It's Time to Talk about Race at Work

CHAPTER 18You're Not Finished. Keep Trying. Keep Evolving.

This is the last chapter of this book. You've invested time in reading it. Even before you started reading it, I know you devoted time and reflection to the topic of race at work. You now have a specific method and tools for creating—or continuing—your diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts at your company or within your team. This book has covered a lot of do's and don'ts. I want to provide you, a leader, someone with influence and position, a few more that will be very important to your ongoing success with DE&I.

DON'T “launch and abandon.” One of the worst things a company can do is to make a big deal about a new initiative or program, and then over time, it sputters out and fades away. It happens often at large companies. Not only does it leave employees confused and bewildered, but it makes them jaded. They can become so accustomed to “launch and abandon” that they don't take anything seriously and, therefore, they don't invest themselves fully. Creating a successful DE&I plan and keeping it moving forward is not like other aspects of your business. It's more personal and human. Most people don't have “feelings” about a sales plan or a production plan. But diversity, equity, and inclusion are people-centric values. If your efforts in this area are minimized over time or abandoned completely, it's a slap in the face to all of your employees. This is about them. Guard against “launch and abandon.” It will be difficult ...