Diversity and Inclusion: Why You Need To Rethink Your Approach to Diversity And Inclusion

Melinda Epler and Wayne Sutton Founders of Change Catalyst and Tech Inclusion (right) and Poornima Vijayashanker, founder of Femgineer(left)

Interview with Melinda Epler and Wayne Sutton Founders of Change Catalyst and Tech Inclusion

We’re probably all aware of the famous proverb: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”

I think it’s very apropos when it comes to diversity and inclusion efforts. Too many of us think that having a diversity and inclusion initiative within our company will produce the change we want to see in the world.

Yes, it’s a necessary step, but sadly many initiatives and programs have failed to get off the ground and make a mark.

Why?

The first culprit is stopping at intentions and not really thinking through what is needed in terms of budget, resources, and timing.

The second culprit is not being realistic about expectations. Really asking the question what do you expect to see at the end of a year from a program and is that achievable?

Just like we build a business case around running an experience when it comes to our product, process, or policies, the same rigor needs to be applied to diversity and inclusion initiatives.

In today’s Build episode, Melinda Epler and Wayne Sutton, who are the founders of Change Catalyst and Tech Inclusion are back.

We’re going to talk about best practices and what to look for if you are interested in starting a program at your company or participating in one outside.

So if you’re thinking about starting an employee resource group or another program, or want to know how you can improve an existing program, you’ll want to watch this episode to learn:

• Why it’s important to start with a business case — just like you would for any product, process or policy change in a company
• Why you can’t expect immediate results, but it’s OK to celebrate incremental progress
• What to do when people within your organization say no to your proposal
• The micro-changes you can put into practice daily as you lead and work with teams

Listen to the episode on iTunes!

You can listen to this episode of Build on iTunes.

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Check out these additional resources on diversity and inclusion:

• Better Male Allies
• Pssst…the real reason why we should #MentorHer
• And You Say You’re an Ally? WTF
• Let’s meet over coffee. (Or is that creepy?)
• How To Build A Pipeline Of Technical Talent
• The Future Of Tech Recruiting Includes: Building A Pipeline, Bootcamp Graduates, and Immigration Reform
• Industry Insights Around Diversity And Inclusion From The Grace Hopper Celebration of Women In Computing 2016

Build is produced as a partnership between Femgineer and Pivotal Tracker. San Francisco video production by StartMotionMEDIA.