Are You Not a Fan of DEI? Then, This Blog is For You

I’ll be the first to admit that “diversity and inclusion” has become a buzzword. Where “diversity” should invoke the innate beauty of our world and “inclusion” should suggest a welcoming, warm environment, hearing “diversity and inclusion” or “DEI” causes some people to shut down in a blink. But here’s the truth: even people who are not fans of DEI almost certainly still believe that all individuals have dignity and worth! As such, today I want to walk through strategies a person who does not support DEI initiatives can take to still be inclusive and respectful of others.

1. Separate Personal Beliefs from Professional Conduct

Let’s delve into a hypothetical: meet Michael, a middle-aged man who works for—well, pick a business, any business! One of his coworkers comes out as trans. She announces that her pronouns are she/her and that she will now be going by Christina. Michael doesn’t fully understand everything about the LGTBQ+ community or why Christina had to publicly make this proclamation. He thought he knew this person, thought he knew them well, but now…

Here’s what’s important: whether or not Michael personally agrees with DEI and its advocacy for the trans community, it is essential to separate his personal beliefs from his conduct in a professional setting. Not referring to Christina by her preferred name and pronouns would be rude, plain and simple! I mean, imagine if someone called us by the wrong name and pronouns despite our multiple protestations—it’d be frustrating and discomforting at best, harassment and abuse at worst. As such, regardless of a person’s personal feelings toward DEI, they can still be inclusive by maintaining professionality. In this instance, It’s about treating people the way we want to be treated (the Golden Rule remains forever relevant!).

2. Seek Understanding through Dialogue

Returning to Michael: let’s say that he is currently in a meeting, where the main topic of discussion is their organization’s potential implementation of a talent pipeline—part of the company’s broader DEI initiatives. Truth be told, Michael does not see the need for this pipeline. The merit-based approach behind recruitment and advancement seems perfectly fine as is to him! When it’s his turn to comment, he does so politely and calmly. And when another manager offers a similarly polite counter to this statement, highlighting that a talent pipeline is meant to reinforce the merit-based nature of hiring and promotions, he nods and takes that point into consideration. The mutual respect is what’s key here! Michael is not enthused by the idea of a talent pipeline, but he actively listens in order to understand his coworker’s perspective instead of dismissing them out of hand. Again: one does not need to be a champion of DEI to create an inclusive environment.

Additionally, if one is willing to take this respectful dialogue a step further, I would also recommend educating oneself about the experiences and concerns of marginalized groups and how DEI can provide much-needed support. In other words, dare to push past the “politicized” nature of DEI and instead examine its practical purpose. How does DEI help create a more welcoming workplace? Why is this inclusive environment so necessary for all people, not just marginalized communities? If one is feeling particularly bold, consider attending workshops, conferences, or other events that discuss DEI-related topics. Regardless of what reservations one may hold, simply exposing ourselves to different viewpoints can expand our understanding and empathy. Even if we disagree with someone, it is always beneficial to get an idea of where they’re coming from, right?

3. Focus on Common Goals

“Mm, I’m not so sure I like that idea,” Michael says, shaking his head. “Wouldn’t creating ‘employee networks’ just leave a bunch of people out?”

“Not at all!” Christina says. “Employee networks are about bringing people in. The focus of these networks might be on a specific group, but membership isn’t exclusive to them. Let’s say you joined a group for veterans.”

Michael nods. “Sure.”

“I could also join that group to find out ways I could support our company’s veterans, even though I didn’t serve in the military. You could also join an LGBTQ+ employee network learn about the LGBT employees. Make sense?”

“I guess,” Michael admits after a pause. “But I still feel like creating specific groups is counterproductive to the supposed end goal of ‘inclusion.’”

He can tell Christina doesn’t quite agree with him, but she tilts her head in acknowledgment. “That’s fair.” Then she smiles. “But it sounds like you agree that the end goal should still be creating an environment where everyone has the support they need to succeed.”

Michael laughs. “I’d like to think that’s what everyone here wants!”

As this conversation illustrates, Michael isn’t totally on board with the idea of employee networks, often a key component of many organizations’ DEI initiatives. At the same time, his hesitance clearly does not mean he is against creating a supportive environment for all employees. Regardless of their individual beliefs on DEI, it is clear that Michael and Christina have a shared goal: investing in a work culture where any employee can succeed. From there, they and others can work collaboratively toward this common ground.

4. Engage in Self-Reflection

“Why are you so… not into DEI, anyway?” Christina asks.

Michael shrugs, swallowing a bite of his sandwich as he and Christina sit across from each other in the break lounge. “It feels unnecessary. Why make a big fuss about about inclusion? Shouldn’t that go without saying?”

“I can understand that,” Christina says. “But I think what DEI offers is specific avenues of making our workplace more inclusive, you know? Everybody needs a different kind of support because they’re all coming from different life experiences.” She offers him a sidelong grin. “I mean, look at us. Pretty different histories, am I right?”

Michael laughs. “Very different histories.” He takes a sip of his coffee. “I see your point. I guess my problem is with the hubbub. I don’t necessarily disagree that people should be given individualized support to help them succeed.”

“Is the ‘hubbub’ really such a bad thing, though?” Christina asks. “I mean, for me, it’s kind of nice to see people vocally supporting the trans community.”

Michael allows himself to pause before responding. “I don’t know. I think I’m the kind of person who’s used to letting things happen unsaid. My parents never made a big deal about anything when I was growing up, and I’ve kind of carried that with me through the years.”

The key element of this interaction is the way Michael turns his reflection inward. In considering Christina’s question, he contemplates what motivates his own perspective in contrast to hers—why he feels the way he does. He considers how the environment he grew up in may have shaped his beliefs. Should this example have continued further, we likely would have seen Michael hypothesize that if he’d been raised in a different environment, perhaps one more similar to Christina’s, would he still hold those same beliefs?

The advice of self-reflection can become a bit preachy, for lack of a better word. “We need to reflect on our own biases! Challenging our assumptions can help us grow and broaden our perspective!” These words are true, of course—I have written extensively about managing unconscious bias in the past—but repeating them over and over can feel a bit grating. As such, I want to revamp the phrasing! In terms of disagreeing with DEI, self-reflection means questioning the root of our concerns. Are we grappling with a lack of understanding? Is there a specific element of DEI that we chafe with? Once a person can pinpoint the specifics of their disagreement, finding common ground becomes more achievable (and less stressful, too!).

And there we have it: four strategies for people who oppose DEI to nonetheless play a part in creating a more inclusive, respectful environment for all. Perhaps this is optimistic of me, but I believe there is no goal more shared than wanting a workplace where everyone has the support they need to succeed!

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization.

Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

Empower Board of Directors by Addressing Five Implicit Biases

My blog is no stranger to discussing the role of boards of directors in DEI, including the specifics of how they can facilitate diversity, equity, and inclusion. Today, I want to hone in on a more specific topic: what biases are most likely to appear during meetings of boards of directors? After all, board members are as susceptible to unconscious bias as the rest of us! Let’s walk through five of the most common:

1. Confirmation Bias:

This bias occurs when people only seek out and interpret information that confirms their existing beliefs. As such, in board meetings, confirmation bias manifests in the failure to consider alternate viewpoints and options. Let’s consider the following hypothetical!

So, how can boards address this bias? In simplest terms: don’t be afraid to push against the status quo. Boards should actively bring in a variety of perspectives and ask questions that may counter their personal feelings, as doing so encourages us to consider new modes of thinking, even if we ultimately disagree.

2. Availability Bias:

This bias occurs when people rely too heavily on information that is readily available to them, i.e. they don’t seek out more diverse or comprehensive sources of information. In board meetings, this overreliance can lead to overlooking important data or perspectives that are not immediately at hand. Although availability bias has a marked similarity to confirmation bias, the key difference is that confirmation bias involves seeking information/answers that support a preexisting opinion, while availability bias is simply limiting oneself to already available information. In other words, while these two biases often overlap and reinforce each other, they are not the same. Much like conformity bias, then, availability bias is best addressed by simply inviting in additional perspectives!

3. Anchoring Bias:

This bias occurs when people rely too heavily on the first piece of information they receive, using it as a reference point for all subsequent decisions. In board meetings, this overemphasis on a singular piece of information can lead to unnecessary prioritization of early proposals or suggestions rather than the exploration of a broader range of possibilities. Anchoring bias can be tricky to counter, as our brains tend to naturally hierarchize and frame knowledge with regard to a starting point, which is why we must make an intentional effort to challenge our reliance on early information.

4. Halo Effect:

As beautiful as this term might sound, the halo effect itself is not so lovely! This bias occurs when people allow one positive trait or characteristic to overshadow other aspects of a person’s performance or contribution. In board meetings, this inflation of goodness can lead to an overemphasis on the opinions or perspectives of certain individuals, where the possibility of considering a more diverse range of viewpoints goes overlooked. We address the Halo Effect is by questioning our perception of others and how that influences how we view their performance.

