Conscious Enterprises Network

Demystifying Diversity By Jiten Patel (2020) Consciously inclusive leaders recognise that empowerment is an essential component in maximising engagement from, and the performance of, their diverse team members. They understand that fostering inclusion is not only the right thing to do, but that it yields significant business benefits. The 2020/21 World Economic Forum report states that, whilst there is a clear business case for diversity and inclusion, the benefits cannot be realised just through having a diverse/representative workforce; leaders have to develop a culture of inclusion. In my opinion, consciously inclusive leaders do this by better understanding the individuals comprising their team(s).  Often, people who are different owing to their sex, minority ethnic status, sexuality, cognitive difference(s) and/or disability(ies) among other characteristics, do not feel their line managers provide them with appropriate empowerment to enhance...

Do we listen or just hear? By Jiten Patel (2020) Recently, I came across a quote from @Patwadors, (Chief Talent Officer at ServiceNow (CHRO) - LinkedIn Learning Instructor - Board Member), stating that, “When we listen and celebrate what is both common and different, we become a wiser, more inclusive, and better organization.” The key word that resonated for me was “listen”. How often is it that we have not been attentive to what is said because we have other things on our mind, or because we are preparing what we wish to say next? In such situations, maybe we have only merely heard what was said. It reminded of a time when my youngest child was about six years old. The school was closed for a teacher training day and I was working from home so that I could look after my daughter; my wife and I aimed to take turns with childcare so the onus was not on just one person to always be the primary carer of our children.  With a deadline to get a r...

Communicating effectively across cultures By Jiten Patel (2020) Perhaps the two words that people from all cultures have in common at the moment are Corona Virus. I have seen messages from people of many different national and cultural backgrounds aiming to communicate the same messages around hygiene and physical distancing. Cross cultural communication is an essential skill in today’s diverse world and workplace. We are required to communicate with people with a range of diverse characteristics and backgrounds. I could go into theoretical explanations around high Context and Low context cultures, and generally accepted protocols in various cultures, but I will stick to keeping it more pragmatic. Why? A report revealed in 2018 by Upwork , one of the largest freelancing websites 63% of companies in their survey now have remote workers. There are many massive employers who operate across many regions and countries. organisations are employing peopl...

Fostering inclusion during physical distancing By Jiten Patel (2020) Notice I say physical distancing, not social distancing. This is because, in my opinion, they are too very different things; simply from interacting with my family and friends, who are in all corners (can the globe have corners, I hear you asking) of the world. During this pandemic, people are quickly learning what some of us have been doing forever, so to speak. We have been socially connecting across distances. When my mum first came to the UK, she was only able to connect socially using airmail letters. The whole cycle of her writing and then receiving a reply from my grandparents was about 2 months. Time and technology have moved on. My mum, at the age of 82, connects instantly with her family overseas, but also, with us because we do not live nearby: socially connected, physically distant. From a corporate perspective, especially with so many of us working from home, Inclusive Leade...

I don’t understand what all the fuss is about! By Jiten Patel (2016) Recently, I attended a meeting and was discussing the fact that BME (specifically black) students are about 25% less likely to receive a 1st or a 2.1 graded first degree compared to white students in UK universities. One person in the meeting enquired as to why I was making such a fuss. The person went on to say that if people were worth a 1st, they would get it! I therefore put back a respectful challenge to that person saying, “Given what the data shows, are you saying that black people are less intelligent than white people?” The person responded that they had black friends with degrees even though they, themselves, did not hold a degree. They went on to say that they really did not understand why it was such a big deal. When I went on to say that it was a big deal, the person did not want to hear it and cut me off by saying that that was my opinion and they had theirs! I persisted a little f...

Is speaking up for equality career limiting? By Jiten Patel (2016) Recently I attended a meeting of a board of directors at a big company. One of the two women at the meeting said, “What I am about to say may well be career limiting but I’m going to say it anyway.” The individual went on to say that the lack of BMEs and women at senior management and board level was really something that needed addressing. I saw one or two glances up to the ceiling and then a statement followed that the company always recruited the best person for the role and, “If black people or women were not available then that’s just the way it is”. I was watching the proceedings with interest and, even though I was there as a consultant, I went into facilitator mode and posed a question to the Board about whether women and people from minority backgrounds were less able than the majority group. Initially I was met, “Well you’re here aren’t you!”, and there was laughter in the room. Someon...

