In my first few months as vice chair for Change the Race Ratio we’ve seen a lot of media attention on the value and benefit of ED&I. We’ve seen challenges on the value and impact on both sides of the Atlantic and at the same time demand from other quarters to increase the pace of ED&I.
Our signatories acknowledge the challenging landscape and opposing views and have decided to continue to take action. They view ED&I as a business imperative, not ideology. They can evidence the problem they are trying to solve and have put in place measures to monitor the impact of the actions.
In addition to being Vice Chair of Change the Race Ratio, I’m also proud to be a member of the UK Chapter of the Executive Leadership Council (ELC), a US group whose aim is to increase the number of successful Black executives domestically and internationally, supporting their development across the lifecycle of their careers. Earlier this year the ELC conducted a key piece of research, surveying their members to understand the recommendations for US business with regards to ED&I. The findings were very similar to the recommendations in our latest CEO Briefing on the external challenges to ED&I;
- CEO leadership and visibility is crucial – it reinforces the importance the business places on ED&I
- ED&I like any other strategy where outcomes can be measured and performance tracked
- ED&I should benefit all and directly link to business performance
The ELC recommendation was to remain steadfast in the support of EDI action that is grounded in data and can be measured.
The full report from the ELC is a useful resource for business and ED&I leaders, whether you operate in the US or not, the findings and recommendations will help you to navigate your response to challenges on ED&I in the UK.