5. Groupthink:

Last but not least, this bias occurs when people in a group prioritize consensus and harmony over critical thinking and independent decision-making. In other words, in board meetings, groupthink can lead to a reluctance to challenge the status quo or express dissenting opinions. The consequence? A limited range of options are considered, which may lead to suboptimal decisions. To address groupthink, there must be a willingness to take a step back and a refusal to conform to the status quo.

There we have it! Five biases that often manifest in boards of directors’ meetings and how these biases can be addressed. Seeing as the boardroom is where some of the most important organizational decisions are made, it is also one of the most important places to challenge our biases. I tip my hat to all board members who are making an intentional effort to combat their unconscious biases in order to foster a working environment that is more inclusive for all!

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization.

Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

Challenging Conformity in Meetings

When it comes to conformity bias, it is easy to observe it in meetings. After all, the idea of sharing a different opinion or—dare I say it—challenging individuals with authority may intimidate even the most fearless! How can we manage this bias and stand against the status quo? Fortunately, I propose there is a simple solution to addressing this problem of conformity: start by asking five questions.

At the end of every meeting, 5-10 minutes can be dedicated to reviewing the following five questions, each of which targets certain facets of conformity bias. Straightforward, right? Let’s walk through each!

1. During the meeting, did we actively encourage the sharing of alternate perspectives and opinions?

The key to combating conformity bias is the solicitation of opposing viewpoints and of alternatives to existing responses. In doing so, we ensure diversity of thought and the active inclusion of every participant!

2. Were all team members offered equal opportunity to share their ideas?

Related to the previous question: it is important not only to encourage the sharing of different viewpoints but also to ensure all meeting attendees are being granted this opportunity to share. Remember, this sharing may manifest in different ways! Someone more introverted, for example, might feel more comfortable with sending in their thoughts via email prior to the meeting, and thus their higher-ups can integrate those ideas into the conversation.

3. Were there any moments during the meeting where you felt pressured to conform to a particular idea or perspective?

Peer pressure, unconscious or no, cannot be extricated from conformity bias. By recognizing the power of a group to sway someone’s opinion—or at least the opinion a person may voice aloud—we can potentially nip this issue in the bud, helping ensure our decision-making processes are informed more by honesty than conformity.

4. Throughout the discussion, did we continually challenge our biases and assumptions?

Remember, conformity bias is not only about following the group! It also refers to how we might accept certain perspectives or beliefs without questioning them. In other words, we may find ourselves unconsciously conforming to a dominant social mindset. To address this difficulty: openly discuss the biases and assumptions that come up during the conversation!

5. Did we consider potential pitfalls or weaknesses in our possible solutions or decisions?

In other words, it is crucial that we constantly consider what evidence we have to support our own perspectives and the final decisions we make. Regularly circling back to the “why”—why the conversation has moved a certain way, why this is the path we want to take, etc.—is key to preventing conformity bias from taking hold.

The facilitation of these five questions will depend on the specific organization and the group at hand. While discussing responses aloud can be valuable, I would encourage first giving people a way to respond privately—maybe they jot down a few responses, or maybe each question is followed with two check boxes: YES and NO, with a space below to expand on their response if people so desire.

At the end of the day, conformity bias means it is too easy for us to agree with others and to doubt ourselves. As leaders, we need to recognize that not all of our team members may feel confident speaking against dominant opinions. These questions, this end-of-meeting ritual, is therefore a way to address such a challenge.

So, what do you think? Are we ready to dive into this informal Q&A at the end of each meeting?

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization.

Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

3 Tips to Challenging Conformity at Work

Why do we conform? We all share the same desires of fitting in and belonging, including in our workplaces. Many individuals, however, feel like they must lose a piece of themselves in order to experience this inclusion. As leaders, we want our employees to feel comfortable bringing their whole selves to the workplace, where a person’s ability to embrace their uniqueness leads to productivity and innovation. Consequently, many of us emphasize that our workplaces are safe environments. And while this emphasis is important, it is not enough to challenge the insidious nature of conformity. In the past, I have gone over how managers can address conformity bias, but today I want to focus on more organization-based initiatives, where we must assume there is conformity happening in our workplaces and take intentional actions to challenge it. Let’s waste no time!

1. Identify conformity

An important element of challenging conformity in our organizations is being able to identify conformity. Workplace conformity can best be understood through behavior known as “covering.” In more technical terms, covering refers to the suppression of one’s identity, life experiences, appearance, and so forth in order to “fit” in with the dominant social structure. To translate that into my colloquial terms, covering can be understood as when people put a metaphorical mask on and try to act with a different identity than their own. For example, someone may go by a different name out of fear that people cannot pronounce their given name. A person may style their hair a certain way in order to be seen as “professional” and accepted. These behaviors and more all fall under “covering.” So what do we do about this?

Again, identification is the first step. Beyond the fact that we as leaders should keep an eye out for covering behaviors and note them as they happen, another useful strategy is to send out an anonymous survey polling employees on the extent to which they feel they must engage in covering. Consider the following sample questions:

• I feel included and respected at [name of organization].

  • Strongly agree

  • Agree

  • Neither agree nor disagree

  • Disagree

  • Strongly disagree

• Employees of all cultures and backgrounds are respected and valued at [name of organization].

  • Strongly agree

  • Agree

  • Neither agree nor disagree

  • Disagree

  • Strongly disagree

• When I speak up at work, my opinion is valued.

  • Strongly agree

  • Agree

  • Neither agree nor disagree

  • Disagree

  • Strongly disagree

Additionally, there might be follow-up open-ended questions where participants can expand on their reasoning behind each response. Keep in mind, however, that employees are not obligated to complete this survey, and we must therefore respect people’s wishes not to share particular information. Even when we suspect people may be engaging in covering behaviors, forcing them to discuss those experiences is beneficial to no one. Instead, we should focus on orienting our workplace culture to counter conformity! Let’s dive into the next step of this process.

2. Solicit feedback prior to meetings

Once elements of conformity have been identified, a crucial means of addressing it is to open different avenues for diverse thought. After all, challenging conformity means challenging dominant ideas, and the best way to challenge dominant ideas is to invite unique perspectives! While we may think of meetings as the perfect opportunity to solicit new insight, we must keep in mind that not everyone feels comfortable speaking up in these spaces. As such, different avenues of communication might include specifically facilitating thoughts via email prior to meetings, surveys, or even one-on-one conversations. Afterwards, it becomes the leader’s responsibility to incorporate those thoughts into the broader meeting, ensuring that everyone involved has exposure to these diverse perspectives and can thus challenge their own conformity to dominant ideas.

An important addendum: when employees take the intimidating step to offer unique insight and dare to challenge conformity, we must validate them for those efforts. This recognition does not have to be “public” or exaggerated; simply commending them during a one-on-one interaction gives them respect and credit for questioning the norm. Voicing a divergent idea can be difficult—recognize when people are brave enough to do so!

3. Change the mindset

Bringing the previous steps together helps reveal our third and final tip for challenging conformity in organizations: identify conformity, create avenues for individual expression, and in doing so begin changing the organizational mindset. Many of us cite the importance of embracing new ideas, but sometimes we fall short of truly doing so because we haven’t shifted our mindset. This struggle is normal! My advice, then, is to think “culture add,” not “culture fit.” The Association of Corporate Counsel defines this phenomenon as follows: “Culture fit is about finding the familiar candidate who resembles the current team. With a culture add mindset, the goal is to look for someone who will reflect the company’s values but also bring a different experience or perspective to the table. The former promotes assimilation, the latter enhances creativity and innovation.” During the hiring process, asking from the get-go if a qualified candidate is a culture add or a culture fit helps ingrain in the work culture that we as leaders value unique mindsets. It is additionally important, however, to continue supporting the innovation of these employees after they have been hired.

I once gave a workshop where one of the participants stood up to share his thoughts during the discussion. He said that he had joined the organization a year ago, and soon after he began to cry. He told us that he accepted the position with this organization because during the interview, the organizational representatives told him that they wanted him because he was different, that they felt he had something unique to add because of his perspective and experiences. Once he was hired, however, every time he offered new insight or attempted to challenge the norm, they would brush him off and look at him weirdly. Within a year, he felt isolated and shunned. The value the organization had initially praised of him was now being totally overlooked.

This is the precise situation we want to avoid. Changing our mindsets to embrace “culture add” also means nurturing unique insight after the candidate has been hired. If we don’t maintain this valuation of different perspectives, then we are not truly challenging conformity.

Although this following advice is more indirectly related to conformity, it nonetheless a piece of wisdom I wish to share before we conclude this blog: sharing begets sharing. Challenging conformity means embracing our own individuality. If we are open to our employees about how we engage in covering behaviors, steps we take to reject conformity, and even our process of changing the dominant mindset in the organization itself, people are more likely to find themselves being honest and challenging conformity, too. I have a friend who developed bad arthritis at a young age to the point where she could not type. She remotely managed a global team, and every day she would use speech-to-text to communicate with them. Eventually, despite her fear of judgment, she shared her condition with her team, and the ultimate result was that members of her team proceeded to privately reach out to her and share their own struggles. Her honesty brought the team closer together. Again: sharing begets sharing. When we show the steps we are taking to question the norm, others are more likely to do the same.

