{"id":5515,"date":"2020-07-21T17:02:03","date_gmt":"2020-07-21T17:02:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leoevents.com\/?post_type=newsroom&p=5515"},"modified":"2021-11-01T17:15:14","modified_gmt":"2021-11-01T17:15:14","slug":"how-to-start-a-diversity-conversation-that-echoes-beyond-the-ballroom","status":"publish","type":"newsroom","link":"https:\/\/leoevents.com\/newsroom\/how-to-start-a-diversity-conversation-that-echoes-beyond-the-ballroom\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Start a Diversity Conversation that Echoes Beyond the Ballroom"},"content":{"rendered":"

JT LONG | SMART MEETINGS<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Meeting planners do their best work when surrounded by people with\u00a0diverse\u00a0<\/a>ideas and backgrounds. But what\u2019s the best way to encourage everyone to speak up\u2014and how do you get the right people in the room in the first place? Recent\u00a0Black Lives Matter protests<\/a>\u00a0highlighted the price of staying silent, leaving well-intentioned meeting professionals everywhere wondering where to start.\u00a0diversity.<\/p>\n

A Smart Meetings webinar,\u00a0Inflection Point: Are We Motivated to Change in Our Industry?<\/a>, produced this week in partnership with LEO Events, outlined steps required to start the conversation about how to create more equitable and inclusive spaces.<\/p>\n

Start with Reflection<\/h3>\n

\u201cWe always felt we had been attentive to diversity, inclusion and equity in our organization,\u201d said\u00a0Cindy Brewer<\/a>, principal at Memphis, Tennessee-based\u00a0LEO Events<\/a>, which produces events for companies as diverse as Walmart, Auto Zone and Exxon Mobil. Then she looked at industry statistics and realized that every way she sliced it\u2014even compared to U.S. Bureau of Labor Force Statistics for meeting, convention and event planners\u2014she was not doing as well as she thought.<\/p>\n

It was time to change that. \u201cI knew in my heart that I needed to be a relentless advocate on this subject,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Brewer did what she always does when faced with a difficult decision. She called on the experts.\u00a0Faith Morris, chief marketing and external affairs officer with National Civil Rights Museum<\/a>, was happy to accept the call.<\/p>\n

She encouraged Cindy to continue asking important questions and opening her mind to find qualified candidates with diverse backgrounds. \u201cThere are outstanding folks out there doing all kinds of things. You just have to be open to seeing them,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Leverage Resources You Already Have<\/h3>\n

Next, Brewer turned to a resource already on her team: Jon Brown, an up-and-coming event operations manager at LEO Events. Although she feared sounding fake or insensitive, she was motivated by her conversation with Morris to reach out.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was relieved to get the call,\u201d Brown said. \u201cIt made me feel that I had an ally, and it motivated me to bring something to the table.\u201d He said when you\u2019re the only minority in the space, \u201cYou don\u2019t want to be the black guy talking about black things.\u201d That call helped him realize he had a responsibility to take on those challenges and help the organization get to where it wanted to go.<\/p>\n

A lot of listening and learning\u2014from staff, freelancers, vendors, experts and others\u2014followed.<\/p>\n

Establish a Common Ground<\/h3>\n

Words matter\u2014especially when the conversation is an uncomfortable one. Finding a path forward requires understanding what the other person is really saying. Diane T. Ashley, CEO of DTA Diversity Counts, is a consultant who spent most of her career in the corporate banking world. Now she helps companies address their monochromatic challenges after what she calls a \u201cseismic awakening\u201d to the issues that have plagued some populations for generations.<\/p>\n

Among the terms she introduces to conversations is \u201cDEI,\u201d short for\u00a0diversity<\/a>, equity and inclusion.<\/p>\n

Diversity<\/em>\u00a0is the presence of difference\u2014race, gender,\u00a0sexual orientation<\/a>\u00a0or religion. \u201cIt can be as different as people who think differently, are from different countries or have disabilities,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The term\u00a0equity<\/em>\u00a0grew out of the original view of diversity equality, the goal of giving everyone the same opportunity. Equity focuses on fairness, doing what is required to give each person the chance to produce on a level playing field.<\/p>\n

