At Nine Feet Tall we strive to put EDI at the centre of everything we do as we continue on our journey for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). We have previously posted about our EDI goals and aspirations and how we have been working toward achieving this through our ‘Change for Good’ strategy. You can read about that HERE.
As we continue to progress, we were lucky enough to have a session facilitated by Susanne Springer, a Senior Inclusion Consultant from Inclusive Employers. We explored three areas:
- Understanding the context for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
- The impact of unconscious bias
- Making change as a leader and an organisation
As a company we know the work doesn’t stop there, but one way we can keep the momentum up is to continually reflect on ours and others learnings and keep the conversation going. We have collated our thoughts and experiences from this session, but also from experiences of EDI at work and in our personal lives in an effort to spark further discussions and continue to move towards our EDI ambitions.
We’d love to hear what you have to say about our key take aways below…
Why do you think EDI is so important in the world of consulting?
- Consultancies that make an active and genuine effort to promote EDI in their work cultures are more likely to see higher levels of innovation, creativity, trust, and commitment, allowing them to thrive and do the best work they possibly can.
- By embracing our differences and building a diverse workspace we will offer the best results for our clients. Our collective out of the box thinking and different experiences will ensure we are creative in how we bring value to our clients which will make us stand out.
- In consulting we need to be able to quickly assess a problem and propose multiple solutions to enable our clients to succeed. However, in the need for speed, our unconscious biases can impact our thinking. Having open and honest conversations about them is the only way to truly break them down and unlearn our bad habits, so I think it’s essential in the world of consulting to educate and discuss them.
- As a consultant, EDI is important because we get an insight into a variety of businesses and have conversations with various stakeholders from multiple seniority levels. Consultants are advisors to many businesses and if they are able to recognise and speak up when they see any injustices, they could spark change and influence other businesses to cultivate EDI within their cultures. We are all responsible for acting if we are to create a fair and equal world.
- Consulting relies on us building relationship and becoming a trusted advisor of our clients. Our commitment to EDI can help in making clients trust us or feel comfortable enough to build good relationships.
What was the one thing your learnt at the EDI training that has really stuck with you?
- The importance of promoting an inclusive culture in the workplace which allows individuals to bring their whole selves to work.
- I wasn’t aware of all the different types of power / privilege. The wheel has really stuck with me and made me think differently about what EDI challenges we face and how we can all help to reduce barriers.
- What struck me within the EDI training was the impact of our unconscious biases. There are multiple ways in which we may be upholding harmful beliefs and performing microaggressions that we may not initially realise we are doing.
- Our actions can have the biggest impact on other individuals, and it pays to be conscious of our words and actions. Trying to uncover are unconscious biases and challenging our thinking is needed. A lot of people don’t intend to hurt others on purpose so it is important to understand how your biases work and how you could be harming others, even if you don’t realise it.
What does Nine Feet Tall excel at when it comes to EDI?
- Nine Feet Tall has an edge when it comes to EDI because its people are at the heart of what they do and with that mindset they take on an extremely positive and receptive attitude to ensuring that everyone feels welcomed, embraced, and included.
- I think at Nine Feet Tall we excel, because we prioritise it. We have several people committed to the working group and we purposefully dedicate a half day of an away day to discuss it. This really shows our commitment.
- Nine Feet Tall invests resources (time and money) into our EDI initiatives. This is a company that asks everyone to contribute and think about it, not just those who volunteer or who are already educated on prevalent issues. By seeking to make it a part of who we are we drive the informed cultural change we need in our company and our community.
- At Nine Feet Tall I have always felt included and embraced as a non-UK national.
If you are interested in working for an organisation that values diversity and inclusion and overall change for good, whilst being transparent about our progress, then Nine Feet Tall could be the place for you. Please look at our Career’s page or get in touch.
