In a world where our uniqueness is celebrated, our identity is promoted and we interact with people from all over the world on a regular basis, in the work we do and the communities we live in, I was quick to jump at the opportunity to be part of Sedex’s new Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
As part of the company’s People and Culture Strategy, a new committee was being formed and it felt like an important conversation to be part of.
I have become more conscious (as I get older) of the multiple dynamics that I sit between. A British Asian, with all I know from education, sport and culture and yet a big part of my identity that sits in Hindusim and my Gujurati culture.
A father, to second-generation British Asian children, living in a more fragmented and multi-cultural community and trying to support and navigate them in search of their identity and beliefs.
A boy who grew up pre-internet and mobile phones, now working in marketing and tech spaces surrounded by digital natives.
Growing up in a world where boy meets girl and they have kids was expected to a time when identity itself has completely opened up.
Having studied International Business Marketing with peers from over 20 different countries in my year, I saw first-hand the importance of diversity and also the challenges that it brings. Over the last 10 years or so I’ve worked for global organisations, collaborating on projects with team members in different countries and timezones and being understanding of the nuances of the challenges they face has always been really eye-opening.
After 6 months of foundational training with The Centre For Inclusive Leadership, we set about forming plans for the committee. This in itself was really interesting as you can see that roles, positions and where the influencing power sits can impact the dynamic of your actions and also your outcomes.
Once we had our plans, we launched the programme with the support of D&I expert Leng Montgomery who promoted the value of a committee and also the importance of allyship for the success of any D&I programme.
We as a committee are keen to respond to the needs of the employees of the company. We conducted a company-wide Survey which received an extremely high response rate. Telling us that this is a need and appetite to explore, discuss and improve, all in the aim of ensuring people feel like they can bring their best selves to work, every day.
We established that even though we’re naturally diverse, inclusion is the big focus area. Supporting leaders, regional team members and those who are normally forgotten to be seen, heard and part of the combined journey we are on.
The survey gave us loads of data that when analysed showed us the trend of pain points. We created working groups, from across the business with the inclusion of our Exec and leadership team, to understand the problems raised, and suggest actions to improve and resolve the challenges.
we’re not at a really interesting phase with over 100 ideas for action, to prioritise what can be done in the short-term vs longer-term projects and who is best placed to drive these changes, D&I or the HR team.
I’m really excited to welcome new members, as we gear up for the action/implementation phase of the D&I programme and my continued exploration and personal development in this space.
