Why self-reflection is an important part of equity, diversity and inclusion work

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.  

There are a few reasons but a main one is that there is a growing understanding that just because an organisation has a ‘Head of Inclusion’ or similar, it doesn’t mean that individuals are exempt from developing their understanding.  

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

However, self-reflection is not easy. It is a challenging process which most of us don’t have to encounter in our day to day lives. It is something we have to give time to- it isn’t a 5 minute process and it can be confrontational. The process can bring up all sorts of things about ourselves that we perhaps weren’t aware of, and now we are aware of them, we have to do something with them.

What is the purpose of self-reflection in embedding EDI work? 

The main purpose is to ensure we are constantly challenging our own perceptions and understanding of things. In the process of this self-reflection we are able to create actions which we will then implement. These actions should change our behaviours to be more inclusive meaning we are contributing in a positive way to moving our inclusion journey on. Another positive byproduct of this process is that we should be much better able to challenge exclusionary policies, practices and behaviours that we see in others.  

What tools do we need for self-reflection? 

There are plenty of self-reflection tools which are often used in academia and we share links to those below.  

Here, we provide a self-reflection tool which is designed for EDI work. It is informed by academic self-reflection tools, but asks questions we are more specifically aimed at this field.  

Step 1- My current views 

You might be reflecting on EDI topics in general, or be thinking about a specific topic. An example might be a complaint that has been raised about misogyny in your workplace, reflecting on the current treatment of Dianne Abbott or thinking about what extremism is.  

Spend time thinking about this topic and actively seeking information about it from a range of sources. Possible prompts might be: 

• Whose views have I sought? 

• What have I previously thought about this person/people with this identity/this topic? 

• What do I think now that I’ve explored it? 

Step 2 – Explore what you have ignored or not been aware of 

This can be a very difficult step as it confronts us with ourselves. Let’s consider if we are an organisation which has declared itself to be anti-racist and working to ensure it is anti-racist in every way. It is not uncommon for an organisation to then appoint a person who is of the global majority into a very senior position, but fail to consider their vulnerability as a Black woman, or hijab wearing Muslim woman, for example. We may see this person treated differently, we may hear comments about them which make us uncomfortable, we may have negative feelings about them without knowing why or where these feelings come from. 

The process of self reflection on this topic might reveal to us that we are not always prepared to speak out on racism. We are not equipped to speak to a senior person about their experience of discrimination in the workplace you are part of, because it may reveal your own microaggressive or discriminatory thinking or behaviour. Possible prompts might be: 

• Thinking about this situation or topic, what I have personally done to challenge myself/others on their thinking or behaviour? 

• What I have turned away from or ignored? 

• What difficult conversations have I removed myself from or ignored? 

• What have I learned about myself? 

Step 3 – Creating actions 

Once we are made aware of something, we have to then act upon it. Failure to do so maintains the status quo not only for the organisation, but also for ourselves. If we are made aware of exclusionary or discriminatory behaviours and we do nothing, we can’t then profess to be inclusive or declare ourselves an ‘ally’. It is essential that we turn our thoughts into new behaviours. Examples based on the topics we mentioned earlier might be: 

• I am now aware of what misogynoir is. I recognise how a Black woman in my organisation has been voiceless and unsupported in a meaningful way. In response to this, I will raise the topic of misogynoir for discussion with our Inclusion Working Group and explore to what extent Black women have been silenced in our organisation. I will personally make sure that I make space for Black women to raise their own concerns and voice their own opinions. I will not do that for them unless asked to do so by a person with that identity.  

Some prompts might be: 

• What changes do I need to make to my behaviour based on what I have learned? 

• What do I need to start, stop or change about my ways of working/thinking/behaving? 

• What suggestions can I make to the organisation? 

• How will I hold myself and the organisation accountable? 

Personal responsibility is what helps to drive inclusion strategy 

Policy is a structural tool which sets out the intent of an organisation and indicates the tools an organisation will use to implement policy. However, policy isn’t really worth the paper it is written on as it is implemented by human beings, and we are all flawed and interpret policy in a range of ways. Policy, documents of intent and strategy will only go so far. In order to become inclusive, human beings have to become more inclusive, and to do that, we need to reflect on ourselves and our behaviours.   

If you need further support on your EDI and self reflection journey, we can help. Please contact us here.