And there we have it! Three key ways to identify and begin challenging conformity across organizations. Although this process is a lengthy one, the benefits of embracing new ideas are endless. I hope these tips bring all of us leaders comfort and confidence as we begin the journey of developing conformity cures for our companies!

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization.

Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

3 Tips to Standing Against the Status Quo

I might summarize the ultimate desire of humanity as this: to be loved. To be wanted. To be included. The question then becomes… What sacrifices are we willing to make to achieve that?

Many of us, myself included, choose to conform because of our desire to feel loved and included. In the process of trying to fit in, however, we often lose part of ourselves. We lose what makes us unique, what lets us bring new ideas and perspectives to the table. So I ask all of us: is this loss worth it? In my opinion, no. That is why this blog will break down three tips to help us all challenge conformity. In the past, I have discussed how managers can address conformity bias, but today I want to focus on the individual. What can we as individuals do to counter conformity?

1. The little-by-little strategy

I will be the first to admit that challenging conformity can be frightening. Going against the tide means putting ourselves by default into a position that opposes what is agreed upon by many, from decisions as minor as what we wear to work to as major as discussions on who to hire. As such, my first piece of advice is simple: take it little by little! Starting with small changes helps us avoid becoming overwhelmed in the face of countering the status quo. For example, in a meeting, we may find ourselves disagreeing with the dominant trend of conversation. But outright disagreeing is intimidating, and worse, runs the risk of a consequence many of us loathe—making people uncomfortable. Instead, then, the little-by-little strategy posits that we ask a few questions, perhaps for clarification. By doing so, we can subtly offer a new perspective, one that complements or even redirects the thoughts of the majority, which consequently helps us challenge conformity.

2. Ask yourself: “Why?”

“Why”—a simple question with innumerable important effects. A crucial step to challenging conformity is questioning the systems of thought and behavior that have been handed down to us, and “why” is the ultimate tool. Why does everyone do [x] this way? Why do I believe [y]? Is it because I truly feel that way, or is it because familial, societal, or corporate expectations encourage me to do so? In particular, it is productive to ask “why” when we hear the age-old refrain of well, this is how it’s always been! Yes, but why? Today, we are in a different time and place, both literally and socially. What worked “then” may no longer be helpful now. Why do we abide by thoughts and behaviors of eras long since passed?

Learning to ask “why” was a major aspect of my own personal transformation. I was raised to believe negative things about my identity as a woman, and it wasn’t until I started to ask why those beliefs persisted and who they benefited that I came to truly understand how restrictive those ideas about women were. Asking “why” helped me challenge dominant expectations and make meaningful changes in my life. Simplistic though it may sound, I wouldn’t be who or where I am today if I hadn’t asked “why”!

3. Determine your goals

Questioning the beliefs we have been told throughout life is important to challenging conformity, and so is the follow-up component: determining our own goals. After all, how can we hope to counter conformity if we aren’t confident in our individual dreams, wishes, and desires? Fear not, however—I don’t intend to throw us in the deep end by declaring “determine your goals!” and offering no more.

As a key step to help determine our goals, I recommend creating a list of changemakers that you admire. For example, I admire Malala Yousafzai because of how she challenged the status quo of limited education access for young women and girls around the world. Write down why you admire these people, be it specific elements of their activism or how they present themselves as leaders. In this articulation, we can better identify our own priorities and values, which then helps bring us to a clearer understanding of our own goals.

While creating this list, keep the following in mind: the changemakers we admire likely failed at first. They were likely shunned, isolated, excluded—people probably didn’t like them! But they persevered. They continued to move forward and challenge conformity. In other words, we cannot just consider why we admire their results. What can we admire in their journey, too, that will guide us on our own paths to countering conformity?

And there we have it! Three straightforward tips to help any individual challenge conformity. Standing against the status quo is terrifying, I know, but nothing is more important than embracing what makes us unique. I hope these tips bring you comfort and reassurance as you begin your own journey of challenging conformity!

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization.

Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

Three Tips for Having Respectful Political Discussion in the Workplace

She stood up, tension riddling her shoulders, and began voicing perspectives all but identical to my own. It was clear from the first few sentences that she and I had near-identical political beliefs and values, and yet the more she spoke, the more I found myself feeling uncomfortable and pulling away from her words. 

This particular moment occurred in a workshop I facilitated. As in all my workshops, I encouraged the attendees to speak up and share their own thoughts on the subject at hand, which is precisely what this attendee did. And yet despite our shared values, I grew detached from her perspective. What could have caused this unexpected disconnect?

The answer is simple: she spoke with disregard, or more accurately, she spoke as if everyone in the room already agreed with her, and if anyone disagreed, her body language and tone suggested they were wrong. She repeatedly used negative terms to make her point, and as time passed, I found myself distancing further and further from her.

I believe this experience speaks to the reality of today’s political climate. I hear over and over how people feel frustrated with these disconnects, sharing messages such as “We have never been more divided!” Too often does politics equate to pushing people away, when a healthier environment to cultivate would mean bringing people in. 

Discussing politics in the workplace is especially tricky, as companies often discourage their teams from having these conversations, if not outright forbid them. However, nearly 60% of American employees have discussed politics at work. (And perhaps this percentage may seem low to some of us because of personal experience - I thought it would be higher!) Political conversations at work are happening, so how can we manage them and continue to emphasize respect for others’ views even with the social divisions we are experiencing? While it is perhaps still wisest not to discuss politics at work, it may happen regardless, so let’s walk through some strategies to ensure these conversations occur with respect.

1. Set Conversational Terms

If we cannot outright forbid political conversation, the next best thing is to create positive terms on which these conversations can be engaged. Perhaps what should be prioritized above all else is to ensure that people who are discussing politics want to have such a conversation. When laying down expectations for political discussion, we might consider the following:

• To maintain a healthy work environment, conversations regarding politics are best occurring only between employees who actively want to participate. As such, those of us who are eager to hold conversations about politics should first ask if someone wants to participate in the discussion before we dive in. In doing so, we not only decrease our chances of potential conflict but also demonstrate how we seek to create an environment of respect by acknowledging that not everyone may wish to have political conversations in the first place.

• Similarly, if there is a specific topic some of us don’t feel open to discussing, we might consider saying so explicitly. Outright stating what we are not willing to discuss ensures that anyone potentially making us uncomfortable cannot pretend they were unaware if we find ourselves needing to go to our manager or HR. In the broader sense, laying down the line allows us to better cultivate our own workplace experiences, whether we do or don’t seek to engage in political discussion.

2. Openness & Good Faith

Let’s say we do decide to participate in a discussion regarding politics. All of us are going in with a clear head, and we want to make sure we come out with such temperedness, too! So how can we maintain an atmosphere of respect?

First and foremost, the classic advice is for us to encourage ourselves and our employees to make an effort to understand others’ experiences and how those experiences may have inclined them toward certain political beliefs. But how can we put these words into action? How can we actively try to understand the way a person’s individual experiences shaped their politics? I offer one question—why don’t we ask people, How can I make you feel heard? Perhaps it is a simple question, but it is a powerful one, and someone’s response can go a long way in ensuring we engage in political conversations with empathy and respect.

Additionally, I want to stress the importance of having these conversations in good faith. Instead of pursuing a political discussion as a competition where someone is going to “win” and that arguing is thus inevitable, we might consider approaching with the mentality that everyone here wants to engage in productive, respectful discussion. If we have this mentality, we are more likely to make efforts during conversation to maintain peace, should things begin to go awry.

Before we move on, I also want to note that it is important we don’t assume we’re going to change anyone’s mind. If we push back against the implicit notion that all political discussions are opportunities for conversion and instead embrace them as opportunities for learning, I suspect we’ll find ourselves much more willing to disagree without leading to conflict. In short: bring people in, don’t push them away!

3. Embrace the Unknowing

A key piece of having peaceful political conversations is to get comfortable saying “I don’t know.” After all, it’s okay to not be an expert on something! Speaking personally, I know that I will hold a lot more respect for someone who has the confidence to say, “I don’t know, this is an area I need to research before I can comment” than I would for someone who stubbornly sticks to an incorrect point or repeats a line of reasoning that doesn’t make sense just because it was covered by the media.

Before I conclude, have a piece of bonus advice: in order to facilitate respectful political conversations in the workplace, consider distributing a handbook that includes the above strategies and in general delineates what is and what isn’t appropriate political discussion. For example, the handbook might additionally mention how employees can report an incident on the off chance a conversation gets out of hand. The handbook might also differentiate opinion and hate speech to help protect both their employees’ right to speak their mind and their employees’ right to basic respect and autonomy.

