Lots of organisations created Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) in the form of working groups, steering groups and committees at the start of their EDI journey. These groups are around 3-5 years old now, and we are often approached by clients wanting to know how best to use them after the first throws of their EDI commitment.

As we move through the journey that equity, diversity and inclusion work is on, the importance of self-reflection has always been important, but is probably growing in importance.  

Personal accountability and responsibility for our own knowledge, and understanding of the experiences of people who do not share our identities, is vital.  

We support organisations in a range of ways, and one thing that has emerged over the last 18 months is the lack of results that training provides for our clients. Learning about equity, diversity and inclusion topics which are positioned as ‘training’ are becoming less and less effective. Find out why.

As we move into 2024, it is a good time for us to reflect on our EDI achievements and look ahead to what we think might be on the horizon for 2024.

We always tell our clients that EDI work is anticipatory. We need to be looking ahead, anticipating difference, and creating inclusive strategies for all. We can use the work and challenges of last year to inform what we think might be the challenges for the future.

So, we are sharing with you a few of the trends we think are going to feature for this year and beyond.

Next to salaries, training is most often the next biggest spend when it comes to EDI work. When we are spending tens of thousands of pounds on training we might be forgiven for expecting the learning to result in change but there are some fundamental reasons why this doesn’t follow.

Organisations often talk about the lack of diversity in talent pipelines. MishMash Productions has found a way to do this in a way that moves beyond surface level tokenistic diversity, to getting to the root of the barriers for historically marginalised people.

'We're going to bring them into this later'. This is a common response we get when we ask what role the CEO of an organisation is going to play in the inclusion work we are being asked to support with, or if they are going to be part of the discussion or training.

'We're going to bring them into this later', is a bad idea. In this blog we explore why.

Given the amount of information in the public domain about the benefits of creating a diverse and inclusive working environment, it would be understandable if you have the impression that creating such a place is easy and nirvana like. However, we as EDI professionals need to be careful that we don’t make this work appear to be simple and friction free.

After a visit to Jamaica, Shonagh Reid reflects on what it is to belong and we can use this to inform our working and personal lives.

Assumptions can have a huge impact on how safe we feel in a space or group of people. In this blog, Kate Lawrence-Lunniss explains how a recent experience led them to interrogate assumptions in a range of spaces and how safe spaces can be created for all.

As equity, diversity and inclusion leaders, we need to look after ourselves.

How do we do that?

How do arts organisations continue to prioritise equity, diversity and inclusion in the current climate?

This blog outlines why it’s important to keep going with this work, and tips on how to do it.

How do we handle microaggressions or discrimination in the moment?

Four people standing with their backs to the camera and with their arms around each other.

Whenever I start to work with an organisation, the first question I ask is, ‘So, how do you think you are doing?

Imagine the scene: you are talking to the people you work with about diversity, equity and inclusion. You tell them that you want to make sure the organisation better reflects the society we live in.

It is really pleasing to see a large number of organisations bringing diversity, equity and inclusion to the fore. Those of us who already work in this area know how important it is for individuals, groups of people and organisations. I support a number of DEI Leaders through coaching, bespoke packages and networks, and there are several themes and experiences that we share.

When I work with organisations on exploring their current position with regard to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, or if I am creating a strategic plan for them, leaders are keen to take action NOW. They often know there needs to be change and either want to make that change quickly, or want to be seen to be making change quickly.

In my Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion consultancy, the idea of language comes up regularly. It might be people telling me they don’t know what to say- what words to use to describe people without causing offense. It might be teams of people discussing what words to use to accurately convey their thoughts and values regarding DEI issues.

As a consultant for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion I join organisations at a range of different points on their journey. When creating a leader’s toolkit for Diverse Educators it was important to me that it would be useful for DEI leaders and also for organisation leaders so that they know what is entailed in this specialist area of work.