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The Lens - July 2022
City of Iowa City sent this bulletin at 07/15/2022 09:00 AM CDT
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July 2022 |
The Lens is a newsletter to expand conversations on equity, inclusion, belonging, and access.
The Connection of Psychological Safety to DEI
The most effective business teams operate in a psychologically
safe environment. In that environment, all employees feel
comfortable taking interpersonal risks, like giving tough feedback,
being honest about a mistake, or asking for help. Psychological
safety allows people to be their full selves without fear of judgment
or rejection; the contributions of every team member are valued
and respected. This leads to improved creativity, open-
mindedness, positive attitudes, and problem-solving.
In addition to work-related matters, psychological safety allows
people to openly exhibit their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, background, family status, and
any part of their identity comfortably. The desire for diverse ideas helps construct a more innovative
and flourishing organization where everyone’s individuality is cherished. When diversity, equity, and
inclusion are valued, it creates psychological safety (and vice versa).
In psychologically safe work environments:
1. Uniqueness is embraced, not rejected
2. Mistakes are not often held against people
3. Employees feel safe taking risks, asking for help, and discussing difficult issues
4. All contributions are valued and respected
It is possible to create psychological safety in organizations where it is lacking. Start by making the
team's goals clear and state why everyone’s input is beneficial towards achieving them. Acknowledge
that every employee is unique and will bring forward different ideas; this helps create trust and
respect. Then, proactively invite everyone’s ideas. Support the process of sharing while also providing
constructive feedback.
Do you feel comfortable taking interpersonal risks at work? Download a free checklist that can help
you explore the level of psychological safety at your organization. You can also learn more about this
topic here in an article by Michigan State University or read “The Fearless Organization: Creating
Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth,” by Amy C. Edmondson.
Seven Guiding Principles and DEI Goals
In the June Lens, we discussed a new model for workplace
diversity, equity, and inclusion. Constructed by Anselm Beach and
Albert Segars of MIT Sloan Management Review (read their article
here), the Values/Principles Model (VPM) is based on four values -
- representation, participation, application, and appreciation. These
values are measurable and structured DEI end goals.
In the second half of their article, Beach and Segars outline seven
guiding principles that focus on organizational transformation and
help drive the achievement of these values:
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1. Build a moral case: Real change comes when an organization deeply holds the values of
DEI. Rather than being driven by profit or exploitation, DEI must be honorable, appreciated, and
unwavering, no matter the business’s condition.
2. Encourage willful interrogation: Engage in conversations about race, gender, age,
accessibility, privilege, etc.—don’t avoid them. Without these discussions, nothing changes.
Leaders who listen and ask questions in small groups, free of judgment, can encourage willful
interrogation and uncover hidden issues their employees are experiencing.
3. Develop new mental models: Mental models are the “rationale for how something works in
the real world," and they shape the systems, structures, and processes of organizations. Every
business must review its mental models and ensure they reflect the values of DEI. For
example, is the business’s hiring based on assumptions of what (stereotypical) good leaders
look like (white, male, extrovert), or is it focused on what skills good leaders have? Adjusting
this mental model might require changing where an organization recruits people.
4. Adopt entrepreneurial leadership: Organizations operate more efficiently when managers
understand how different individuals work and what they need to succeed. Rotating leaders
across departments is one way to uncover the challenges employees are facing and clear their
paths toward success. Equity ensures everyone is able to do their best.
5. Ensure accountability: Accountability requires “understanding the causes of inequality and
taking responsibility for addressing them, both internally and where the organization can have
an impact externally.” Organizations need specific, not aggregated, data on their workforce to
detect the causes of discrimination, as well as a strategy to analyze and utilize that data.
Identifying inequalities and their causes allows for taking measurable steps towards change.
6. Be ambitious: Organizations must put the same effort towards DEI as they do towards
growing their business or launching a new product. Genuine DEI that is viewed as a resource
rather than a chore makes companies more innovative, creates opportunities, and positively
impacts the organization and the community around it.
7. Expand the boundary: It’s okay to explore, borrow, and adapt alongside other
organizations. DEI is a complex, non-linear process; no one business alone will have all the
right answers. Discussing DEI successes and setbacks helps companies make progress.
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