Before we delve into this month's blog post sharing lessons from my upcoming book, Leading Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, I have a few exciting announcements.
Firstly, I am thrilled to release the excerpt for Leading Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. I hope you enjoy this insight into the book and don't forget to pre-order your copy here.
I would also be honoured if you join me at the book's launch party on December 6th at 10am EST. I will be speaking with some of the DEI leaders whose outstanding work is featured in my book and there are a few surprises in store to make the launch a true celebration! More information will be announced soon.
This month I explore the forth principle from my book, Leading Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: A Guide for Systemic Change in Multinational Organizations, Go Deep, Wide & Inside-Out.
Organizations are comprised of interconnected systems that work in concert with each other and, as such, DEI needs to be infused into the processes, policies, and structures throughout an organization, as well as in the external ecosystem.
Principle 4 considers the importance of embedding DEI wide through thoughtful global governance and strategy frameworks, deep through local champions and allies that seed DEI in the organizational culture, and inside-out by integrating DEI into internal systems and by engaging the external ecosystem.
Given that October is National Disability Employment Awareness month in the US, I decided to illustrate Going Deep, Wide and Inside-out with an example of how accessibility needs to be integrated into end to end processes from product design to the customer experience.
Imagine a technician going into a visually impaired customer’s home and leaving their bag of tools on the floor where the customer might trip over them. Or a call center agent asking a blind customer to click on something they cannot see. For a product to be truly accessible for people with disabilities, both the product and all the customer touchpoints have to ensure accessibility, which means that in some cases, processes have to be reimagined.
How products are designed, delivered, and supported for customers with disabilities required a new mindset and holistic training for Charter Communications, Inc. a leading broadband connectivity company and cable operator in the US. To address the customer experience, Charter recognized the importance of embedding accessibility at each touch point of the product lifecycle.
In my upcoming book, I share several examples of going wide with a transversal strategy, governance structure and metrics; going deep by cultivating local champions and going inside-out by embedding DEI in the talent life cycle as well as in other processes such as in marketing and the supply chain. Tune into Learn from Leaders on Wednesday 20th October to hear from Peter Brown, Group Vice President, Digital Platforms Agency, Charter Communications, Inc. as he discusses how he embedded accessibility for people with disabilities in their product development and in their processes.
Next month I will discuss the fifth principle from my book - Know What Matters & Count It. In the meantime, my book is now available to pre-order.
More than just a book...
To celebrate the launch of my book, I have created a series of resources that I hope you find useful.
Learn from Leaders
October 20th | Peter Brown, Group Vice President, Digital Platforms Agency, Charter Communications, Inc.
I am excited that this month I will be joined by Peter Brown, Group Vice President, Digital Platforms Agency, Charter Communications, Inc. Our conversation will focus on the 4th principle of my upcoming book, Go Deep, Wide & Inside-Out.
​In our conversation, Peter will discuss how he embedded accessibility for people with disabilities in their product development and in their processes. Watch the interview on October 20th when it goes live on my website. In the meantime, why not watch the previous interviews with:
Kristen Anderson, Former Chief Diversity Officer, Barilla
Rishi Gour, CEO, Theobroma
Alain Morize, Senior Vice President, Energy and Resources, Sodexo US
Mark McLane, Head Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing, M&G
Learn from the DEI Community
There are now over 300 people in the Leading Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion LinkedIn community group! Bringing together global leaders to connect and learn from each other, I hope it enhances your capability to drive sustainable, impactful change. Bring your questions, share your experiences and connect with fellow leaders who, like you, are driving DEI change and progress. Why not also share with colleagues and friends who are also on their DEI journey and are searching to identify ways to enhance impact across different regions!
Learn from my Experience
I was thrilled that over 100 people from all around the world registered for the September Learn from My Experience Live Q&A! I really enjoyed answering key DEI questions and sharing my journey. Hear from some of the participants:
"I just wanted to send a note to thank you for the terrific presentation on engaging leaders in DEI. As always, your wisdom and expertise are spot on, and so helpful!"- Serena Fong, VP Strategic Initiatives, Catalyst
"An excellent presentation! I appreciate your insight and knowledge, wonderful! Onward and upward!"- Greg Jenkins, CEO, Greg Jenkins Consulting LLC
"Thank you for the real life examples you shared that brought your 5 principles to life." - Betsy Bagley, Director, Pulsely
"You are incredibly inspiring and I feel grateful to have experienced your wisdom! I can't wait to receive your book." - Marie Dukes, Chief Global Employment & Data Privacy Counsel, FMC
The next session takes place this month on October 27th @ 10am EST. As I have received several questions on localizing your DEI strategy, I have decided to focus on the first principle, Make it Local. When you register you will have the opportunity to submit your questions in advance, and please do bring further questions with you to the session itself. You don’t have to limit your questions to localizing your DEI strategy; this is your opportunity to gain insights from me about any aspect of DEI. I look forward to seeing you there!
Time zones: 10:00 EST 07:00 Pacific 15:00 GMT 16:00 CET 07:30 IST 22:00 Singapore
Comments