How Companies & Individuals Can Lead Authentically in a Volatile World
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We are living in a time where oppression and suppression can longer hide in the shadows. Social media has brought critical events to the forefront of discussion, putting organizations in the spotlight “what are you doing about it?”
In this episode, I’m talking to Abenaa Hayes, a 20+ year communications executive with a focus on Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) as well as healthy equity and social justice. She has been in senior leadership roles at agencies like MSL, Weber Shandwick, Edelman, and Real Chemistry where she counseled Fortune 500 companies on their DEI and thought-leadership efforts. She has since started her own firm, Elysee Consulting, specializing in this area.
In this episode, we cover off on a variety of topics:
Concrete steps leaders and communicators can take to address DE&I
The fear of getting canceled leads to paralysis
Helping a global company address local DEI challenges
Continuing a legacy of addressing health equity and pushing through workplace aggressions
KEY LESSONS
Addressing DEI challenges with purpose and intent
After the murder of George Floyd, we saw plenty of platitudes where companies were trying to take action and have results to show for it. However, it hasn’t necessarily helped move the needle. “The fear of being called out is driving a kind of tactical explosion” Abenaa reflects on how 2021 was the year of “so what” and 2022 has become the year of “now what”?
The first order of business according to Abenaa is for companies to take a look at their mission, vision, and values. “Determine what makes sense to take a stand on or not” Abenaa brought up an example of Disney where they kept quiet after the “Don’t say gay” bill was signed into legislation in Florida. The result was a walkout of their employees.
How can a company be truly empathetic to their people? That should be the driving force for any company’s DEI initiatives.
“Your haters will be your waiters”
Abenaa’s dad was a kidney specialist and immunologist who founded the first nonprofit in Trinidad and Tobago to provide free dialysis care. Her mother continued to fulfill his legacy by building up the foundation after his death. As a school girl who grew up helping with disease awareness programs, wearing pins and passing out flyers, Abenaa’s interest and passion in health equity and community health was seeded.
But navigating a career was not easy. “There were few people I worked with who looked like me” Abenaa was volunteered into programs and sometimes faced unbelievable aggressions, “I’ve had instances where people refuse to actually call me by my name and an occasion where an admin wanted me to bring the clients coffee”. She attributed her fighting spirit to being a premature baby, fighting for her life at the time of birth.
Her mother was also a source of much strength and being part of the first cohort of female judges in the country, Abenaa saw what it looks like to be a woman of power and strength. It prepared her to thrive despite aggressors trying to tear her down. She will always remember a phrase from her mom after something one of those terrible incidents “Your haters will be your waiters” and it gave her a fire to continue bringing her best self to her work.
DEI is a cross-functional sport, when it’s relegated to one function, it’ll fail
Abenaa reminded me that DEI does not rest solely on the shoulders of communicators. While communications is typically a key stakeholder and should be very involved, it can’t be siloed into a single function. “It is truly a group effort. You need all the key functional people sitting around the table to get alignment and consensus as you’re navigating these issues”.
While the program can be led from a communications leader or the head of diversity, it’s paramount that DEI is cross-functional, if not, it is going to fail, like the many Chief Diversity Officers who were not able to move the needle because they were siloed and sidelined.
We can all address DEI issues – learn more & speak out
I wanted to know from Abenaa what we can all do to address DEI issues, as many of the people who are listening and reading might not be at the table to craft DEI programs and plans. She was very clear that we all have a role to play. “Be a proactive and valuable bystander” Abenaa is a firm believer and proponent of allyship, where everyone of us can call out micro-aggressions as they are being committed, as people learn best in the moment, and they can only learn if they are called out.
The other thing we can all do is to be learn more about the history of our country, the roots of systemic racism, and understand the context behind the different issues that have risen throughout the years. “There is so much that people don’t know and don’t understand”. It’s even more important today as education is being weaponized to continue the system of oppression “we wouldn’t be having all these bans on books if there wasn’t a fear of us learning about the true history of our country”.
Where you can find more of Abenaa Hayes
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