113. Is ED&I the same as good governance? (Equity, Diversity & Inclusion)

This episode was originally called "ED&I is not the same as good governance," but now I'm not so sure...

Background music is Of the Stars by KC Roberts & the Live Revolution

 

SCRIPT:

I’ve talked a lot about Equity, Diversity & Inclusion on OMG before – have a listen to episodes 19 through 21 and 59 through 62 if you want a refresher. I believe *super* strongly that diversity of perspectives, lived experience, personalities, cultures, expertise, etc. etc. is a critical factor for making good decisions. Without it, we fail to challenge each other, we miss important information, we fail to consider essential risks and opportunities. And inclusion is the superpower that activates diversity. I like to think of inclusion as the act of creating conditions for everyone in the room to engage, participate, and thrive. It’s super difficult, and it’s probably impossible to optimize inclusion for everyone at the same time all the time, but the journey itself is central to activating diversity. Equity can be a bit more abstract, but I think of it as the result of doing D and I really well, where everyone has equal access to authority, power, resources, and influence. Well, it’s time for me to confess something: I started writing this episode’s script with the title “ED&I is not the same as good governance” and I think I may be kinda sorta proving myself wrong. If good corporate governance is the act of creating conditions in an organization for effective decisions to happen. And if ED&I is getting a broad range of perspectives to the table, making sure everyone participating has the opportunity to engage, participate, and thrive, and ensuring equal influence in the process…I dunno. Maybe it’s not a *perfect* description of ideal decision-making conditions, but it’s pretty frickin close!