Ep. 15: How can leaders build inclusion, equity and diversity?
June 2, 2020
Episode details
We have pivoted our program this week to address the situation unfolding in the U.S. right now and the social injustices that have been part of our society for centuries. This is a traumatic time for people of color in the workplace, and it requires all of us to engage. How can we lead by example in inclusion and diversity? What courageous conversations can we or should we be having?
- The three Es of inclusion are: 1) Equitable: Be fair, 2) Engaging: Be inviting, and 3) Exemplary: Be an example. Having a diverse organization is not enough; leaders must be inclusive when providing opportunities to contribute and succeed. [03:50]
- Reverse mentoring is a powerful way to spark courageous conversations within organizations. [08:08]
- Leaders and managers need to face uncomfortable conversations. To allow breakthroughs, be vulnerable and allow teammates the psychological safety they need to learn and take risks. [09:09]
- Be mindful of the trauma people are going through in the workplace. Ben-Saba Hasan, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer of Walmart, equates mental trauma with physical trauma. If we can make a psychologically safe space at work, we can also create a space for healing. [10:19]
- Lean into this and take ownership. Employees are watching and expecting accountability. [11:56]
- Start today, take small steps. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but those small decisions will make all the difference. [16:36]
Resources:
- Start with your employees: Look internally for opportunities like reverse mentoring, building employee resource groups, or reaching out to new people to engage with.
- CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion
- Code Switch podcast by NPR
- Inclusion: Diversity, The New Workplace & The Will to Change, Jennifer Brown
- Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates
- The Fire Next Time, James Baldwin
- The Hate U Give, Angie Thomas
- What If?: Short Stories to Spark Diversity Dialogue, Steve L. Robbins
- Simple Justice: The History of Brown v. Board of Education and Black America's Struggle for Equality, Richard Kluger
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Featured speakers
Wade A. Hinton
Vice President, Global Inclusion and Diversity at Unum
Wade Hinton is passionate about leadership as a force for good, for all. He’s on a mission to make leaders, organizations and communities appreciate the power of inclusion. Whether it’s embedding inclusion into the operations of a global company with more than 10,000 employees or serving as the chief legal officer for a city leading the nation in innovation, Wade loves working with organizations to help them address strategic issues that impact people and performance. Wade is recognized as a leader locally and nationally for his work as a lawyer, business leader and diversity champion. He serves on the board of directors for several organizations. He’s also honed his leadership by participating in Harvard University’s inaugural Young American Leaders Program and serving as a member of the Presidential Leadership Scholars Program, Leadership Tennessee, and the German Marshall Fellowship Program, among others.
Tim Arnold
President & CEO, Colonial Life and Executive Vice President, Voluntary Benefits, Unum Group
Tim Arnold was named executive vice president, voluntary benefits, and president, Colonial Life in February 2020, responsible for shaping an enterprise-wide approach to voluntary benefits while continuing to lead Colonial Life. Arnold previously served as executive vice president, president and chief executive officer, Colonial Life. Arnold joined Colonial Life in July 2011, following a 27-year career with Unum. Arnold serves on the boards of the South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families, the S.C. Chamber of Commerce and the S.C. Junior Golf Foundation. He is a past chair of the Unum United Way campaign in Portland, Maine, and served on the Unum United Way campaign board in Chattanooga. He also served on the boards of The First Tee of Chattanooga, First Things First, the Council for Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services Inc. and Girls Incorporated in Chattanooga.
About the host
Clare Morin
Unum Content Marketing Manager
Clare Morin is the Content Marketing Manager at Unum and a journalist who’s spent the last 20 years interviewing hundreds of thought leaders on topics ranging from wellness to culture, finance, human resources and technology. Born in the UK, raised in Hong Kong and based in the U.S. since 2009, she brings a global outlook to the HR Trends studio.
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