How can EDI leaders look after themselves?
Anyone who works in the equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) space knows that it is a tough job. Whether we are talking about Chief Diversity Officers, Head of Inclusion, Director of D&I, Chair of equity or affinity based working groups or members of steering groups, there are a few experiences which are common for all:
Resistance
‘Resistance’ can mean many things and we’re using this as a broad heading here. Often it is the expert (people in the roles we’ve listed above) presenting evidence to leadership about the current state, only to have that evidence questioned, rebutted, misinterpreted or ignored. This is effectively a form of gaslighting.
What do we mean by evidence? It could be data gathered via survey. It could be qualitative data gathered from the organisation or wider research. It could be lived experience. It can be identifying trends in the organisation. It can be nationally gathered and peer reviewed evidence. It can be all of the above.
EDI leaders present this evidence base to the leaders of the organisation and it is explained away, challenged or ignored. This is exhausting for the EDI leader and from our work with this group of people, they tell us that they:
Become exhausted by the cycle of evidence gathering, suggesting actions, and ignoring.
Feel unvalued.
Feel their own experiences are amplified by the resistance of the organisation.
Feel the cycle explained above can’t be sustained, and leave.
Being the font of all knowledge
The subject of inclusion is massive. Most leaders in this space tend to specialise in a small number of the protected characteristic and or intersectional approach to inclusion. This isn’t unusual in other professions or industries. It would be unreasonable to expect a GP to perform brain surgery. The fact that they couldn’t perform brain surgery, wouldn’t mean that we assume they therefore can’t do their job as a GP well.
EDI leaders tell us that they don’t feel their lack of knowledge is accepted by leaders or peers. They are often expected to know everything about everything: historical knowledge, notable individuals within protected groups, unfamiliar awareness months, and in depth knowledge of all protected characteristics. These are just a few.
It’s important to remember that our EDI leaders are often people with protected characteristics themselves. They are already feeling pressured to perform well in their roles to avoid a poor opinion of them being applied to everyone like them. This additional burden is then amplified by unreasonable expectations of their inclusion subject knowledge.
This pressure can lead to poor mental health and burn out.
Personal experiences of discrimination
At times, people in EDI leadership roles are also subject to significant examples of microaggression and discrimination. Those who happen to be employed at a senior level in their role can often find themselves as a unicorn- hyper visible and exposed around the senior or executive leadership table. Despite this, they can be:
Ignored
Spoken over in meetings
Gaslit
Dismissed
Subject to generalisations and stereotyping from their peers and managers.
Appointed in a tokenistic manner
This is unsustainable and again leads to poor mental health and burn out. Dr Gena Cox and Dr Jonathan Ashong Lamptey speak about the short tenure of EDI leaders in the work they do.
So how do we as leaders of equity, diversity, and inclusion look after ourselves?
#1 We have to make self-care a priority.
We must learn what it is that helps us to recharge and restore. Is it alone time? Hot baths? A good book? Or is it being surrounded with people who make you feel good. Do you need to check in with a particular person? Is it about scheduling time with a specific group of people for an afternoon, evening or even weekend?
What ever it is that recharges or restores you, you have to plan that time in. It is no good getting to the burn out stage and then scheduling time. You must plan it in- put it in your diary or planner as a priority in the same way you would schedule an important meeting or doctor’s appointment.
#2 Identify which parts of your EDI role you enjoy, and which you don’t.
Actually make a table or list so you can see it in front of you. If you have a job description or terms of reference, use that to help you so you cover it all.
#3 Identity what can go, or what you can do less of.
If we’re being paid to do our EDI leadership role, we might not be able to take anything off our list at this stage- we’ll get to that. If you are not being paid for your EDI role, then frankly, you’re not obligated to do the things you don’t want to do. Let that sink in…
#4 Make space for the things that drain you.
If you are someone who is paid for your role, and you can’t remove parts of your role that drain you, then it is about finding a way to keep those things in your week without them taking over your mental health.
Let’s say that thing you don’t like is carrying out stakeholder voice activities, for example. Maybe you don’t like doing these because you find people’s stories triggering and it frustrates you that your organisation isn’t further on. Your strategy then needs to be to focus on what happens either side of that activity. How do you build up your energy stores before the stakeholder voice, and how do you recover?
It might be that you intentionally plan in an activity related to your social or work life that you love and really enjoy, before the stakeholder voice. You might make sure you schedule a ‘light’ day the following day. Can that be a day where you work from home, keep meeting free, work on a project that you are enjoying, or even book annual leave if you feel moved to?
#5Ask for supervision
People who work in the safeguarding profession have supervision. This is a supportive service which helps professionals to process and manage the difficult and sometimes traumatising stories they have to hear and difficult decisions they have to make.
EDI leaders have to listen to traumatising stories. Dr Rob Carter writes about race based trauma for example, and it is widely accepted that people who have protected characteristics are more likely to experience discrimination, prejudice and even hate crime, than people who don’t. This is traumatising. It needs an appropriate response.
#6 Organise a network.
It is helpful to be able to share resources, knowledge, and commonality with others. If you can connect with people who hold a similar role to you either within your organisation or outside of it, it can be helpful.
What else might help you?
If you want to learn more about all things inclusion, we have a ‘Lunch and Learn’ series. Find out more about our programme and book onto our sessions here.