My D&I Journey with:
Eric Way,
Global Head of Inclusion & Diversity,
Schindler Group
My D&I Journey with:1. What was your journey into diversity and inclusion?
Since I was 4 years old I knew I wanted to be a mechanical engineer. So I never imagined I would one day work in the field of Inclusion and Diversity. I began my career in the automotive industry, specifically in heavy trucks. As an American in France, I was quickly struck with the hidden challenges of intercultural differences. Our company ended up in a multinational merger so suddenly we had fabulous diversity, but inclusion was a real challenge. Over time these differences weighed on my engineering values of efficiency and wasted energy, and I was drawn to solve this problem. Jim Collin’s famous book “Good to Great” inspired me to help pull our multinational department together around common values, goals and a vision. A very smart manager then asked me, “What about becoming a coach? You seem so passionate about this.” My nervous reply was, “But I’m an engineer!.” Long story short, I got a certification in coaching and began doing internal missions for product development teams along side my regular job. After a few years, I applied and to my surprise was chosen as Volvo’s Director of Diversity & Inclusion. The hiring manager said, “You will know how to talk to engineers.”
2. How would you describe a typical day in your role?
Each day is different! You typically have several projects on-going, a few KPIs to update or look into. I spend a lot of time supporting our country organizations and advising them on how to set up local I&D programs and roll-out the tools we create centrally. Working directly with Senior Leaders through targeted inclusive leadership programs is also a significant part of the job. And in between we are constantly looking for how to boost our tools or processes up to the next level, to eliminate biases and put equity into practice.
3. What is the best part of your job?
Clearly the best part is seeing a leader going from, “Skeptic” to “Practitioner”, as the light bulb comes on and they see what they haven’t been seeing, as they learn how important many small inclusive actions can be in their daily practice of leadership.
4. What advice would you give to someone looking to move into D&I?
Be firmly anchored in your values, but mature and resilient enough to withstand high levels of disappointment. We work with imperfect organizations. Otherwise, they wouldn’t need us. We need to be driven by our passion, but we can’t let that push us into judgement of others. Before people know, they have the right not to know. Use language that everyone can relate to. Make sure you have your personal support network to unload with. And finally, don’t get bogged down in running initiatives and lose sight of the big picture. We need to be constantly adjusting our approach to a changing business environment in order to keep connecting with the business context.
5. What are the main challenges faced by D&I professionals at the moment?
Many challenges are not new. Limited resources, leaders who are over worked and thus have difficulties making time to focus on I&D, even when they are engaged on the topic. We need to work smart, and we can. Avoid the increased politics of I&D by keeping things simple, focusing on the specific behaviors we are looking for and what individual needs are not being met.
6. Name three skills that support you to succeed in D&I
– Acting as a coach, not a teacher
– Business acumen to connect with the operational context
– Empathy which knows its healthy boundaries
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The Foundations to Being an Effective D&I Leader
Online Training Workshops
600+ DE&I and HR professionals have now attended our ‘The Foundations to Being an Effective D&I Leader’ CPD Accredited online training series.
- Level 1 is for professionals looking to move into a D&I role, or those who have been in a D&I leader role for less than 12 months.
- Level 2 is for professionals who have been in a D&I role for between 1 to 3 years, and are looking to enhance their knowledge and skills.
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Each CPD Accredited level offers a unique opportunity to learn from three experienced D&I practitioners:
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Tickets at each online workshop cost £499+VAT per person (£399+VAT for non-profit orgs). Spaces limited to 24 attendees to enable the day to be as interactive as possible. Workshops take place live on Zoom.