With the strategies outlined above, this type of respect is possible for any and every workplace that seeks to manage political discussions. I would even offer that these tips can apply to all aspects of our lives, from personal to business. For example, whether we are speaking of politics or not, it’s crucial to ensure everyone feels heard and welcome to participate in a conversation. In the story that began this blog, the woman who was so adamantly voicing her opinion in my workshop did not take into consideration how she might make others feel heard even as she stood her ground with her own beliefs. I encourage all of us to go the extra mile: stay true to our values, but using the above strategies, remember to hear and respect the values of others, too.

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization.

Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

DEI Anecdotes: The Words We Say

I’ve noticed that when people are first beginning their DEI journeys, they often become particularly frustrated with the idea of monitoring their language, e.g. to avoid microaggressions. An attendee of one of my workshops approached me in a huff, angered by the possibility that she might offend someone simply by saying Good morning! For those of us who feel frustrated by the idea of another item being loaded onto our plates, my advice is this: lean into close examinations of our language rather than pushing against them. What do I mean? I’ll explain with a short personal story.

When I first moved to the U.S. in 1996, Seinfeld was one of the most popular shows on television. Time after time, I heard praise for how hilarious it was. Finally, in November 2022, I was able to watch it myself. Let me tell you—I was shocked by the inappropriate humor. It felt like every other line of dialogue, someone was the butt of the “joke” because of an element of their identity or personhood that they could not control. At the time, perhaps this was considered “funny,” but today we have come to realize that if “jokes” are hurting someone, they really aren’t jokes at all. And there is true harm incurred by this type of “humor”; when we watch people make fun of others for factors out of their control, this “joke” becomes tacit approval for us to do the same. We, too, can make a “joke” about someone’s identity because It’s normal! Everyone does this! without considering the negative impact those words can have.

One show I absolutely adored when I arrived in the U.S. was Friends. I am not kidding when I say that I bought every single one of the DVDs for each season! At the time, I didn’t see the show as offensive, but just because I didn’t see it as such doesn’t mean it was not. Jennifer Aniston recently commented that today’s humor, compared to when Friends was made, is “a little tricky because you have to be very careful, which makes it really hard for comedians, because the beauty of comedy is that we make fun of ourselves, make fun of life.” But what she doesn’t highlight here is that Friends, like so many shows of its time, also involved making fun of others, and to make fun of others is not true comedy.

Of course, what do my experiences with Seinfeld and Friends have to do with examining our language? Well, it is only through increasing my own awareness regarding discrimination that I have come to realize how my own humor, my own words have hurt people without me realizing. Instead of being wary about if what we say will potentially offend or hurt someone, we should embrace the curiosity about other people and their journeys. To consider the impact of our words before we speak is to show we care about the people around us! What could be a more admirable goal than that?

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization.

Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

DEI Anecdotes: The Importance of Good Faith

In many of my DEI workshops, I like to ask for audience examples of microaggressions, as it helps make these challenges personal. People we work with and respect have been struggling with these very issues, and we may not have known!

One time, a Black woman raised her hand and shared that her neighbor, a white woman, came to visit her. Upon stepping inside the Black woman’s house, her white neighbor amazedly said, “Wow, your house is so clean and neat!” The Black woman was upset, as this comment seemed to suggest that the white woman expected her house would not be clean or neat. Given the long history of antiBlack stereotypes that lambast Black women’s ability to lead and take care of their households, we likely won’t find it difficult to sympathize with her reaction.

The reason I bring up this anecdote is not to contradict or challenge the Black woman’s experiences, but because I feel that I can offer an addendum that will help us think more broadly about engaging in DEI-related conversations: what if her neighbor meant her words as a genuine compliment? Bear in mind that the motivation behind the neighbor’s words does not negate any offense or harm she caused! However, when we discuss DEI, it’s important to remember that we’re all coming in with different levels of experience and knowledge. We’re going to make mistakes, we’re going to slip up, and we might even be anxious and on edge, affecting everything from our language to our actions. And that’s okay! What’s important is that we offer others and ourselves the grace to make mistakes as we also emphasize the obligation to learn from them. Sometimes, it doesn’t hurt to give a person the benefit of the doubt and trust they had good intentions.

So, what if the neighbor did mean her words genuinely? How could she learn from the unintentional harm she caused? To give a broader example: what if we’re discussing the wage gap with a friend we trust and they make an offhand comment about how the real reason the wage gap exists is because women deal with more interruptions resulting from family obligations? As those of us on the receiving end process the hurt these words may have caused us, I think it is also worth pausing to ask ourselves, Did this person intend to cause harm here? Again, intent does not negate consequence, but considering the speaker’s intent can help us determine what our response should be. If we suspect the person we are having this conversation with was engaging in good faith, how can we turn these situations into learning opportunities?

In short, conversations regarding any and every aspect of DEI can be messy. They can be difficult. Ultimately, however, these conversations are worth having, and it is crucial for all of us to remember that people who choose to have these conversations often want to learn more! I invite us to consider the value of an environment where “mess-up” is simply another word for “learning opportunity.”

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization.

Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

DEI Anecdotes: Call People In not Out

One time I was hired as a DEI consultant for male-dominated, majority-white company. Early on in this partnership, I hosted an optional DEI workshop, and I was delighted to see that many of the organization’s employees chose to attend despite that the training was not mandatory. Many of the men there, despite appearing a bit uncomfortable and nervous about the conversations to follow, proved to me by their very presence that they were willing to listen and learn. For that, I could hardly be more grateful.

During the workshop, one of the women in attendance stood up to share an experience related to the discussion at hand. In her narration, she kept referring to a white man that she interacted with as “the white dude.” The more she shared, the more she repeated this term, and the more I could see discomfort rising in the white men who were in attendance at this workshop. The issue here was not necessarily the women’s passionate reaction to her negative experiences—DEI means cultivating honest spaces, including spaces to be open about injustice—but rather that the ultimate goal of DEI is to call people in, not call them out. We want to bring others on board to support DEI, and the reality is that using callous language can ultimately wind up pushing people away. After all, an environment of inclusion is an environment that is inclusive for everyone, even people in dominant social demographics.

To clarify: monitoring the language we use when speaking of people who have access to greater social advantages is not about appeasing them! Rather, it’s about engaging with them on human terms because that is what we are asking in return. As such, “the white dude” might have been better referred to as simply “a/the white man,” as the latter acknowledges the privilege held by his race and gender without the demeaning edge that her tone and use of “dude” might suggest.

Another time, with a different company, I gave a workshop where one attendee was voicing perspectives all but identical to my own. I could tell we shared similar values and beliefs about DEI and the direction the world needed to turn in for societal progress. There was one key difference between us, however: she spoke as if everyone already agreed with her, not caring to bring in those who might be on the fence. Time after time, she used negatives and insulting terms, and the ultimate effect was that I found myself feeling uncomfortable and resisting her comments despite the fact that the core of our values were aligned! Again, it is crucial to think about how we’re delivering messages. Are we bringing people along with us through inclusive language, or are we leaving them behind through insults? Are we building or burning bridges?

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization.

Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

DEI Anecdotes: Question the Language

Many times we may say things simply because we’ve always heard them used. We all have little phrases that are ingrained in our language! However, because these phrases seem so ubiquitous to us, we may not have considered how offensive some terms may be.

During a meeting I once attended, in the midst of busy discussion, a woman chuckled and said, “There’s too many chiefs in here and not enough Indians!”

Oftentimes we don’t pause and ask ourselves where phrases like these come from and who we might be harming when we invoke them. Today, however, right now, we’re going to pause and reflect on this phrase. From the start, we can see that this phrase contains an offensive misnomer: “Indians” has not and has never been an accurate term for the indigenous peoples of America; “Indigenous” and “Native” are typically more accepted nomenclature. Secondly, this phrase creates an implicit hierarchy, where placing Native people as “lower” than a chief suggests that non-indigenous peoples belong in positions of power and indigenous people belong as subordinates.

So why do I highlight these linguistic details? For starters, it’s certainly not to shame the woman who uttered these words! Many if not all of us have unconsciously used words and phrases that may hurt others. The key here is that we must reflect on the phrases that have been passed down to us through generations, often by figures of authority, and question if they perpetuate exclusion. If they do, a turning point offers itself to us, where we can choose not to use these phrases and instead be more inclusive in our dialogue. By doing so, we become one step closer to creating more inclusive environments for everyone!

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization.

Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

DEI Anecdotes: Two Energies - Inclusion vs Exclusion

I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say that all of us want to be included. What’s more human than the desire to feel loved and wanted? In all my work around the world, I have never met someone who did not seek to feel included. A crucial part of this inclusion, however, is opening ourselves up to including others. Multiple times have I seen people claiming to support inclusive practices before following it with a stipulation: “I support inclusion of everyone except…”

For example, after a DEI keynote I gave, an attendee came up to speak to me. “I am a woman of faith,” she admitted, “but I understand that LGBT individuals are born the way they are. It’s not a choice.”

Truth be told, I was stunned by her reaction. Although perhaps her language wasn’t perfect, what a breath of fresh air to hear some inner peace between faith and the existence of the LGBTQ+ community!

Then she continued: “But I don’t think they should have sex. They should all be asexual*.”

