapidly increase their experience if hired on potential. | Lived experience |
| Ask for "frank and fearless" feedback on the recruitment process and the culture of the organisation and use this to improve the organisation. | Lived experience |
| If you are truly committed, you can use this as an opportunity to leverage goodwill and market your organisation. | Lived experience |
Publication 1
Slide 66 - More examples from the NHS
More examples from the NHS The National Health Service East of England commissioned a report from Roger Kline called "No more tick boxes". This 163 page document provides more specific options that are focused on improving the equitable treatment of women, Disabled staff, and staff of Black and Minority Ethnic origin. While I disagree with the premise that we should be removing bias from systems and processes (as we need to do more and be anti-racist to reduce the cumulative effects of racism), nevertheless it is an extensive report that is complementary. https://www.pslhub.org/learn/culture/no-more-tick-boxes-a-review-of-the-evidence-on-how-to-make-recruitment-and-career-progression-fairer-september-2021-r5190/