Write process not a manifesto
I’m reading Neurodiversity at Work[i] at present, a recent publication by Amanda Kirby and Theo Smith. In it they say:
We also need to ensure that diversity and inclusion is a part of all our processes and not a policy that is written and then stuck in a drawer
I would argue that all too often processes are written and then stuck in a folder/drawer and never communicated, followed or implemented, and that’s a blog for another day. They are of course absolutely right. A policy on its own is like an election manifesto, without proposed legislation, infrastructure or funding to ensure it gets properly implemented.
The challenge we often have is that Diversity and Inclusion policies are very generic. They often don’t even define what we mean by diversity and inclusion and when they do the only reference to neurodiverse individuals is in the ‘disability category. Take for example the sample Equality, Diversity & Inclusion policy on the ACAS website[ii] which states that the organization will not
free of bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination, promoting dignity and respect for all, and where individual differences and the contributions of all staff are recognised and valued.
All too often ED&I policies are written from the perspective of protecting the organisation rather than including the individual. Whilst it’s fine to talk about what we won’t do, we also need to focus on what we WILL do.
The challenge for the staff in the organisation is that taking the policy statement
promoting dignity and respect for all, and where individual differences and the contributions of all staff are recognised and valued.
is a bit like trying to work out after the election how you’re going to implement the manifesto. To do this properly we need to look at a raft of processes and understand what needs to happen to achieve this.
Without concrete processes which provide scaffolding and explicit ideas and guidance on how to implement the policy, companies and their staff will be floundering.
For example, we need to look at our recruitment processes, how are we recruiting for diversity? Traditional recruitment processes discriminate against neurodiverse individuals who struggle with anxiety, or sensory processing challenges, and who may be very literal in the way they present their CV and covering letter. Adverts themselves are often written with an unconscious bias, towards gender, age or ability.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion is not a tickbox exercise. It is not something to say, yay, we’ve got a policy we’re done. That hard work starts immediately after the policy is ratified.
[i] Kirby, Amanda; Smith, Theo. Neurodiversity at Work (p. 11). Kogan Page. Kindle Edition.