The Silver Lining in the Corona Virus Cloud By Jiten Patel (2020) The current Covid-19 lockdown has provided a great opportunity for us to read more, update our skills and to refresh ourselves with old favourites. One of mine is the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by the late Stephen Covey. Originally published in 1989, it has been a constant bedside companion of mine. Covey elucidates the concept of ‘Universal Principles’ going beyond what we might call ‘subjective values’.  Here below, I provide my analysis of how Covey’s 7 Habits (or ‘principles’) are great sign-posts for Inclusive Leaders: 1.      Be Proactive Inclusive Leaders are proactive. They make effective use of data to better understand the demographics of their workforce and their customer base/service users. They take appropriate action to close any identified gaps. 2.      Begin with the End in Mind...

What does degree attainment mean for Gender Parity in the Workplace? By Jiten Patel (2016) There was a very interesting article in the Guardian newspaper yesterday, 12th May 2016, which was had the following headline:  University gender gap a national scandal, says thinktank The article highlights the fact that women are far outperforming men at 1st Degree level (the full article can be found at: http://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/may/12/university-gender-gap-scandal-thinktank-men?CMP=share_btn_tw ) and this was also highlight by David Cameron when the Social Mobility Advisory Group was set up.  Apparently, it is scandalous that men are not doing as well as women at University. However, given that women are doing better than men in gaining academic qualifications, what is holding back their progression in the workplace?  When men were off fighting wars, it was women who kept the economy on track, filling the roles that men had made vacant as...

Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How Inclusive Leaders make those in a minority feel that they belong? By Jiten Patel (2020) Having been in the field of equality diversity and inclusion for over 20 years and having worked alongside renowned experts, I have learned that a compliance approach may bring about equality, and diversity can create the potential for exceptional performance. It is only when we embrace inclusion as a fundamental leadership competence that we fully drive excellence for the individual, the team, and the organisation. My 6w Inclusive Leadership framework helps individuals to come into their own as inclusive leaders. You may have counted only 5 ‘Ws’. Trainers, facilitators, and many others will recognise that the sixth one appears at the end of the word…How. Why:  Perhaps the starting point really needs to be the ‘Why’ rather than the ‘Who’ in this title. It goes, almost without saying, that the practising inclusion ...

Why language and terminology can feel confusing? By Jiten Patel (2016) Sometimes, it is hard to keep up with how language and terms change.  For example, nobody says, "wherefore art thou?" It is accepted that we would say, "Where are you?".  These days, with the advent of instant communications, terms that once may have taken 50-100 years to come into regular use, now do so in 2-5 years. The following piece is, in my opinion, an excellent short exposition on definitions in the LGBT arena.  It was sourced from:  http://www.hrbullets.co.uk/blog/lgbt-lesbian-gay-and-what.html "Benjamin Fletcher, Diversity and Inclusion Manager at Dentsu Aegis Network , explains six less commonly understood phrases that are used to describe the diverse people who make up the LGBT community. Whilst lesbian and gay are well-known terms, the colourful array of other identities that are included in the LGBT – lesbian gay, bisexual and transgender – family are oft...

Work Life Balance - Isn’t it just common sense? (like so many things!) By Jiten Patel (2016) I came across this article from the Institute of Directors about smart ways to improve work-life balance. http://www.iod.com/guidance/hot-topics/smart-ways-to-improve-your-work-life-balance What struck me was that the tips being provided are just basic common sense. How often is it that we do not apply common sense creatively to create better and more successful working environments? This long weekend, for me, has been a classic example. Whilst I have not formally allocated time for work, I reversed my normal working pattern so that I was spending my ‘working time’ in family and personal pursuits and my, so called, spare time catching up on snippets of work so I don’t have such a backlog to deal with when I go back. It also helps when your work ceases to be work! What do I mean by that? Well, when I considered it, the idea of someone who is an ardent football fan and ...