Over the last 18 months, the conversation around diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) in the workplace has gotten louder and, in many cases, more thoughtful. The advertising industry has added nuances here that others might not face. For example, how do we not only build equitable organizations, but organizations that produce thoughtful, authentic work about racial subject matter? How do these teams get built and supported?
These are just a couple of questions your chief equity officer is asking, and here are six ways you can set them up for success.
1. Show that your commitment to the work is authentic and intentional. Commitment from leadership absolutely sets the tone before your new chief equity officer even walks through the door. That’s true both for the person in this position and for every member of the organization who is watching.
Laying the groundwork often requires doing a cultural assessment, an audit, an internal and external listening tour and being very thoughtful about the values that leadership is introducing into the organization. It's also very important to focus on relationship-building and having a clear, measurable strategy.
Unfortunately, over the last 18 months we've seen many organizations hire a chief equity officer purely for optics. But it's critical for executives to hold themselves accountable and recognize why this work is so important for their workforce, workplace, marketplace and community.
2. Time is a resource, and your chief equity officer needs it. When new chief equity officers step into their role, they’re asking themselves how much time they will receive from leaders and stakeholders. If the CEO and the leadership team aren't onboard from the very beginning, it's a tough sell for a diversity executive not only to do productive work but to convince employees that anything is going to change. This is especially true for BIPOC (Black, indigenous and people of color) team members and people from other marginalized groups who've seen promises made before.
3. Set a budget. It's critical to have a healthy budget so that this work can be executed in a thoughtful and meaningful way. The budget may be used for audits, practitioners, research, summits, strategic partnerships, DE&I platforms, training sessions—the list goes on.
Human resources and human capital are also important. In my case, having a direct report on my team from day one, containing all institutional knowledge and all of the work that had already been done, has been incredibly important.
4. Get the data. Think about pulling up a map on your phone to get directions—you have to know where you are before you can figure out how to get where you want to go. Make sure you know the makeup of your staff. How many identify as BIPOC, LGBTQ+ or part of other marginalized groups? Once you have this information, you can really start to look at where your opportunities lie for growth and transformation.
5. Know your why. For those in the advertising industry, now more than ever you're asking your customers to align themselves not just with your product but with your values. That means it's more important than ever to clearly define those values and to make sure you're living them.
This doesn't mean you've got it all figured out, but it does mean you're being transparent, both internally and externally, about what work you're undertaking and why, and that you're sharing a consistent drumbeat of information on your progress.
6. Extend grace to ourselves and each other. I often talk about progress over perfection. For those who have committed to doing this work, it's going to take time and it can get messy. But we have to recognize that we're all there to be an active part of the solution and to create real, systemic change. And that's a good thing.
I’ve been fortunate to meet so many kind, committed, innovative humans in this industry who care deeply about advancing DE&I in their workforce, workplace, marketplace and community. And when we come together to do this work, we need to create space to have the tough and courageous conversations and extend as much grace as possible to ourselves and each other while we’re having them. This is how we’ll move forward together.
