One of the key components of D&I initiatives should include engaging white men as allies. There are many white men in the workforce who are great supporters of diversity, inclusion, and equality for women.
Engaging these men to be allies and champions is just one key ingredient to ensuring D&I initiatives, as well as equality programs, gain the necessary traction to be sustainable inside organizations.
In order to continue to move the needle for women’s equality and change the lack of diversity in organizations, we must realize that we need champions who can promote these ideas and demonstrate they are key components of successful organizations.
In many ways, we will only continue to break the glass ceiling and change the composition of the workforce and its policies to one which is an inclusive, diverse, and equal by engaging the white men who are in places in organizations that can bring about top-down change.
White men often occupy these positions and therefore sit in the seats where change can be driven from the top down and the organization can embrace wholly. Our workforce composition should look like our communities so we must continue to engage the white male leaders to become our allies and champions.
As a white male in a Senior level Management role I can speak from my own unique perspective and I wholeheartedly believe I must be part of this change.