What is Data-Driven DEI™?
Data-Driven DEI™ uses data to measure, analyze, and improve diversity, equity, and inclusion.
It's right for you if:
You want to improve your “personal DEI” by establishing more diverse relationships, producing more equitable outcomes, and exhibiting more inclusive behaviors toward others. This can be independent of, or in concert with, your organization undertaking a DEI initiative.
You're a manager, leader, DEI champion, DEI council member, chief DEI officer, or another stakeholder charged with improving “organizational DEI” by expanding diversity (representation), empowering your people, increasing their feelings of inclusion and belonging, strengthening your culture and climate, and enhancing policies and practices to increase equity.
Data-Driven DEI™ offers a data-driven approach to improving personal DEI and organizational DEI that can achieve measurable results.
A Data-Driven DEI™ initiative must meet the following five criteria:
1. Use data to perform an assessment that establishes a profile and baseline
2. Establish objectives with clearly defined goals
3. Leverage promising and proven practices based on research, science, and/or the experience of expert practitioners
4. Develop strategies with clearly defined measures
5. Use data to gauge progress, evaluate results, demonstrate impact, and engender accountability
The Data-Driven DEI™ approach is based on the following steps:
0
STEP
DEI Incentives—In this foundational step you must get honest with yourself for the personal DEI journey, and honest about your organization’s true aims for its DEI journey. This step will require self-reflection and introspection to identify intrinsic factors driving your pursuit of DEI. You will only need to perform Step 0 once to embark upon a Data-Driven DEI™ journey. The next five steps represent a never-ending, continuous cycle as you grow in your DEI journey.
1
STEP
DEI Inventory for People—In this step you compile the data necessary to establish a profile and baseline of your personal DEI preferences and competences. You will gather diagnostic data to help clearly define your current position or your “as is.”
1
STEP
DEI Inventory for Organizations—As a part of this step you compile the data necessary to establish a profile and baseline of your organization’s people, policies, practices, and performance (“the 4 P’s”). You will gather diagnostic data to help clearly define your organization’s current position or its “as is.” Step 1 for people and organizations calls for deeper understanding because it will help define potential priorities.
2
STEP
DEI Imperatives—At this juncture, you determine priorities that are reflected by clearly defined objectives with associated and measurable goals or metrics. The range of objectives may vary dramatically from appreciating differences personally to managing conflict organizationally and far beyond. Establishing these imperatives—or your “to be”—will identify areas for deeper insights.
3
STEP
DEI Insights—During this step you identify “what works”—such as promising and proven practices based on research, science, and the experience of expert practitioners—to avoid reinventing the wheel and optimizing the journey. These insights will lead to decisive actions.
4
STEP
DEI Initiatives—Here you will determine which DEI strategies, that is, activities and actions, are best for you to take. You will also determine which quantifiable measures are best for you and/or your organization to gauge progress. These actions will lead to desired outcomes.
5
STEP
DEI Impact—Finally, you will evaluate your results including outputs to gauge progress and outcomes to measure impact. Your outcomes will determine opportunities for greater understanding.