My D&I Journey with:
Tim Hardy-Lenik,
Director of Inclusion & Workforce Equity,
CSG
My D&I Journey with:1. What was your journey into diversity and inclusion?
My journey into diversity, equity and inclusion was long, intentional, and similar to many – I had DEI as another job on top of my full-time role, and I baked it into my work remit as much as I could. At a young age, I experienced complex traumas that set my fire for tackling injustice, and I sought out roles in NGOs which had a social impact. When I began my career, the Equality Act hadn’t yet passed, and most companies didn’t have a DEI function. My passion for creating equality and respect for human rights ran deep, and I petitioned my then-CEO for the remit to develop a global approach to include LGBTQIA+ employees. Over time, this additional role became a function, and as I grew in my understanding, I realised I was always going to have something to learn which was a wonderful revelation, which keeps me a student of this work to this day.
2. How would you describe a typical day in your role?
A typical day in my role is not easily defined, though it will always include planning time, deep conversations, and cool projects to collaborate on. If anything, my average day is defined by one thing – people. People who like to communicate and collaborate. People who have a vision for a better environment, culture, company, or world. Great people are really the only consistent in a role with many demands upon my skills, emotions and time.
3. What is the best part of your job?
People truly are the best part of my job! I love learning about the different worlds and perspectives people inhabit and applying that reflection to my own growth. Seeing others grow and feeling like I am nurturing my own understanding is extremely affirming. Being certain of my own impact to positively influence someone’s day, week, or working experience is affirming, and knowing I can have an impact is an amazing feeling; whether that impact is through my strategic acumen or a conversation exchanging kind words; it all counts!
4. What advice would you give to someone looking to move into D&I?
Be prepared for a paradox. Doing deep, meaningful, and complex work, while portraying an image to some that it is a straightforward mission will be a challenge. To encourage people and systems to prioritise human kindness and empathy is a simple mission, and we can get caught up in the language of the profession. But, there is a need for strong subject matter expertise to understand the theory of change AND the communication of a simple vision. Be mindful of that balance.
- The first part of the paradox is you need to know complex topics and collaborate with others to implement solutions. You need to know the landscape and the theory and have examples of best practices. This is essential to build something meaningful, which shifts the dial and isn’t just optics.
- The other part of the paradox is the need to keep DEI accessible. You must keep it super simple for your key stakeholders. DEI is a highly politicised space, but it is not political. It doesn’t need to be hugely complex. At its core, your mission is to help people connect and treat each other with compassion and empathy.
Make sure you have the right people around you to offer support, and define your limits as a practitioner early on both to protect your own wellbeing, and your ability to drive impact. We are often in this space because we care about people, and it can be so easy for empathic people to take on too much in the rush to create change. I remind myself I can best serve others, by being impactful, strategic and thoughtful, this work is a marathon, and whilst there are some quick wins and speedy changes needed, pace yourself.
5. What are the main challenges faced by D&I professionals at the moment?
There have been conversations about the need to professionalise the DEI industry and define the necessary skills, behaviours, knowledge and experiences to succeed across the profession to make clear to the global business community, what the unique competencies required for this work are, in order for our work to have sustainability of this profession in the long term. It’s something I know other leaders will also discuss and a critical point for the future of our profession. As I know other leads will speak to this, instead I will talk about something close to my heart; one key challenge, we as DEI professionals, aren’t very good at is putting our own life masks on first so that we can prioritise our wellbeing and manage triggers in private. To add to that cliché, you can’t pour from an empty jug, and as we go about the business of life and work, we will all pour a little or a lot, but we need to be better (me included) at making time for personal wellbeing, reflection, and introspection.
As a group of changemakers, we are often impatient for the change we want to affect There is beauty in that impatience. But, be mindful of whether that impatience adds to your impact or detracts from your stability.
6. Name three skills that support you to succeed in D&I
1.) DEI Subject matter expertise – For me, it has been critical to understand the DEI space, ranging from the legislation, case law rulings and regulatory trends. This helps in knowing how to approach certain more complex activities, manage risk, and plan effectively.
2.) Resilience and integrity – Be prepared to need personal resilience but don’t assume it from others. Part of this involves in knowing how to disagree with diplomacy and have difficult conversations where the aim is learning, conciliation and humility.
3.) Business acumen and integration skills: Understanding the business context to be able to influence effectively towards the business aims and move Diversity and Inclusion from a transactional service to a transformational practice.
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