A Word About EDI Support

By Inge Woudstra

Hi, I’m Inge Woudstra. In addition to being one of Voice At The Table’s principal Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) consultants, I have recently taken on the role of Client Engagement Lead.

In this capacity, I’d like to ask you a few questions:
  • Is your organisation committed to creating a more equitable and inclusive workplace?
  • What are its EDI aims this year?
  • Do you understand what they mean, and what it would be like if they were achieved?
If these questions aren’t easy for you to answer, don’t worry; you won’t be alone.  The EDI Journey can be overwhelming, especially at the start, and it’s a long and winding road, but we have used our years of experience to make a clear plan.  Our EDI Journey Roadmap© (see below) clarifies the key stages and milestones that organisations pass through as they strive for greater Inclusion.

Using this simple tool, along with more detailed work such as our Inclusion Diagnostic© process, we can help you identify where your company is right now.  This is important, because where you currently are on the EDI Journey affects what we recommend you do first.

 

The Right Solutions at the Right Time
We support organisations across all phases of the EDI Journey, and where we begin always depends on where your organisation already is.  It is important that any training, coaching or consultancy undertaken is suitable for the seniority of participants and appropriate for the EDI progress that’s already been made within the organisation.

As you can see above, you might begin your journey with nobody really ‘getting’ EDI or seeing the point of seeking greater Inclusion, but in the final stages of the journey there will be clear EDI aims and measures that have been cascaded throughout the company.  Once you reach the final milestones on your EDI Journey, everyone will be benefiting from the increased Diversity – and greater diversity of thinking – brought by improved Equity and Inclusion.

 

Getting There
That’s the ideal position then, but how do we get there?  Organisational change of this type and magnitude requires a shift in mindset. We have found that this can be brought about, developing more inclusive behaviours throughout a company’s leadership, teams, meetings and processes.

We now use an interactive/clickable version of our EDI Journey Roadmap© on our website, where you can identify where you are and what intervention might be most impactful at each stage and for every level of staff and leader.  As an example, in the early stages of the journey, we often work with senior leaders to help them set their EDI Ambition, conducting Diversity Data Assessments and other analytical approaches that can help focus EDI efforts into a clear EDI Strategy and Action Plan. Importantly, however, we also offer training and support for HR or hiring managers, employee network groups and emerging leaders, often beginning with developing Inclusive Behaviours and mitigating bias.

So, what we offer depends on where the organisation currently is on the EDI Journey Roadmap© and who we are brought in to support.  You can see the breadth of services we can offer, from training and talks to long-term consultancy, on our What We Do page. We can provide the level of support that best fits your ambition, current position and budget.  If you’d like to talk to us about where you are and what might help you most to move forward, please do get in touch.

#ChangingBehavioursShiftingMindsets

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