It’s no surprise that leaders are keenly focused on diversity, equity and inclusion. This year’s leaders involved in our 90 Ideas in 90 Minutes event were no exception. Here are nine ideas shared about DEI. 

Check out all of the speakers and all 90 of their ideas at businessrecord.com/90ideas. 

– Emily Barske, editor 

Embrace equity
“A boat cannot move forward if the oars are unequal.” 
– African proverb

The pandemic exposed long-festering wounds caused by systemic vulnerabilities. Race and ethnicity were risk markers for disproportionate rates of infection, hospitalization and death due to COVID-19 as well as conditions such as socioeconomic status, housing, education and other social determinants. Having equitable oars (social determinants) will propel the boat (and our community) to move forward together.

Practice cultural humility
“Many different flowers make a bouquet.” 
– Islamic proverb

At MercyOne, we practice cultural humility, which is a lifelong process of self-reflection and gaining an insight into our unconscious and implicit biases. As a result, our commitment to embracing our diverse colleague and patient population is more than a one-and-done check-the-box session. 

Inclusion is nonnegotiable
My colleague Gilmara Villa-Nova Mitchell, DEI leader, told me, “You cannot be a great leader if you can only lead people who look and sound like you.” While I consider myself open and supportive to all, I wasn’t intentional about inclusion. I didn’t see (and still don’t always see) where I may exclude others. Great teams exist when everyone feels safe to be their true selves. Act: One small but powerful action we can take is to diversify the voices we follow and learn from. If most of the people I interact with, books I read, or people I follow on social media look and sound like me, then I am missing out on experiences from people with different lived experiences.  

Inclusion should be inclusive
The responsibility – and opportunity – for creating a more diverse, equitable and inclusive organization is shared by everyone. At Meredith we’re advancing our diversity, equity and inclusion work through interconnected efforts of education, recruitment, retention and communication, and we are committed to being representative of all our consumers and partners within our products and services. An inclusive approach recognizes that great ideas come from everywhere: Earlier this year a dedicated group of employees created Good Impressions by Meredith, a new program that provides pro bono media and marketing consultation services for Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC)- or LGBTQIA-owned businesses. I’m extremely proud of everyone involved in this effort to use Meredith’s resources and expertise as a force for good.

Let your employees express themselves
Many of our companies focus on having diverse workforces so that we represent those we serve. Diversity is about more than demographic labels like race and gender. It can also be the way we dress, the way we speak and the way we present ourselves to the outside world. It’s about being free to express who we are in the workplace rather than leaving our identity at the front door. I’ve found that the strongest client relationships I have and the happiest I’ve been at my job have come from expressing my most authentic self.

Include people based on their expertise, not their demographics
Representation matters. The right kind of representation respects people for their expertise, not the box they check. Including diverse points of view is not about getting a rubber stamp of approval on a prefabricated idea but about collaborating to build something that molds and shifts to reflect the voices of those you invited. Diverse points of view should be catalysts for innovation, not boxes to check.

Uplift and promote women of color 
Women of color do not get enough recognition for their contributions across all industries. Their work is often overlooked, ignored and underpaid. Data tells us how the disparities among women of color are worse than other demographics. For example, Black women are the most educated demographic, yet highly underpaid. Business leaders have the power to address these disparities by recruiting, compensating and mentoring women of color. Organizations are proven to do better when women are in leadership positions. We have plenty of female candidates of color waiting for an opportunity to shine. We can be open-door and uplift an entire generation of leaders.

Be uncomfortable with injustice, not conversations 
Many are uncomfortable with conversations about race, inequalities and disparities. Imagine the change we could foster if we were more uncomfortable about the actual injustices in Iowa. Business organizations and leaders can do more than we can imagine to address the systemic barriers faced by Iowans of color. We can start by not taking things personally and by taking actions toward an equitable state for all. 

Discover a special ingredient
Talent is a key ingredient, and when you look in new places for talent, you sometimes uncover a special ingredient —  aka a team member. Crème has always had a position on staff available for people who are experiencing recovery in life and hires employees from a homeless shelter, welcoming people who need a second chance. This provides valuable job history by allowing them to gain work experience. It also opens the doors for promotion internally, or allows for us to be a reference for a future job that is an advancement of something that they’ve always wanted to do. How do people ever reenter the workforce if not given a second chance? Current success story at Crème: Hired a person at an entry level position, promoted them to head baker. The additional income allowed them to move out of the shelter, gain confidence, test for a driver’s license, and now have a car – all in 10 months since starting with Crème. Crème has also worked with Candeo and Easter Seals and offered paid internships with several Des Moines high schools for students looking to secure their first job in baking.