Authentic Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: Amplifying the Differences That Make a Difference
Retailers and brands know that attracting a diverse workforce and consumer base is critical to their future. Yet, casting a wider net without phoning it in has never been more challenging.
As chief consulting officer and executive producer for The Equity Project, Monica Williams is a powerful voice and a true thought leader in the equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) space. Throughout her career, she has spearheaded assessment, strategic planning, and implementation projects that drive equitable outcomes and quantifiable results. She is passionate about creating a culture of equity and inclusion within workplaces and communities through leadership, action, and advocacy. In this episode of Carol’s People Powered Retail series, Monica outlines new standards for EDI activation and the significant rewards for getting it right.
Episode highlights:
Why EDI isn’t a zero-sum game.
How performative plays can derail best intentions.
Why positional power matters most.
How caving to pushback compromises consumer confidence.
Information and resources:
KEY EXCERPTS FROM THE INTERVIEW
“I do believe that certain groups have advantages because of who they are, and certain groups have disadvantages because of who they are. But the idea is that we are complex in society and complex in our individuality.”
“the way we decide to do something, that's equity. Diversity is All of the differences that are making a difference and then inclusivity is what are we doing with the differences people who are in your system. Do they feel like they are a part of the system? Do they have a voice in making decisions even in the work that they do? Are they valued respected? Are they able to contribute all of themselves in your workplace?”
“People think diversity is synonymous with deficit, meaning I have to somehow lower my standards to have a more diverse workforce or somehow people will have things taken away from them.”
“There is pushback on these efforts when the dominant culture believes that if we focus on expanding and bringing in more voices, more identity groups, and we're more inclusive of all, that somehow we're taking away from those that have had the dominance up to this point.”
“People care about who they're doing business with so it’s important for organizations, not just have representation on their website or in their marketing campaigns, but to have similar representation on their leadership team and in the ways that decisions get made.”
“How do we get more people to understand that this is not a political issue, this is a humanity issue. We're dividing on a lot of things that we don't need to divide on. How do we continue to create a conversation that is not polarizing for people, that doesn't cause harm for people, and that acknowledges that we have further to go?”