And just like that, my heart shattered. Why should she, I wondered, try to police someone else’s life? Why should any of us try to tell other people how to live their lives?

The short and sweet answer, of course, is that we don’t have such authority. It’s easy to think that everyone needs to live “like us,” but insisting that all people need to orient their lives a certain way ultimately creates exclusion, as it suppresses cultural variation, political variation, varieties of sexual orientation, and much, much more. All we can control in life is ourselves. We can only make our own choices. How can we judge others for living differently than us when the truth is that everyone lives differently from everyone else? Those differences are part of the innate beauty of the world!

In a similar experience, I was once working with a company to implement new DEI initiatives. At this organization, there was a man of color who was incredibly supportive of DEI. He actually became chair of the organization’s DEI Council! I found myself greatly admiring his drive and dedication to his DEI work. He was passionate about equity, wanted to increase awareness about struggles faced by diverse communities, and simply sought to create an environment inclusive for all.

Except the LGBTQ+ community. Any and all DEI discussions were encouraged, except for those related to the LGBTQ+ community.

What is more saddening than seeing someone so passionate about creating inclusion and yet simultaneously still perpetuates exclusionary principles? Inclusion does not truly exist when there are certain “exceptions”; the definition itself prevents it. To be included, we must be inclusive. We cannot judge others and expect that others won’t do the same for us! It’s the golden rule, through and through: treat others the way you want to be treated. If we seek to achieve inclusion for all, we must mean all, not “all” with an asterisk. Acceptance has no exceptions!

*Although this woman meant that she believed members of the LGBTQ+ community should permanently abstain from sex when she said “asexual,” I would like to offer a link to a brief article from the Trevor Project on asexuality, which is a distinct sexual orientation part of the LGBTQ+ community.

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization.

Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

DEI Anecdotes: Have Fun with It!

If there is anything I have learned in all my work with DEI, it is that all of us take DEI so seriously. This observation is not to say that DEI isn’t a serious topic—it is, because it affects the life and well-being of people everywhere—but simply to offer that instead of getting angry or offended when we have our biases challenged, we should have fun with it! Personally, I have come to love catching my biases. It gives me a chance to laugh at myself, learn from my assumptions, and do better next time I encounter a similar situation. Allow me to share a silly anecdote:

After being a vegetarian for years, I recently started eating meat again. Lo and behold, a butcher opened up shop near my home—“ecstatic” doesn’t do justice to my excitement! I was practically drooling at the thought of being able to buy and prepare a meal with fresh local meat. So, I decided to go check the shop out. As I was driving over, I found myself painting a picture of the butcher in my mind based on cartoons I saw growing up, shows like Tom and Jerry: a big white guy in his 50s, probably balding but wearing a hat, enclothed in an apron spattered with smears and bloodstains. Pretty traditional depiction of a butcher, right?

When I got to the shop, I had to do a double take: where I expected to see a large man with a big belly, before me stood a petite young Asian woman wearing a crisp and clean apron! And you know what? My biases jumped out. I found myself wondering, Can I really trust her with decisions about the meat I want to buy? all because my unconscious biases constructed a specific image of a butcher that this woman’s lived experience did not conform to. Instead of feeling bad or guilty about my assumptions, though, I could laugh at myself! I was able to catch how social programming has taught me to expect butchers to look a certain way. And guess what? I bought an amazing piece of meat, and the butcher even gave me recommendations for how to cook it. Challenged my biases, met someone new, had a wonderful meal—all in a day’s work for those of us dedicated to DEI!

To sum it up: let’s take a deep breath, trust our good intentions, and enjoy the DEI journey.

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization.

Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

DEI > HR

DEI = Human Resources. Such is an equation many of us have grown accustomed to, and perhaps for an understandable reason! DEI is, after all, a key component of HR, from diverse hiring to the retention of diverse employees. However, DEI does not have to be limited to only HR departments! What about diverse advertising in Marketing, or pay equity audits in Finance? With that capacious perspective toward DEI in mind, let’s go through a quick list of some general DEI best practices that apply to all departments, regardless of their organizational concentration:

1. Include closed captions/subtitles for virtual meetings and videos.

2. Demonstrate how to use pronoun options for virtual meetings, e.g. Zoom.

3. Through IT, offer name pronunciation audio features for virtual meetings and e-signature software.

4. For written content, offer audio versions; ensure there is high contrast between the text and background colors; use easy-to-read fonts (such as dyslexic-friendly typefaces); and avoid regional turns of phrases that may not be understandable to all employees.

5. Remember RASCI: Who is responsible (responsibility for particular tasks); accountable (accountability for particular tasks, such as having the final say); supportive (the support network, e.g. providing resources to complete a particular task); consulted (offers advice with regard to decisions); and informed (maintains communication). When it comes to DEI, RASCI helps ensure that a) diverse people have not been overlooked for projects and b) diverse people are not primarily or only placed in supportive roles (rather than having the authority of “R” and “A”). When in doubt, apply RASCI!

And there we have it—multiple ways departments beyond HR can implement DEI into their daily workings. As we can see, there’s no shortage of opportunities! No matter what department one works in, DEI will inevitably help the entire organization flourish.

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization.

Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

Implementing DEI in the Legal Department

DEI goes hand in hand with Human Resources. A statement of fact, no? Well, I think we push the envelope a little further. After all, people run every department, meaning diversity, equity, and inclusion are always relevant. Let’s consider… Legal!

Implementing DEI into legal departments may seem glaringly obvious—just have a diverse team of lawyers at hand, right? Well, while diversity on the level of one’s team is certainly crucial, the incorporation of DEI into legal affairs can expand much further!

That sounds well and good, you may be thinking, but where do I begin?

A great question! Wolkters Kluwer offers the following starting point for Chief Legal Officers: “Start by interviewing the stakeholders. Ask your attorneys how they are making their assignments. Ask law firms whether they have diversity data and are willing to report it. If not, ask why and find out how you can help them change that policy.” Completing these steps helps ground an organization’s legal department in DEI from the get-go and moreover asserts to the law firms they may potentially work with that DEI is a make-or-break factor. Beyond this start, here are a few more tips for implementing DEI into the legal aspects of one’s organization:

1. When outsourcing legal matters, consider the diversity of law firms and legal service providers.

2. Develop measurable DEI goals. When doing so, create accountability metrics for providers, such as “the implementation of a certification system for hiring and promotion.” Deloitte explains that “[o]ne example of a certification in the legal field ‘measures whether an organization has affirmatively considered at least 30% women, attorneys of color, LGBTQ+, and lawyers with disabilities for leadership and governance roles, such as equity partner promotions, formal client pitch opportunities, and senior lateral positions.’” Such certification helps ensure organizational commitment to DEI beyond HR. (Even though this type of certification is specific to the legal side of business, wouldn’t it be amazing to include such accountability for all fields?)

3. Gather and maintain diversity data within one’s own department as well as any law firms the organization works with. Specifically, create a dedicated staff to “continuously check on diversity information gathered and call firms to follow up where data is missing.”

As with Human Resources, implementing DEI strategies into Legal departments is only as challenging as we let it be. With regular monitoring of DEI metrics and an emphasis on diverse certification, maintaining an environment of diversity and inclusion is easier than ever!

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization.

Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

Implementing DEI in Procurement

A Chief Procurement Officer sits at their desk, examining a lengthy list of potential suppliers to create ties with. The term “DEI” often comes with an implicit connection to Human Resources, but the truth is that DEI initiatives are beneficial to any department. Numerous studies suggest that supplier diversity in Procurement, for example, enhances innovation, expands access to new demographics, and improves flexibility. But where to begin?

Fortunately, implementing DEI into Procurement is not as intimidating a task as it sounds, hand over my heart! Here are a few tips for incorporating DEI strategies to improve supplier diversity:

1. First and foremost, identify what groups of diverse suppliers to work with on particular projects (e.g. women, people of color, veterans, people with disabilities, etc.). A good rule of thumb to classify a supplier as diverse is if they are “at least 51% diverse owned” and/or if they “have a certification attesting to their diversity.”

2. Beyond working with diverse suppliers, it is crucial that the consideration and requirements section of an organization’s procurement policy explicitly include “guidelines for engaging diverse suppliers.” Not only does this inclusion create intra-organizational accountability for working with diverse suppliers, but it demonstrates to other corporations how this organization prioritizes DEI.

3. Track the following key performance indicators: “How many diverse/local/small businesses were contacted; How many of those businesses submitted an RFP; How many of those businesses won their RFP; [and] What the contracts won were worth.” Monitoring these KPIs helps ensure an organization is working equitably with all of their suppliers and not unwittingly prioritizing some over others.

4. Lastly, work with suppliers that similarly prioritize DEI. Just because a potential supplier is not themself diverse doesn’t mean they don’t work with diverse organizations! Create a supplier chain that emphasizes the importance of DEI.

