Excellent!!!! Thank you so much for sharing this. Additionally, many of the DEI programs are administered by incompetent and spineless individuals who create more problems than they solve. Corporations often view certain employees as mere tax deductions rather than valuable individuals. I can’t thank you enough for bringing this to our attention.
To me the question that kept coming up is this: Instead of rushing to promote based on race, ask..."why or what is keeping people of different socio-economic status out of our company or unable to grow with us?" This seems like it might lead to better results with DEI.
However, I adore the MEI approach.
Here's why: My personal example of this is I was a new female DJ in the Ecstatic Dance space out in Santa Cruz/SF Bay Area of California. One of the established male DJs was going to be offering a DJ training weekend and offer one or several new female DJs a scholarship. I was instantly annoyed...and as I explored this with my sisters of all races...I understood why: while yes women and races have been under-represented in much of society's structures, businesss and the like...to automatically grant us access becasue of what has kept us out of these places is insulting (and as Ms. Lawson pointed out, not good practice). I didn't want a scholarship based on the fact I had a V-jay or breasts...but because I WAS GOOD and these men could see my worth and what I added to our unique flavor of DJing for our spaces. While this man was all happy about his offering, it was the mis-aligned approach that turned me off.
Yes to merit, excellence and intelligence. But also helping others who are not the priveleged to understanding what this is and helping them cultivate it in themselves. Teaching people HOW to think might be the most important thing we do.
I’m going to get Ms. Lawson’s book ASAP!
Wonderful!
Excellent!!!! Thank you so much for sharing this. Additionally, many of the DEI programs are administered by incompetent and spineless individuals who create more problems than they solve. Corporations often view certain employees as mere tax deductions rather than valuable individuals. I can’t thank you enough for bringing this to our attention.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Do you think HR should lead these programs or this should change per Lawson's suggestion.
I agree with Ms Lawson. Often times, HR is a large part of the problem and are unaware of the policy’s nuances.
To me the question that kept coming up is this: Instead of rushing to promote based on race, ask..."why or what is keeping people of different socio-economic status out of our company or unable to grow with us?" This seems like it might lead to better results with DEI.
However, I adore the MEI approach.
Here's why: My personal example of this is I was a new female DJ in the Ecstatic Dance space out in Santa Cruz/SF Bay Area of California. One of the established male DJs was going to be offering a DJ training weekend and offer one or several new female DJs a scholarship. I was instantly annoyed...and as I explored this with my sisters of all races...I understood why: while yes women and races have been under-represented in much of society's structures, businesss and the like...to automatically grant us access becasue of what has kept us out of these places is insulting (and as Ms. Lawson pointed out, not good practice). I didn't want a scholarship based on the fact I had a V-jay or breasts...but because I WAS GOOD and these men could see my worth and what I added to our unique flavor of DJing for our spaces. While this man was all happy about his offering, it was the mis-aligned approach that turned me off.
Yes to merit, excellence and intelligence. But also helping others who are not the priveleged to understanding what this is and helping them cultivate it in themselves. Teaching people HOW to think might be the most important thing we do.