Posts by Site Admin
Gender and Men
How often when we hear about gender equity or gender diversity do we automatically think that gender = women? Recent and ongoing work for the 50/50 by 2030 Foundation found that while a majority agreed that gender [in]equality is still a problem, a majority of men agreed that “political correctness means I cannot openly say what I think…
Read MoreWorking Together – August 2019
Working Together from Duncan Smith, ADC Associates Welcome to this monthly newsletter, in which we explore topics relating to leadership and organisational culture, global diversity and inclusion, gender, culture, bias, and more. In this issue: The Power of the Circle Equality and Equity People and Colo(u)r – Context Matters I hope you find these sharings…
Read MorePeople and Colo(ur) – Context Matters
One of the most challenging areas of diversity to work with is that of race, and as always, when working globally, context matters. Sociologists remind us that race is a social construction. In other words, while physical differences exist (“if you are visually abled, you can tell that people are different based on their skin…
Read MoreInclusive Leadership: Catalyst Report
Leaders often tell us that they understand the theory of inclusive leadership, but struggle to put it into practice. A recent report from Catalyst (Getting Real About Inclusive Leadership: Why Change Starts With You, by Dnika J. Travis, Phd, Emily Shaffer, Phd, and Jennifer Thorpe-Moscon, Phd) helps address this issue. Noting the benefits of inclusive…
Read MoreEquality and Equity
image reference: https://laout.org/community-equity-event/ Working in cultures that value equality (egalitarian countries including the Anglo, Nordic, and Germanic-European cultural clusters), we sometimes find there is resistance or push-back against the idea of treating certain demographic groups differently – surely everyone is fundamentally equal so treating everyone the same is the right thing to do? A participant in…
Read MoreThe Power of the Circle
I recently had the privilege of participating as a guest panelist in a leadership development program, “Belonging from the Inside Out”, facilitated by Margareth Thomas, Monique Longhurst, and Wesa Chau. Picture a small group – perhaps 14 people, sitting in a circle: chairs, no tables, no data projector, and by unspoken, voluntary agreement no phones,…
Read MoreAcknowledging Inequity
“If every executive carries a hammer, it might not occur to them that some jobs need a screwdriver.” This quote from the Economist beautifully encapsulates the kinds of blind spots that permeate organisational cultures, resulting in systemic inequity and exclusion. While the messages in this article are not new — “the existence of hidden biases shows…
Read MoreHope for the Future
How often do we see the future depicted as a bleak, dystopian, de-humanized place? To leave a film about the future encouraged, motivated, inspired, and refreshed is a rare experience. The film “2040” provides just such an experience. A hybrid feature documentary film chronicling a global journey to meet innovators and changemakers in the areas…
Read MoreExpanding the Pause
Of course, we all have biases; what’s necessary is to Recognise and accept that we all have biases Sometimes an assumption is made that it’s only the majority, or the power elite, who are biased – so for example in places where white men dominate the power structures men are biased, white people are biased, etc. In…
Read MoreWorking Together – July 2019
Working Together from Duncan Smith, ADC Associates Welcome to this monthly newsletter. Over 30 years of working to develop and support good leadership and organisational cultures, and helping clients navigate the realms of diversity, equity, and inclusion, one of the things that keeps me going is sharing ideas, knowledge, and perspectives with a wide range…
Read More