Still unsure where to start? SupplyShift recommends that “[t]ools like supplier.io and Tealbook provide databases of suppliers (including diverse suppliers) for businesses to build new relationships with. Companies can also attend diverse supplier events or join organizations like the National Minority Supplier Development Council for resources and peer learning opportunities.” Diverse, equitable, and inclusive procurement is therefore easily attainable, so long as one is willing to put in the effort for it!

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization.

Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

Implementing DEI in Finance and Accounting

The wage gap remains as present today as it did in the 1950s, albeit to lesser severity. Women working full time are still paid on average “just 83 cents to every dollar earned by men,” and the numbers are even lower for Black and Latina women. As such, the importance of DEI within Finance and Accounting departments cannot be overstated. Let’s walk through a few ways to implement DEI through various financial operations:

1. Conduct a pay audit to improve pay equity, just like in the example. After all, you can’t fix a problem you aren’t aware of! Are people of particular demographics being paid less overall? If so, why? Is there an imbalance in promotion opportunities for people of majority versus minority groups? In the vein of the above example, are some people getting paid significantly less for doing effectively the same job as another person?

2. When compiling the annual financial report for shareholders, include a section about demographics, DEI statistics related to pay, and so forth. To do so is not only to ensure financial information regarding DEI is being monitored, but also to demonstrate to shareholders the significance of DEI to the organization as a whole.

3. Post pay ranges/pay rates in job postings and internally for prospective candidates and current employees to see. Not only will this help maintain pay equity through informational transparency, but to not be open about this information may give the wrong impression, as candidates may wonder if the choice not to be open about pay rates is because an organization has inequity they seek to hide.

4. Although most organizations no longer pay monthly, it is nonetheless important to emphasize that “[w]eekly or biweekly payroll frequency is the most equitable pay frequency.” Many people work paycheck to paycheck, therefore minimizing the time between each paycheck offers greater financial stability for employees.

Eliminating the wage gap, is not about docking a man’s pay to put him on the same level as a woman. It’s about recognizing when two people are doing similar amounts of labor to near-identical ends and compensating them fairly for that work!

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization.

Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

Implementing DEI in Marketing & Sales

With practiced ease, Penelope slides from her wheelchair onto the couch, her friend Margot sitting beside her. She turns the TV on, catching the end of a commercial for their local grocery store. Penelope sighs.

“What’s wrong?” Margot asks, concerned.

“I don’t know. It’s just…” Penelope gestures to the TV, where the people in the ad walk around the store with bright smiles. She then motions to her wheelchair resting beside her. “That’s not how I would experience the store, you know?”

Although we often associate DEI with Human Resources, Marketing and Sales is one of the most important departments to incorporate DEI practices into. As this example illustrates, when people don’t see themselves represented by an organization, they often become disconnected from whatever is being marketed. In contrast, “90% of ads that featured a diversity strategy experienced [a] higher recall [remembrance] rate”—simply put, when people see themselves represented in marketing, they remember. As such, here are a few tips to implement DEI in Marketing and Sales’ departments:

1. Images on an organization’s website(s), social media, and other visual advertisements should reflect demographic diversity, including but not limited to people of color, women, people of different generations, people with disabilities, and the LGBTQ+ community.

2. Digital content should be optimized for people with disabilities. For example, websites and social media should be functional for screen readers and voice search. (Although we may think of this technological era as everyone having information at their fingertips, such is not always true for people with disabilities, because online content is often not accessible!)

3. Use inclusive language, such as gender-neutral pronouns (e.g. the singular “they” rather than the “universal” masculine). Avoid generalizations related to experience and avoid stereotypical language, as these implicit assumptions often exclude people unwittingly.

4. Have diverse sales representatives, particularly when reaching out to a local community. A good rule of thumb is that an organization’s representatives should reflect the community’s demographics! To see oneself in others is to feel seen oneself.

5. Highlight real stories from diverse communities. After all, “[s]torytelling is a powerful tool in marketing,” as “[e]ach customer is a unique individual with a unique story and motivation to consume a product or service.” Directly engaging and displaying the narratives of one’s customers is to better connect with the diversity inherent to every consumerbase.

Imagine if Penelope turned on the TV and saw other people in wheelchairs moving through the aisles of her local grocery store. Wouldn’t that world, a world of access for everyone, be one we’d all like to live in?

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization.

Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

Tips For Implementing DEI Beyond HR Initiatives

When I hear someone say “DEI,” my mind jumps to HR departments, from countering bias in the hiring process to increasing retention of diverse employees. However, the focus on DEI should go beyond HR—after all, humans constitute every department in the workplace. From Procurement to Marketing, there are always people behind decisions, and for that reason, DEI is crucial across the board in organizations. Today, then, I will be exploring a variety of tips and tricks for departments beyond HR to implement DEI in their daily practices. Although this list is not comprehensive in covering all DEI possibilities for every non-HR department, I hope it offers us a strong place to start when considering the value of DEI beyond Human Resources. What are we waiting for? Let’s dive in!

Marketing & Sales

With practiced ease, Penelope slides from her wheelchair onto the couch, her friend Margot sitting beside her. She turns the TV on, catching the end of a commercial for their local grocery store. Penelope sighs.

“What’s wrong?” Margot asks, concerned.

“I don’t know. It’s just…” Penelope gestures to the TV, where the people in the ad walk around the store with bright smiles. She then motions to her wheelchair resting beside her. “That’s not how I would experience the store, you know?”

Marketing and Sales is one of the most important departments to consider the role of DEI in. As this example illustrates, when people don’t see themselves represented by an organization, they often become disconnected from whatever is being marketed. In contrast, “90% of ads that featured a diversity strategy experienced [a] higher recall [remembrance] rate”—simply put, when people see themselves represented in marketing, they remember. As such, here are tips to implement DEI in Marketing and Sales’ departments:

1. Images on an organization’s website(s), social media, and other visual advertisements should reflect demographic diversity, including but not limited to people of color, women, people of different generations, people with disabilities, and the LGBTQ+ community.

2. Digital content should be optimized for people with disabilities. For example, websites and social media should be functional for screen readers and voice search. (Although we may think of this technological era as everyone having information at their fingertips, such is not always true for people with disabilities, because online content is often not accessible!)

3. Use inclusive language, such as gender-neutral pronouns (e.g. the singular “they” rather than the “universal” masculine). Avoid generalizations related to experience and avoid stereotypical language, as these implicit assumptions often exclude people unwittingly.

4. Have diverse sales representatives, particularly when reaching out to a local community. A good rule of thumb is that an organization’s representatives should reflect the community’s demographics! To see oneself in others is to feel seen oneself.

5. Highlight real stories from diverse communities. After all, “[s]torytelling is a powerful tool in marketing,” as “[e]ach customer is a unique individual with a unique story and motivation to consume a product or service.” Directly engaging and displaying the narratives of one’s customers is to better connect with the diversity inherent to every consumerbase.

Imagine if Penelope turned on the TV and saw other people in wheelchairs moving through the aisles of her local grocery store. Wouldn’t that world, a world of access for everyone, be one we’d all like to live in?

Finance & Accounting

The wage gap remains as present today as it did in the 1950s, albeit to lesser severity. Women working full time are still paid on average “just 83 cents to every dollar earned by men,” and the numbers are even lower for Black and Latina women. As such, the importance of DEI within Finance and Accounting departments cannot be overstated. Let’s walk through a few ways to implement DEI through various financial operations:

1. Conduct a pay audit to improve pay equity, just like in the example. After all, you can’t fix a problem you aren’t aware of! Are people of particular demographics being paid less overall? If so, why? Is there an imbalance in promotion opportunities for people of majority versus minority groups? In the vein of the above example, are some people getting paid significantly less for doing effectively the same job as another person?

2. When compiling the annual financial report for shareholders, include a section about demographics, DEI statistics related to pay, and so forth. To do so is not only to ensure financial information regarding DEI is being monitored, but also to demonstrate to shareholders the significance of DEI to the organization as a whole.

3. Post pay ranges/pay rates in job postings and internally for prospective candidates and current employees to see. Not only will this help maintain pay equity through informational transparency, but to not be open about this information may give the wrong impression, as candidates may wonder if the choice not to be open about pay rates is because an organization has inequity they seek to hide.

4. Although most organizations no longer pay monthly, it is nonetheless important to emphasize that “[w]eekly or biweekly payroll frequency is the most equitable pay frequency.” Many people work paycheck to paycheck, therefore minimizing the time between each paycheck offers greater financial stability for employees.

Eliminating the wage gap, is not about docking a man’s pay to put him on the same level as a woman. It’s about recognizing when two people are doing similar amounts of labor to near-identical ends and compensating them fairly for that work!

Procurement

A Chief Procurement Officer sits at their desk, examining a lengthy list of potential suppliers. Numerous studies suggest that supplier diversity enhances innovation, expands access to new demographics, and improves flexibility, but where to begin?

Fortunately, implementing DEI into Procurement is not as intimidating a task as it sounds, hand over my heart! Here are a few tips for incorporating DEI strategies to improve supplier diversity:

1. First and foremost, identify what groups of diverse suppliers to work with on particular projects (e.g. women, people of color, veterans, people with disabilities, etc.). A good rule of thumb to classify a supplier as diverse is if they are “at least 51% diverse owned” and/or if they “have a certification attesting to their diversity.”

