Diversity Equity & Inclusion

The DE&I Realm focuses on promoting inclusivity and valuing diverse perspectives. Here you will uncover challenges and discover tools to create inclusive and equitable spaces where everyone's voices are heard and respected and needs are communicated.

Breaking down challenges & exploring solutions

For impactful and meaningful results, we will approach DE&I with both of the following categories in mind:

Behaviour Foundations

Behaviours are a physical expression of the values and core beliefs you have, all influencing the choices you make.
This category refers to identifying the behaviours people come to work with and what behaviours you want to embed in your organisation.
Through the exploration of the category "Behaviour Foundations "our conversation extends beyond DE&I while still encompassing its integral elements.

Equity Dialogues

This category focuses on achieving fairness, and addressing and rectifying disparities, ensuring equal opportunities and outcomes for all individuals or groups, regardless of their background or social position.
Here we explore having inclusive conversations that work toward levelling the playing field, promoting diversity, and creating an environment where every person has access to resources and opportunities essential for their well-being and success.

Challenges

We need people to give feedback if we are going to improve otherwise we keep repeating the same problems, but they don't do it even if encouraged to.
We have a diverse team but the diversity is what makes it a challenge for us to collaborate.
Opposing opinions are frustrating because they stop us from executing on the plan.
I see how this initiative has helped others, but for me its making me question - did I get the role because I checked several of the boxes for diversity.
I know diversity is important and I am "for" it but it's our lack of diversity that keeps things harmonious.
The decisions we are making work so I don't see why you say my "bias" is a problem..
My team is not getting on, they have heated discussions and refuse to resolve it. The tension is just building, causing fight, flight or freeze.
Because I am seen to be different, I don't feel like I can contribute in meetings when I have a different opinion.

I like to maintain the boundary between work "me" and private "me, it feel like a lot of pressure to now show "all of me".. I'm delivering results so what's the problem?
People are asking me too many personal questions - If I want to tell them anything I will, they keep crossing the boundary.
People are making assumptions about me, how do I correct those assumptions? Should I? Do I need to? Will the correction be taken as intended?
I'm sceptical to "bring my full self to work", because I don't trust that its acceptable.
I'm afraid of saying the wrong thing and accidently offending, causing tension and having a bad reputation because of it.
I need you to see the discrepancies so I don't have to explain them and can be considered without having to always vocalise it.
We talk about inclusion and diversity, but there are a lot of toxic behaviours which go against DE&I without repercussions, so where is the alignment?

Solutions

The interesting thing when it comes to talking to people about their challenges with DE&I is the degree at which the person you are talking to is aware:

1.) That they have a challenge that is caused by lack of DE&I.
2.) Their self awareness or the awareness of others around them.
3.) Their lived experiences.

For some, they will be able to identify the challenge and link it to a DE&I solution, for others, if things are perceived to be "working" then why change?
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When you are in the role of implementing DE&I as an initiative, it is easy to fall in the trap of convincing or pushing a DE&I agenda, because you might see the disparities and the urgency, and the person in front of you does not, causing you personal frustration. This is why it is important when doing the analysis of the challenges in the organisation, you meet the person you are speaking to where they are first and understand their perspective so your own biases and agenda does not intervene.

Where I can help is two fold: To support you to maintain your ability to come from a place of listening and understanding where you may have to practise detaching your own personal biases while still staying connected to the overarching cause. From there, provide learning experiences which, enables a helpful mindset, develops key skills and increases self-awareness for you to create the change that is needed.

Impact

" Shabeena’s program was an amazing experience that forced an internal dialogue of how to go about critical thinking, unconscious biases, and decision-making skills. I personally had to take a good look at how I go about my decision-making and the foundation that those decisions were made. Shabeena guided our team through the decision-making process, the key triggers involved in making those decisions/opinions and finally a toolbox on how to combat those negative biases and reinforce great decisions in developing opinions and hiring. Excited for the opportunity to work with her again in the future and hope to see more projects involving her ideas!" - Talent Acquisition Partner, Americas

" I had heard so many great things about you before we met, about your trainings and amazing energy that comes through the screen. Then I met you and understood what they meant. I learnt so much from our conversations and always appreciate to hear your thoughts and ideas, you also always made me feel heard and seen. Thank you!" - DE&I ambassador, Sweden

Key Topics:

Psychological safety
Speaking up and advocating for myself and others
Overcoming fear of saying the wrong thing
Difficult conversations and confronting issues
Supporting myself and others
Allyship - Effective vs performative allies
Microaggressions

Representation
Equality of outcome and equality of opportunity
Understanding and overcoming biases
Boundaries of DE&I
How to "speak DE&I"
Overcoming internal echo chambers
Strategy and initiative plannings

Escalation processes
Recruitment processes
Becoming trusted partners
Hiring pools
Feedback culture
Team dynamics
Self awareness
Stakeholder engagement
Culture awareness

A final note…

"My inclusion does not mean your exclusion."
This is the statement that anchors me to listen with understanding and allows me to focus on uncovering any fears which are trying to be communicated to me.
When working in this realm, fear and apprehension tend to be present, but so does hope and longing. When those moments of fear are present and either visible and audible, directly felt, or subtly seen yet unspoken and felt through the silence, remember that it is important to not make assumptions or project your own fears or agenda onto the situation. You can take a step back, get some perspective and use this statement to anchor you to the state of understanding.

"Shabeena's relaxed & friendly delivery of the training made me feel at ease and willing to participate. It's like having a normal conversation with a friend in our favorite coffee shop which works for me."

"Shabeena conveys information and techniques in a way that is very comprehensible, and her personal examples help to understand the practical use. The training environment is empathetic, respectful and fun… It was exactly the right training at the right time. It made my day and enabled me to cope better with my current very challenging situation."

"Shabeena's open and warm nature takes you on a journey to get to know your own personality better and to look at it from new perspectives (learned in the course). She combines the course content with stories from her own wealth of experience, which makes it very authentic. It's just fun to listen to!”