Practical Diversity at Thinking Digital Women

Practical Diversity: Creating Space for EVERYONE to be Awesome

PRACTICAL DIVERSITY: CREATING SPACE TO BE AWESOMEThinking Digital WomenNovember 2016

Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_Manager

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/kodomut/3667608102/


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Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_ManagerIm A Bit of a Diversity StatisticWoman (working in tech)GayForeignEmployed (this is a bad thing if youre foreign)DisabledAtheist

BUT grew up hugely aware of (unasked & undeserved) privilege I had growing up white in Apartheid South Africa.


My childhood was FULL of signs like theseHorrible & horrificbut impossibleto escape

Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_ManagerI cannot deny that PrivilegeIn fact, the most useful thing I can do is assess, understanding & acknowledge that privilege


Check out the original article from Peggy McIntosh: http://www.amptoons.com/blog/files/mcintosh.html

In Apartheid South Africa, ALL systems were set up to actively & blatantly give advantage to white folks and disadvantage non-whites.

We are less good at spotting this when it isnt so blatant.

Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_ManagerWe have to aggressively, and uncompromisingly, attack the pernicious lie that the technology industry is a meritocracy. Perpetuating this myth only serves to bolster the egos of those who have succeeded already, at the expense of saying that people who are underrepresented in tech today arent present because they arent good Anil Dash


Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_ManagerNot discriminating is importantLegally, if nothing else

Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_ManagerBut TOLERANCE is a Terrible WordWould YOU want to be tolerated?

Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_ManagerWouldnt A Fully Inclusive ENVIRONMENT BE BETTER?PROTIP: Helps Everyone!

Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_ManagerDiversity is a SpectrumActive hatred & discrimination (*isms)Micro aggressionsIndifferenceActive inclusionTolerance


A micro-aggression is telling young boys that they are very smart, and telling young girls that they are very pretty.

- Faruk Ates @kurafire

Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_ManagerSo How Do We Move Right Way?STOP allowing underprivileged groups to be pushed away

(actively/deliberately OR passively/unintentionally)

START building actively inclusive environments


Every role is capable of virtuosity

Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_ManagerWE NEED TO STOP LEVELLING PEOPLE OUT TO EQUAL consistent MEDIOCRITY

AND INSTEAD FOCUS ON GETTING THE MOST OUT OF DIFFERENCE

Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_ManagerWE ARE NOT INTERCHANGEABLE RESOURCE UNITS

Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_ManagerWE ARE COLOURS OR FLAVOURS

WE ARE BETTER IN COMPLEMENT, IN CONCERT WITH EACH OTHER


Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_ManagerWE JUST NEED A SHIFT IN PERSPECTIVE


Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_ManagerWHAT IF WE THINK OF PEOPLE AND ROLES AS A MATTER OF CASTING?

Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_ManagerHOW DO WE ASSEMBLE A GREAT TEAM WITH COMPLEMENTARY ABILITIES?


Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_ManagerCraft Inclusive EnvironmentsAm I EXPECTED here?

Am I RESPECTED here?

Can I BE MYSELF and BE SUCCESSFUL here?

Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_ManagerSome Things That Work(some of these surprised me)

Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_ManagerCheck the Signals You SendLogistics matter do all your events exclude people in particular groups? (e.g. those with caring responsibilities)People cant judge your intent only your actions (you can harm without meaning to)Language matters (what default are you assuming?)

Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_ManagerRachel in Friends28

Reduce FearIncreasing opportunities is worthy & important.

But reducing fear is equally so.

(tips: reduce impact of failure, risk of humiliation, acknowledge risk IS DIFFERENT for those in underprivileged groups)

Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_ManagerEducate yourself & Others About Privilege & IMPLICIT biasIf you keep doing what you always did, youll keep getting what you always got


Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_ManagerPrivilege = Difficulty Setting of Game of Life

http://whatever.scalzi.com/2012/05/15/straight-white-male-the-lowest-difficulty-setting-there-is/

Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_ManagerImplicit BiasVery interesting Harvard research into implicit bias we dont realise it, are not ACTIVELY but rather PASSIVELY discriminating

There is a site with tests you can do that reveal your bias: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/


http://xkcd.com/385/

Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_ManagerCheck If Systems are LoadedCompanies that assess effectiveness / performance and then AUTOMATE pay rises based on this tend to reduce the gender pay gap.

One interpretation:Pitching for a pay rise inherently favours men, who tend to be more confident in their abilities and more comfortable talking up their results.

Shy/humble guys suffer too.

Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_ManagerJohnny CleggThey taught us to forget our pastAnd live the future in their image They said Learn to speak a little bit of English,Dont be scared of a suit and tie.Learn to walk in the dreams of the foreigner. I am a third world child.

Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_ManagerMost advice reads as Be more like a straight cis AMERICAN white guyFinding a way to be successful and still be yourself is important



Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_ManagerVALUE THE WHAT OVER THE HOW

Know when people need telling what to do (Hint: its not often)

Help them get what they need the rest of the time (Hint: not just someone else telling them what to do)

Learn, practise, use coaching skills

Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_ManagerFrame Guidance AltruisticallyAdvice which focuses on how to do better for yourself has a very limited appeal. (a la steal more pie)

Altruistic advice (a la bake more pie) appeals to a much broader audience (including non-individualistic cultures)

Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_ManagerWhen We Reframed Networking


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As much as 40% better

Much energy is spent if you have to hide your private life, or pretend to be something youre not

Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_ManagerRole Modeling MattersWhen a woman presents/represents at recruitment events, more women apply

When you present a monoculture, people make assumptions you wont like

Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_ManagerDid You Always Know You Wanted to Be So Senior?

Men leaders tend to say:Yes, I always knew I could do more.

Women leaders tend to say:No, but my mentors believed in me, and I trusted they were right.

Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_ManagerThe Most Important QuestionBest predictor of recruitment AND retention? Someones ability to agree with:

Someone like me can be successful here

Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_ManagerPractical DiversityAssume fear. Understand risk. Then focus on reducing. Advise people to bake more pie, not steal more pie.Understand & educate about privilege & implicit bias.Connect people with role models. Grow more role models. Encourage them to be visible.Someone like me can be successful here? Tell people you believe in that they can. Tell people you believe in that they are there because of their skills. (no one likes being a diversity stat)Find ways for ALL to be true to self AND successful. Look at whether your processes/systems discriminate. Fix.

Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_ManagerCraft Inclusive EnvironmentsAm I EXPECTED here?

Am I RESPECTED here?

Can I BE MYSELF and BE SUCCESSFUL here?

Meri Williams, ChromeRose @Geek_ManagerGO! SHAPE/MAKE SPACE BE AWESOMEBE INCLUSIVE And thank you for participating

Need help? [email protected]




Leadership & Management

Practical Diversity at Thinking Digital Women