2. Beyond working with diverse suppliers, it is crucial that the consideration and requirements section of an organization’s procurement policy explicitly include “guidelines for engaging diverse suppliers.” Not only does this inclusion create intra-organizational accountability for working with diverse suppliers, but it demonstrates to other corporations how this organization prioritizes DEI.

3. Track the following key performance indicators: “How many diverse/local/small businesses were contacted; How many of those businesses submitted an RFP; How many of those businesses won their RFP; [and] What the contracts won were worth.” Monitoring these KPIs helps ensure an organization is working equitably with all of their suppliers and not unwittingly prioritizing some over others.

4. Lastly, work with suppliers that similarly prioritize DEI. Just because a potential supplier is not themself diverse doesn’t mean they don’t work with diverse organizations! Create a supplier chain that emphasizes the importance of DEI.

Still unsure where to start? SupplyShift recommends that “[t]ools like supplier.io and Tealbook provide databases of suppliers (including diverse suppliers) for businesses to build new relationships with. Companies can also attend diverse supplier events or join organizations like the National Minority Supplier Development Council for resources and peer learning opportunities.” Diverse procurement is easily attainable, so long as one is willing to put in the effort for it!

Legal

Implementing DEI into legal departments may seem glaringly obvious—just have a diverse team of lawyers at hand, right? Well, while diversity on the level of one’s team is certainly crucial, the incorporation of DEI into legal affairs can expand much further!

That sounds well and good, you may be thinking, but where do I begin?

A great question! Wolkters Kluwer offers the following starting point for Chief Legal Officers: “Start by interviewing the stakeholders. Ask your attorneys how they are making their assignments. Ask law firms whether they have diversity data and are willing to report it. If not, ask why and find out how you can help them change that policy.” Completing these steps helps ground an organization’s legal department in DEI from the get-go and moreover asserts to the law firms they may potentially work with that DEI is a make-or-break factor. Beyond this start, here are a few more tips for implementing DEI into the legal aspects of one’s organization:

1. When outsourcing legal matters, consider the diversity of law firms and legal service providers.

2. Develop measurable DEI goals. When doing so, create accountability metrics for providers, such as “the implementation of a certification system for hiring and promotion.” Deloitte explains that “[o]ne example of a certification in the legal field ‘measures whether an organization has affirmatively considered at least 30% women, attorneys of color, LGBTQ+, and lawyers with disabilities for leadership and governance roles, such as equity partner promotions, formal client pitch opportunities, and senior lateral positions.’” Such certification helps ensure organizational commitment to DEI beyond HR. (Even though this type of certification is specific to the legal side of business, wouldn’t it be amazing to include such accountability for all fields?)

3. Gather and maintain diversity data within one’s own department as well as any law firms the organization works with. Specifically, create a dedicated staff to “continuously check on diversity information gathered and call firms to follow up where data is missing.”

As with Marketing and Sales, Finance and Accounting, and Procurement, implementing DEI strategies into Legal departments is only as challenging as we let it be. With regular monitoring of DEI metrics and an emphasis on diverse certification, maintaining an environment of diversity and inclusion is easier than ever!

Now to conclude with some general DEI best practices that apply to all departments, regardless of their organizational concentration:

1. Include closed captions/subtitles for virtual meetings and videos.

2. Demonstrate how to use pronoun options for virtual meetings, e.g. Zoom.

3. Through IT, offer name pronunciation audio features for virtual meetings and e-signature software.

4. For written content, offer audio versions; ensure there is high contrast between the text and background colors; use easy-to-read fonts (such as dyslexic-friendly typefaces); and avoid regional turns of phrases that may not be understandable to all employees.

5. Remember RASCI: Who is responsible (responsibility for particular tasks); accountable (accountability for particular tasks, such as having the final say); supportive (the support network, e.g. providing resources to complete a particular task); consulted (offers advice with regard to decisions); and informed (maintains communication). When it comes to DEI, RASCI helps ensure that a) diverse people have not been overlooked for projects and b) diverse people are not primarily or only placed in supportive roles (rather than having the authority of “R” and “A”). When in doubt, apply RASCI!

And there we have it—multiple ways departments beyond HR can implement DEI into their daily workings. As we can see, there’s no shortage of opportunities! No matter what department one works in, DEI will inevitably help the entire organization flourish.

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization.

Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

Business and Ballet: What The Corporate World Can Learn From DEI in Dance

When most of us think of ballet, our minds may jump to its beauty as an art form or the skill and dedication it requires to be successful. I’ll wager a guess that many of us might not consider all of the DEI lessons to be learned from ballet!

DEI and ballet? you may be musing. Now that’s an interesting combination.

Indeed, it is interesting, and we are all the better for this art’s unique approach to DEI initiatives. Better yet, there are a multitude of ways the corporate world can learn from the dance world in their own implementation of DEI! Today we’ll break down three avenues in which businesses can follow in the footsteps of ballet to weave DEI into their organizational practices.

1. Financial

Historically, many underrepresented communities have been excluded from ballet for the simple but tragic reason that they could not afford to attend classes. Even today this class divide persists; however, many ballet companies are fighting back against this inequality. A group called Project Plié, for example, has put forth excellent examples of financial strategies that any organization can learn from to support DEI initiatives. Project Plié provides training scholarships to both students and teachers of color; offers internships and related scholarships for arts administrators of color; and partners with other ballet companies to more effectively develop outreach programs. While the financial support from a non-ballet business will certainly differ in its specific execution, providing this type of economic assurance to underrepresented communities helps open doors for them that they have historically been restricted from accessing.

2. Organizational

The information to take advice from here is a more 1:1 comparison, as ballet companies, too, have organizational facets not dissimilar to those of the corporate world. When Atlanta Ballet takes on new hires in their company, not only must all employees undergo DEI training, but the organization “welcome[s] each new employee with a peer mentor to support their onboarding experience, foster open communication, and facilitate training and access to organizational resources.” This type of consistent support is crucial to ensuring the success of all employees, but particularly those from underrepresented communities who might otherwise experience unintentional isolation in the company. As such, we can easily see how this strategy is applicable to any type of organization, not just ballet; mentorship, communication, and encouragement are the key to success!

Additionally, Atlanta Ballet invests in what they call “Town Hall” meetings, which are opportunities for all employees to get together and share conversations about organizational progress toward DEI and other matters. Anonymous post-meetings surveys are also offered, of particular use to people who may not feel comfortable speaking in front of a crowd. Again, non-ballet companies can apply this strategy, too, hosting quarterly or even monthly meetings to give individuals a chance to express their thoughts on what’s working, what isn’t, and what can be done to improve DEI initiatives overall.

3. Disability

Even as short a time as a few years ago, we did not often see people in wheelchairs performing ballet. Now, the dance scene is much more accessible, and numerous studios offer training for people with disabilities and able-bodied people! From this intersection of ballet and disability, businesses can learn two key frameworks for approaching disability inclusion. First and foremost, place the same expectations on people with disabilities and able-bodied people, but simultaneously offer individualized attention as needed. In ballet, this means having classrooms that do not discriminate because of ability and giving instructions that all students can understand, but perhaps also having aides who can assist students with disabilities when they need specific attention. In the corporate world, we might think of this as accommodations—do not treat people with disabilities as lesser, but don’t refuse to offer them the resources they need to do their best work, either.

Secondly, ballet offers the following framework: rather than thinking about what dancers with disabilities cannot do, think about what they can do. A dancer in a wheelchair may not be able to move their legs, but what about their arms? Their torso? How can their wheelchair be understood as an extension of their body and thus capable of dance? The corporate world must take a similar approach: rather than assuming an employee with disabilities cannot perform a certain task or obsessing over those tasks they cannot perform, we must consider the tasks they can complete and modify our guidelines accordingly. People with disabilities can do anything, from ballet to stocking shelves to running a company, and it’s high time we put forth a yes, and mentality when it comes to disabled inclusion.

And there we have it: three key ways the business world can learn from ballet. Plié, arabesque, pirouette—the corporate landscape of DEI hasn’t seen anything yet!

(Want to learn more? Check out Boston Ballet’s Education and Community Initiatives Toolbox for a plethora of resources dedicated to racial justice and DEI!)

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization.

Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.

Start Learning About Conformity Bias to Stop Conforming

Picture this: you’re standing in front of an elevator. You send a text message, putting your phone away once you hear the familiar ding! The low creak of doors sliding open follows. You look up, ready to step inside, but—

Everyone is facing the back of the elevator.

Okay, you think. This is weird.

What do you do? Get in the elevator like normal, becoming the only person to face the front? Or do you get the elevator and face the back, like everyone else?

I don’t know about you, but I think I’d face the back! After all, most of us aren’t particularly keen on sticking out like a sore thumb. If you agree that you’d do the same, fear not: for better or worse, to conform is human, and everyone else who participated in this Candid Camera TV experiment also found themselves facing the back of the elevator to avoid standing out from the crowd.

