#1 DEI Mistake

Hello Cadre community doctor e here. Hope you are doing well. I am coming to you from a sunny Minneapolis St. Paul, Twin Cities area where it is February 1 and we are, I believe, currently at about 50 degrees. It's unbelievable. It is fantastic. And as you can see, I don't have a scarf or a winter jacket on, so I am thoroughly enjoying the weather. So wanted to talk today briefly about what I think is the number one dei mistake that organizations, leaders, departments, teams make. Now, there are many common mistakes that organizations make, and it can range from not necessarily defining and delineating diversity, equity and inclusion.

Hello? Speak. Wonder, how are you? It could be conflating efforts. And so what I mean by that is you might be focusing, or maybe you should be focusing on retention, but for some reason you think recruitment is better. So you're trying to get as many diverse individuals, diverse groups through the door, in the door into your, into your organization, but you don't have the mechanisms or the machinations to support them. So that's a common mistake. Another common mistake, quite frankly, is resourcing and supporting your Dei efforts.

And, well, resourcing looks a lot different depending on where you are in terms of your organizational status or who you are depending on your role. But resourcing is very important. So those are all common mistakes. But the number one mistake that I think most organizations make and most folks make as it relates to diversity, equity and inclusion is simply this thinking that diversity, equity and inclusion is the job of one person who fills that role. I'm going to say that again. I think the number one mistake related to diversity equity inclusion efforts is the assumption or the mindset or the feeling or the approach that diversity, equity and inclusion is one person's job, whoever holds that role, while it may be that person's job or that individual who holds that role, what I like to encourage organizations, particularly leaders, to think about is it's everyone's responsibility.

So yes, one individual may have the diversity, equity and inclusion role, the chief diversity officer position, the inclusive excellence position like I hold at Hamline University. But it is everyone's responsibility. And what I mean by that and why that's important is because in order for your DEI efforts to really take hold and get traction, everyone has to be a part of it. Everyone has to hold each other accountable, from leadership to staff, from all of the persons who are maybe doing specific work related to DEi, to other individuals who DEi work impacts.

And so it cannot, I'm going to repeat this, it cannot just be the responsibility of the person who holds the role. That's what I think the number one DEi mistake is by most organizations, individuals and teams. So think about that. Think about how you can support, model and practice diversity, equity and inclusion from whatever position and whatever role that you hold. And then also think about what does it mean to embody diversity, equity and inclusion in all that you do. If you look at those three things, I think you'll begin to work, massage and move your diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the most positive and healthy way.

So I'm doctor E. I will see you next week and good luck with all of your diversity, equity and inclusion work.