Inclusion<\/em>\u00a0<\/a>is an intentional focus to ensure that diverse voices are recognized. \u201cIt is the difference between being invited to the party and being asked to dance,\u201d is how Ashley put it.<\/p>\n

Bias<\/em>\u00a0is a prejudicial view in favor or against a person or group. \u201cIt is a behavior that grew out of primitive fight-or-flight instincts. But in society and the workplace, those habits can hurt people and organizations in ways we are only starting to understand,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Those unconscious decisions lead to\u00a0privilege<\/em>, something that can rear its imperious head in hiring decisions, policing and interactions at events. It is a hindrance to business and society.<\/p>\n

Sustainability<\/em>\u00a0is a term that originated in the sphere of environmental rights and climate issues but has been adopted to describe a holistic approach to ensuring that we are thinking globally about cognitive diversity\u2014diversity of thought. It is recognizing that everybody brings something different, and valuable, to the table.<\/p>\n

Manifest DEI in Hiring<\/h3>\n

But how to move forward, especially at a time when not a lot of hiring is going on? Brewer understood that the practice of hiring for \u201cchemistry or cultural fit\u201d was part of the problem, because it is code for hiring people who look and sound just like you.<\/p>\n

\u201cI realized this is not an issue isolated to the HR department,\u201d she said. She wanted to make meaningful changes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat you want to look for is talent. Strip away the names on the resumes and do blind assessments,\u201d Ashley advised. Scrub job descriptions to ensure they are without bias.<\/p>\n

Value Differences<\/h3>\n

Velvet Graham, senior director of events, community relations and culture and inclusion at\u00a0ServiceMaster<\/a>, the parent company for brands as diverse as Terminix and Merry Maids, plans 350 events a year and has faced bias in many forms throughout her career. She suggested looking at underserved communities and organizations.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to give someone their first opportunity in order for them to even begin to thrive,\u201d she said. \u201cI think that\u2019s a big opportunity that\u2019s being missed.\u201d<\/p>\n

She sees this moment as an opportunity. \u201cOne of the things we have to do is challenge ourselves to be more accepting of differences. There is great value in differences.\u201d<\/p>\n

Show Diversity<\/h3>\n

Optics are powerful. Brown shared how demoralizing it can feel to go to an industry conference and not see anyone who looked like him. \u201cSeeing others on the path helps validate your position in the space,\u201d he said.\u00a0National Coalition of Black Meetings Professionals<\/a>\u00a0helped him realize that there could be a career path for him, too.<\/p>\n

Companies in the industry can do a lot simply by including people of color in marketing materials for external and internal audiences. Each video, media kit and is an opportunity to include diverse faces.<\/p>\n

Take Small Steps<\/h3>\n

Diversifying a company requires a lot of small steps. Brewer started by appointing Brown chair of a DEI committee and surveying employees about their thoughts on the topic. She also took a hard look at the media list she uses to promote news and found it lacking.<\/p>\n

Ashley shared that when there is buy-in from the top, as in the case at LEO Events, change can happen much more quickly. But people throughout the organization need to support the new way as well. Middle managers fearful of losing their position can be a dangerous roadblock.<\/p>\n

Morris stressed that change is a marathon and not a sprint. It is important that companies think about these issues all the time, not just when there are\u00a0protests<\/a>\u00a0or when activists make demands. It needs to become part of how they do business.<\/p>\n

And when companies are successful at encouraging diverse points of view, they benefit in many ways. It can help the organization grow faster and perform better. Retention improves, and teams work together better when they can have difficult conversations. Put simply, it leads to better outcomes.<\/p>\n

Give Grace<\/h3>\n

Having good intentions does not mean everything will go perfectly, those going through the process agree. Start the conversation. The more you do it, the more comfortable it will feel and the more you will grow as you set the foundation, they say. In a way, addressing the issue could be a relief.<\/p>\n

The elephant in the room is sitting right next to you, waiting for you do something about it, Ashley said. \u201cEmbrace the pause and use this time as a gift.\u201d<\/p>\n

When you stumble, Morris counseled giving ourselves, and others, grace by assuming their intentions were good. At heart, humans are more similar than dissimilar.<\/p>\n

An advisory group is being formed to continue the conversation. Get involved by emailing\u00a0DEIdiscussions@leoevents.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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