I’ve talked about conformity before on this blog, such as when I explored three tips to manage conformity bias. But today, we’re going to delve further into six types of conformity and how they affect us, because we often don’t realize how many ways the world encourages us to conform! Shall we begin?

1. Imitation

When I took my first sales course early in my career, my instructor taught us about something called “mirroring.” They explained that to more effectively connect with a potential client, we should be intentional about moving our body to parallel their movements. To do so would increase the trust between ourselves and the client; after all, “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”

Allow me to be honest: after my instructor finished explaining, I still did not understand the significance of this technique. That is, until I bought my first car. As I discussed the merits of the vehicle with the salesperson, I noticed that they were imitating my behavior! If I shifted my weight from my right to my left foot, they did the same. If I gestured outward, they copied the gesture, too! The salesperson was utilizing a type of conformity we simply call imitation, or the mimicking of body language, in order to connect with me and increase the likelihood of me buying their car. Pretty strategic, huh? Next time you’re preparing to make a big purchase, watch closely! Your salesperson might imitate you, too.

2. Informational Conformity

Today is the big day—in T-minus two hours, you have the interview for your dream job. There’s only one problem: what should you wear? When in doubt, your best friend has your back. You call them up and they immediately recommend the perfect get-up, allowing you to look professional while feeling totally comfortable.

This inclination to trust someone who we believe has accurate information on a subject is known as informational conformity. We trust our friend’s recommendation about what to wear for the interview because we believe their taste and assessment of our style to be accurate. Wearing their chosen outfit becomes “the right thing to do.” As this example demonstrates, informational conformity isn’t inherently a bad thing. It usually refers to a person lacking knowledge or certainty on a particular subject, therefore they look to an individual or group for guidance. Of course, it’s important to remember that a bit of skepticism is also healthy. When we’re at the doctor, informational conformity tells us to trust their expertise when they diagnose us, and that we should therefore conform to their advice. But if we still feel something isn’t right, it is better to push back against that instinct for conformity and instead voice our concerns! While there’s no shame in trusting others, we must trust ourselves, too.

3. Normative Conformity

You’re at a work function to celebrate the successful establishment of a partnership between your organization and another business. Everyone is laughing and chatting, glasses of champagne and wine in hand. When a server comes over to offer yourself and your friend a drink, you take one with a nod and cheerful thanks. Your friend accepts a drink, too, though more slowly.

After a while, you notice that your friend has hardly sipped from their glass.

“Are you okay?” you ask, concerned.

“Hm?”

“Your drink.”

They glance down at their glass. “Oh. Yeah, wine isn’t really my thing.”

You tilt your head in confusion. “Then why’d you get a glass?”

Your friend hesitates, then shrugs. “Everyone else was drinking. It’d be weird if I wasn’t, wouldn’t it?”

This example demonstrates a type of conformity many of us are familiar with: normative conformity. Normative conformity might also be described as conforming to social norms, typically for fear of rejection or exclusion from a group. The above example is unconscious, where the friend was not forced to drink, but simply felt pressured to because their coworkers all were. More serious instances of normative conformity can be classified as peer pressure, where there is an articulated threat or warning against a person to conform, or else. It’s therefore worth noting that normative conformity can certainly be dangerous, such as people becoming regular smokers after they started smoking to “fit in,” not because they truly wanted to smoke.

4. Majority Influence (Compliance)

Exciting news: today you are participating in an experiment! You and a group of individuals are taken into a plain room, where you are sat down in a semicircle before a board. The facilitator explains that you will be shown a line on one card, and your task is to decide which line on a second card is the same length. Ready? Here are the cards:

The correct answer is unmistakably Line 1, you decide. Unfortunately, you’re the final chair in the semicircle, so you will be last to report your response. The facilitator points at the first participant.

“Line 2,” they say, confidently.

You blink. What?

The next participant: “Line 2.”

Okay, now you’re getting concerned. It’s Line 1, isn’t it?

“Line 2,” the third participant says, and so do all the rest until it is finally your turn to speak.

Maybe… Maybe it isn’t Line 1?

If you choose to say Line 2, don’t feel bad! What I have just described here is the Asch experiment, originally conducted in the 1950s. The original results: 76% of the 123 participants gave at least one incorrect response when it was their turn; overall, 37% of responses were wholly conforming. This experiment thus demonstrates the power of majority influence, a type of conformity we might also describe as compliance. In other words, we conform to the opinion of the majority publicly, though we might disagree with them privately, because their sheer number means a) we don’t want to challenge them and b) we wonder if they are actually correct. But what’s the importance of this conformity outside of lines and experiments?

The answer is obvious but important: every time we walk out the door, our opinions are shaped by those of the majority. Be it fashion trends seen as we scroll through Instagram or politics blaring at us from TV, the more we see something repeated, the more we may come to question any dissenting opinions we hold. This herd mentality is risky, as it can suppress diversity of thought and reinforce oppressive ideals. But much like normative conformity, awareness is key to challenging the power of majority influence: knowing that we’re susceptible to majority influence allows us to catch ourselves before falling in too deep. And like informational conformity, too, it is also crucial to trust ourselves! When we find ourselves doing something because everyone else is doing it, we must learn to stop and ask, Is this something I want to do? Is this something I am comfortable with? And if the answer is No, trust your gut!

5. Minority Influence

Let’s dive into another study! You and five others are sitting in a room. You’ve all been instructed to identify the color of a slide before you. Going around the circle, there is consistency: you and three other participants echo the same sentiment that this slide is blue. But what’s an experiment without a little disruption?

Participant 5 shakes their head. “No, it’s green.”

Participant 6 confirms: “Definitely green.”

You and the other participants brush them off. Four of you against two of them—the majority must be in the right.

But Participants 5 and 6 keep at it. New slides are shown, all the same blue, but Participants 5 and 6 insist they’re green. Eventually, you exchange a glance with Participant 3 on your left. Could… Could it be green after all?

What I’ve just described here is a simplified version of an experiment by social scientist Serge Moscovici that examined a type of conformity known as minority influence. How can this be? you may be wondering. How can there be both majority and minority influence? Think of it this way: majority influence relates to the size of the majority, where their overwhelming scale causes us to reason that if everyone else is thinking or doing a certain thing, they must be right. With minority influence, it is the unanimity and consistency of the minority that allows them to influence the opinion of the majority. Although the experiment I have described shows minority influence in a more staged manner, minority influence is crucial to maintaining diversity of thought in our world. It’d be pretty boring if we all behaved exactly the same all the time, wouldn’t it? Hence why it is important for us to listen to opinions that differ from our own, especially if those opinions are ones that challenge the accepted status quo. In short, the power of the minority encourages creativity and facilitates social change!

6. Obedience

“Obedience”? What’s obedience doing on a list about conformity? It’s not so wrong to obey instructions, is it?

In 1963, Professor Stanley Milgram conducted a social experiment to test the limits of obedience. He recruited 40 participants, all of whom were told they were partaking in a study designed to improve learning. Participants were told to administer test questions to a group of “learners” and to shock them with different levels of voltage if they answered incorrectly, with highest voltage being a whopping 450 volts. Unbeknownst to the participants, the learners were all confederates with Milgram and received no actual shocks.

Every time the learners answered incorrectly, the participants obediently shocked them. Even as the voltage increased in 15-volt increments and learners began crying about heart trouble, pleading for help, and begging the participants to stop, the majority of participants continued to shock the learners whenever they were told to do so. In fact, 65% of participants continued shocking at the maximum voltage, to the point where the learner became unresponsive.

The power of authority is frightening, isn’t it? What compels us to follow orders even when those orders conflict with our personal beliefs in what we know to be right or good?

Although this example represents an extreme case, obedience is a type of conformity that we should all be aware of. In some ways, we might think of obedience as the formal version of normative conformity: rather than conforming because we think we should do so, we conform because we are told to do so, often by an authority figure.

Now, I’m not saying we all should stage a coup in our workplaces! Rather, I hope to encourage us to think over the instructions we receive from our superiors, be it at work or in a place of worship or any other situation that involves a type of hierarchy. If we instinctively agree with a set of instructions we receive, we should reflect upon why instead of unquestioningly obeying. Obedience is important, yes, but not to the point of suppressing individual reactions.

And there we have it! Six types of conformity and how they shape our daily lives. Of course, informational conformity may be telling you to trust my breakdown of these definitions because you believe that I possess accurate knowledge. If in doubt, try searching up these types of conformity yourself!

(Most definitions sourced from “The Many Varieties of Conformity,” a chapter in Principles of Social Psychology – 1st International H5P Edition, unless otherwise linked.)

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Dima Ghawi is the founder of a global talent development company with a primary mission for advancing individuals in leadership. Through keynote speeches, training programs and executive coaching, Dima has empowered thousands of professionals across the globe to expand their leadership potential. In addition, she provides guidance to business executives to develop diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and to implement a multi-year plan for advancing quality leaders from within the organization.

Reach her at DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.