3. What does diversity, equity, and inclusion mean to you, Dr. Davis?
At the core of my identity, I am a woman, a person of color, a single mom, a person of faith, an entrepreneur, and an HR professional, so DEI is personal for me. Throughout my career, I’ve been minimized, overlooked, discriminated against, and undervalued because of these identities (several of which I had no control over). So DEI to me means being recognized for my unique talents, perspectives, and experiences; being given the job opportunities, promotions, contracts, funding or loans, and access because I’ve earned them, I deserve them, and I qualify for them. DEI is also personal to me because I want my daughter (a beautiful, talented, educated, gifted, hard-working, creative professional) to have a fair and equitable shot at succeeding in her career and in life.
4. What does diversity, equity, and inclusion mean in the workplace?
Very similar to what I just shared. It means that all talent has an opportunity to thrive, regardless of a person’s background, experience, ethnicity, orientation or identity, age, culture, thinking style, or any other characteristic. DEI ensures that all employees understand how important it is to work across differences to achieve better outcomes. It serves to create a workplace environment that reflects the changing population and the diverse communities that the company serves and does business in. Further, DEI should be embedded into every aspect of the organization—including the values, operating plan, policies, strategies, behaviors, and reward systems. Every worker should be expected to treat each other with respect, held accountable for doing so, and foster a culture of inclusion, belonging, and high performance.
5. What does diversity, equity, and inclusion mean for the law?
Human and civil rights movements and laws date back centuries and have evolved from matters of compliance to the moral and social imperative, to a business strategy. Understanding the historical context and the many ways that DEI has evolved over the years is important.
Today, many countries have laws protecting their citizens from discrimination based on race, gender, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, disability, age, and so on. In the United States in particular, federal laws such as the Civil Rights Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and others are foundations of DEI that organizations must comply with. DEI efforts serve to ensure that organizations adhere to these laws in the workplace or run the risk of the consequences when they are violated.
6. What is diversity, equity, and inclusion training?
DEI training programs are designed to provide education and raise awareness about issues related to working across all types of differences (mostly with people who are not like us). It’s also about building skills and ensuring the application of those skills in the workplace so that everyone has a respectful and positive experience; that biases and prejudices are reduced or eliminated; that leaders understand their role and responsibilities in building diverse teams and inclusive work environments; and that everyone adheres to laws, policies, and values.
Organizations of all sizes from all industries, sectors, and geographic locations ask me to train their employees on a variety of DEI topics, including
• The Fundamentals of DEI (DEI 101)
• Implicit Bias and its Impact in the Workplace
• How DEI Drives Innovation and High Performance
• Inclusive Leadership
• Leading Across Generations
• Building Diverse Teams
• Tips for Tackling Tough Topics: How to Have Impactful Conversations
• Managing Conflict
• Building a Welcoming, Winning, World-Class Culture
• Fostering a Psychologically Safe Workplace
• Anti-Harassment Training