Diversity and inclusion: Moving from saying to doing
The call to take peaceful, non-violent action means that we all must work to be the difference, within the workplace and in our communities.
“If you see something, say something.” That trademarked phrase, created just one day after the World Trade Center terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, has long become ingrained in our collective consciousness. It brought a new awareness to Americans: a recommitment to the idea that to be a good citizen meant that we have to look out for each other, and when we see potential danger, we have to speak up.
Today, we’ve reached a new inflection point in our nation’s history. The events of 2020, from the pandemic to the tragic deaths and shootings of many of our fellow citizens, show that simply following that almost 20-year-old mantra is no longer enough.
Today, we must all rise up and say “If you see something, do something.” Because only actions to correct societal ills will improve our lives and root out inequalities. That pertains to all forms of injustice: from racial violence to inequities in the communities where we live and work. The call to take peaceful, non-violent action means that we all must work to be the difference, within the workplace and in our communities—because doing so will not just make our lives better but just as importantly, the lives of others as well.
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The indignities that we all have witnessed this year are unfortunately not new to me. As a Black man, I grew up being warned of those dangers by my parents and grandparents. Soon, I began to experience them first-hand. But like many of my Black colleagues, I learned to compartmentalize my feelings at work. And as the Chief Diversity Officer at Synchrony, I needed to focus on guiding the organization through complicated, important issues related to race and equity.
I’ve come to understand that as CDO and as a Black professional, it’s imperative to create an environment where our colleagues can share their personal experiences and frustrations, and their hopes and concerns. Only when this happens will we be able to develop a true culture of belonging. By embracing my multiple roles and sharing my own struggles, I have become even more emboldened to help meet this moment, championing and representing diverse perspectives.
Diversity and inclusion must be central to any well-functioning, profitable company. Not only does it make business sense, it’s the moral thing to do. The question is, how can companies begin to remove racial biases and provide a workplace environment that truly embraces, rather than simply tolerates, diversity and inclusion? We can accomplish this by creating a culture of inclusion and employing many of the same strategies we use to run our business.
Creating a culture of inclusion and well-being
Creating an inclusive culture often entails encouraging and participating in difficult conversations when they can promote progress. As we have witnessed, it’s not easy. We need to hear different perspectives and tough questions. They may be uncomfortable, but listening empathetically to others’ experiences will build social cohesion.
At Synchrony, for example, we host initiatives such as our annual Diversity Symposium where hundreds of employees participate. We’ve heard from guest speakers who represent a wide range of perspectives. Tough topics have been raised, such as the idea of white fragility – the notion that some white individuals may feel discomfort when confronted by information about racial inequality. The discussions have engendered candid, sometimes uncomfortable conversations. Yet it allows those with diverse opinions and backgrounds to come together with one another, creating greater understanding and empathy. Our Diversity Networks are also playing a greater role amid the pandemic and racial unrest.
Those who wish to help or better understand others can join and participate, regardless of how they identify themselves. More than 60% of Synchrony employees now participate in one of our eight Diversity Networks+. We are also leveraging our networks to better understand the needs of all employees. For example, in response to feedback from our African American Employee Network, we increased our health and wellness benefits, including increasing access to diverse mental health counselors to better support our diverse colleagues.
D&I as a business imperative
As with any other aspect of our business, we are leveraging data analytics as we pursue our objectives. Data can give a business deeper insights into the gaps and opportunities around diversity and inclusion that one would otherwise not have, and those insights can help shape a company’s response, strategy, and progress.
For example, through our Advancing Diverse Talent initiative, which launched in the beginning of this year, data analytics showed that while Synchrony was already a diverse company—45 percent ethnically diverse and 63 percent female—we needed to do more to move the needle faster for Black and Hispanic individuals to rise to senior leadership roles.
As a result, we redesigned our leadership development programs. The Synchrony Advancing Diverse Talent Leadership Institute offers nine-month learning and development pathways specifically for diverse employees, including executive coaching and mentorships, partnering with executive leaders to showcase their skills and help prepare them for their next opportunity.
We also know that incentives must be put in place to sustain a sense of urgency. That is why we have tied leaders’ performance metrics to diversity improvements and are holding all managers accountable for creating diverse teams by ensuring a diverse slate of candidates are considered when hiring, especially for senior roles.
To succeed, businesses must treat diversity and inclusion just as they would any other core imperative. At Synchrony, we have elevated D&I to one of our corporate strategic imperatives. To drive action enterprise-wide, we have launched a senior-level Diversity & Inclusion committee that I jointly lead along with our President. We have set goals and will be measuring results across all areas of our business, including increasing diverse talent, advancing financial opportunities and growth among diverse communities and businesses, and increasing our commitment to racial equality and social reform. Again, we are driving accountability in the same way we would measure any other critical business imperative.
There is much more work to be done—at virtually every company. To determine the steps needed to increase diversity and inclusion, business leaders need to be actively engaged, finding ways to involve all employees to not just see the difference a diverse culture makes, but to actively be the difference, regardless of gender, race, or company position.
Companies will know they’re on the right track when the idea that “when we see something, we must do something,” is a part of everyone’s core consciousness.
Michael Matthews is the Chief Diversity and Responsibility Officer at Synchrony.
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