Design a Workplace Where Everyone Thrives

In Rhodes Perry’s bestselling book, Belonging at Work, he helps readers distinguish between the terms diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. All of these terms are outcomes: diversity is a people outcome, inclusion is behavioral outcome, equity is a structural outcome, and belonging is an emotional outcome.

Minal Bopaiah’s bestselling book, Equity, builds from these distinctions by taking a deep dive into what it means to work in an equitable organization. She writes that “equity means fairness…where all people have unbiased access to education, dignified livelihoods, and the ability to participate fully in society.”

Minal has a passion for talking about equity, particularly because she believes the conversation is short lived given that so many DEI professionals “treat equity as a middle child, skipping over it to get the warm, fuzzy feelings of inclusion.” Yet equity is the critical element to building organizations that successfully leverage differences skillfully.   

During this conversation, Minal and Rhodes discuss ways leaders can embrace their power to build a fair workplace where people get what they need so that they can do their best at work. Much of their conversation will help anyone at work operationalize how to design a more equitable workplace where everyone can thrive.

A few key highlights from this conversation include:

• Exploring why many DEI professionals overlook or outright avoid conversations to avoid addressing systems, policies, and practices that institutionalize unfairness.

• Recognizing that engaging in equity work requires us to “do the hard part first,” to dance with uncertainty, and to summon the courage required to entirely redesign our workplaces.

• Naming equity’s promise when DEI work centers the principles of targeted universalism – embrace the universal goal, while taking targeted interventions designed to upend unfairness.

• Underscoring how to achieve equity by using your relative power to influence how to transform your workplace culture by using concrete tools and embodying inclusive behaviors.

• Clarifying the practical, everyday actions you can take – no matter your role – to connect your colleagues to what they need to thrive at work.

• Sharing guidance on how leaders can effectively raise awareness of systemic bias and craft new systems, policies, and practices that can lead to better outcomes and lasting behavior change.

• Offering strategies on ways DEI professionals can utilize Minal’s book, Equity, to begin the hard work of designing an organization where everyone can truly thrive.

Savor this insightful talk, and if you’re looking for ways to connect with inspiring leaders like Minal, be sure to check out the Belonging Membership Community – a community of leaders committed to advancing their DEI goals while practicing community care. You can learn more here: www.belongingmembershipcommunity.com.