Sarah Iddrissu, the executive director of E4E-Boston, explains what daily difficulties women of color face when interacting in the professional sphere and discusses ways to remove existing barriers to leadership. Iddrissu (2020) underlines: “We work to advance our values on behalf of communities we care deeply about while also fighting structural barriers to our career success.” She calls for a shift of nonprofits towards a more inclusive and diversity-supporting environment, which is currently lacking. The article proposes to expand the presence of women of color on the boards, hire more of them into leadership positions, and promote organizations that fight structural gender and racial bias (Iddrissu, 2020). Thus, the author of the article identifies the need for structural changes to remove existing barriers to talented women of color in leadership positions.
It is now important for organizations to represent the interests of the most diverse groups in order to shift to an institution that is finely integrated into the social fabric of the day today. Previously, society was predominantly shaped by white men, but at the moment, they do not reflect the needs of various minorities. To function successfully in today’s society, companies need to focus not only on business but also on the social agenda. This process is not possible without the support of the diversity that currently defines society. This shift is especially important for new start-ups and enterprises, as it allows companies to meet modern requirements from the very beginning and work for the benefit of communities. In the cancers of society at the moment, it is important to emphasize social problems and address them in order to function successfully. The more attention new companies pay to this aspect, the higher the likelihood that their business will become successful and long-lasting.
Leadership strategies should be based on the empowerment of talented people who may experience barriers due to structural biases. In particular, this is critically important in the formation of the leadership team of the project from its initial stages. To ensure cultural competency, it is also necessary to ensure diversity within the company, as well as address the needs of different communities. For the successful functioning and maintenance of diversity, it is necessary to consider the interests of all key groups and give them a voice through representatives.
Designing a Diversity Plan
Diversity planning is an integral part of the development of companies at the moment. The implementation of measures to support diversity and inclusiveness in an organization is necessary to create a culture of diversity and attract talented people (Roy, 2021). Roy (2021) notes that in today’s global environment, inclusiveness is the basis for competitive advantage. This is especially important for non-profit organizations and social projects, as it makes it possible to address the needs of the most diverse populations, which ensures the representation of various groups in society. Diversity planning requires the following steps:
- Data collection: The first step is to collect data on the current state of diversity in the organization. In particular, attention should be paid to leadership positions and the board, as it is necessary to provide them with representatives of the most diverse groups and communities. Additionally, it is important to consider groups protected by the federal and state governments in order to provide the greatest responsiveness to community issues.
- Objectives development: At this stage, based on the information collected, it is important to determine what goals are set to maintain diversity. It is important to identify existing gaps and identify appropriate hiring practices. It is important at this stage to pay attention to possible bias when making hiring decisions.
- Diversity tools and inclusion training: at this stage, it is necessary to determine which key tools for ensuring diversity are necessary for implementation in the company. In particular, this includes a review of the necessary training for employees, as well as leadership positions. at this stage, it is most important to ensure a shared vision for diversity and inclusiveness among all colleagues, not only human resources specialists.
- Community support: at this stage, incorporating diversity within the board and leadership is key to building community support. In particular, the stakeholders of a company or project should be aware of the need to remove structural barriers and the actions that need to be taken to achieve this goal. Leaders must articulate diversity objectives to both employees and stakeholders to provide comprehensive support. Communication in this situation is the main tool that leadership can use to achieve understanding.
- Measurement of results: at this stage, it is important to ensure that all interested groups are represented both in the leadership and among employees. It is important to revise the plan in line with identified gaps to ensure that diversity and inclusiveness initiatives are most effective.
Thus, within the framework of social enterprises, it is necessary first of all to determine the goals of the activity and the interested groups. A diversity plan should be based on the need to include in the leadership of various members of the community who are associated with existing social problems. To remove structural barriers, both the board and the senior management must include diverse members who share the interests of different groups in society. Moreover, they can openly communicate the necessary values to both stakeholders and employees. This aspect makes diversity initiatives the most effective and allows for a shared understanding of the company’s goals. Inclusiveness in this situation should be achieved through the development of appropriate company policies and procedures for the formation of hiring practices. In this regard, it is necessary to constantly ensure that employees are trained in the diversity of practices and the achievement of the greatest contribution to addressing community problems.
Diversity planning must be done, taking into account the goals of the social project and the target audience. However, it is also necessary to take into account the broader society and the structural biases that exist in it, which can become a potential obstacle to social development. In particular, it is important to integrate as many talented minorities as possible in order to give them a chance to develop inclusiveness and promote this concept in society. The integration of diversity within organizations allows companies to address, among other things, social issues that often hinder the harmonious development of society. For social projects, the decision-making process must be in the hands of representatives of various groups. In this way, it is possible to ensure that the widest range of social interests is involved and that the highest number of problems of different communities can potentially be addressed.
References
Iddrissu, S. (2020). Nonprofits need women of color in leadership and to disrupt the structural barriers to their advancement. Educators for Excellence. Web.
Roy, S. (2021). Developing effective diversity and inclusion culture within an organization. In N. Mirta & R. Schmidpeter (eds.), Responsible leadership and sustainable management (pp. 117-133). Springer.