MOVING THE DIAL ON RACE A Practical Guide on Workplace Inclusion October 2020 Chartered Management Institute RACE CONTENTS 4 About this Guide 8 Supporting People who Face Racism 22 Terminology 26 Microaggressions 33 Building Support 40 Allyship 43 Raise Awareness, Knowledge & Skills 47 Glossary and Extra Reading About this Guide Supporting People who Face Racism Terminology “ This entire conversation has been an ongoing Microaggressions conversation throughout my lifetime. What matters to me now is when are we really going to move the dial? We have been banging our heads against a brick wall Building Support for most of our lives. The time has come to pull those walls down! Allyship Delroy Beverley CMgr CCMI, Managing Director of York Teaching Hospital NHS Partnership, Chair CMI North East, Yorkshire and Humberside, and CMI Race Raise Awareness, Knowledge & Skills advisory committee member “ Glossary and Extra Reading ABOUT THIS GUIDE “ I have been overwhelmed by the support we have received from across the Chartered Management Institute to develop this guide. Our Managers Voice community shared their experiences of race at work with the CMI Research team, who analysed the findings with lead advisor Dr Jummy Okoya FCMI, to generate the evidence we partially present here. The new CMI Race advisory committee members have been invaluable as professional leaders and race champions willing to give their time to share their insights. It has been a community effort and I look forward to enlarging and enriching the CMI Race network as we lead the race at work conversation. Pavita Cooper CMgr CCMI, CMI Race Chair “ Moving the Dial on Race Guide - October 2020 The CMI Race network supports people to create more equal, diverse and inclusive organisations by driving change through professional leadership and management practices. The series of shocks and tragic events in 2020 has sparked conversations, heightened awareness and renewed a commitment by many organisations to make their workplace more equitable. Managers who have spoken to their team about their organisations response to the We understand that to truly move the Black Lives Matter movement. dial on race will require significant efforts across society and that the conversation around race is passionate, emotional, political and often divisive. We recognise that this guidance alone is not enough but we are committed to the ongoing work required to dig deep into the conversation and support our members. Managers are crucial to institute zero- tolerance to racism in organisations in practical ways. They are key to developing a culture that empowers people to connect and feel safe to share their own experiences. At CMI, we draw from Proportion of managers who had our wide reach across different types conversations with their team about racial of organisations in different parts of the justice and equality in society. economy to share best practice. This is the best way we can support leaders and managers in all organisations - large and small - as they strive to make real change When“ the Black Lives Matter movement happen. gathered pace earlier in the year, colleagues asked for support in We have not focused on providing legal garnering views on how to respond advice but instead best practice that with a commitment to ongoing action might be adapted in the UK and beyond. to progress an anti-racist movement However, the Equality Act 2010 sets legal and culture. It remains early days and it requirements for people and employers depends on people’s involvement and in the UK. Guidance for employers is whether there is a momentum and a available from the Equality and Human commitment to continue to evolve an Rights Commission (EHRC) on how to anti-racist culture. I recognise the fear in comply with equality law and implement some colleagues, none have approached good practice in all aspects of employment me first. But I remain hopeful. including recruitment, pay, working hours, managing staff and developing policies. “ Managers Voice Respondent Acas provides support on disciplinary and grievance procedures. 5 SIX STEPS FOR BETTER MANAGERS TO MOVE THE DIAL SUPPORT PEOPLE LEARN HOW TO 1 WHO FACE RACISM 2 TALK ABOUT RACE • Don’t generalise • Prioritise anti-racism • Be specific and accurate • Lead with empathy • Put people first • Educate themselves • Avoid acronyms • Create safe spaces • Keep up with evolving • Encourage true identities at work terminology Practical step: schedule a Practical step: commit time conversation with colleagues who each week to learn more about face racism to better understand anti-racism. their experiences and agree how the conversation might best continue. END MICROAGGRESSIONS BUILD SUPPORT 3 AT WORK 4 • Facilitate small group • Understand each type conversations of microaggression • Reassure people who • Respond every time you share their experiences notice them • Praise people who • Discern the nuances actively listen • Disarm aggressors • Confirm that there will • Define the problem to be no ridicule aid reflection • Communicate how vital diversity is Practical step: train your team to understand microaggressions and Practical step: create or join ensure all staff are clear on zero a network to enable people to tolerance to racism and how share, learn, make mistakes incidents will be addressed. and deliver clear outcomes. Moving the Dial on Race Guide - October 2020 5 RAISE AWARENESS 6 RAISE SKILLS • Become a race champion • Invest in training on • Be intentional on inclusion Diversity & Inclusion • Promote curiosity in your team • Communicate the value of this training with your Practical step: re-examine organisation & employees recruitment and promotion • Ensure that training is processes to ensure they are flexible and skills gained free from unconscious bias and are adaptable that short lists are balanced. Practical step: ask about training for you and your team and seek a long term solution. See how CMI could help. MANAGERS MUST BE BETTER ALLIES BUILD SUPPORT Reetu Kansal CMgr FCMI, Senior Project Manager, University of London and • Facilitate small group CMI Race advisory committee member suggests: conversations • Reassure people who share their experiences - Being a bystander to microaggressions and any acts of exclusion • Praise people who STOP - Being afraid to speak up because you fear using the wrong words actively listen - Thinking that your actions will not make a difference • Confirm that there will be no ridicule • Communicate how - Learning about racial inequality vital diversity is START - Using positive language - Understanding and dealing with the emotions of privilege - Listening to your colleagues to embed inclusion and active anti-racism CONTINUE - Championing racial equality on an ongoing basis - not just around Awareness Days & Events - Collect data (e.g. through surveys) on staff experiences and use this to review progress & actively address issues 7 SUPPORTING PEOPLE WHO FACE RACISM “ Hearing the lived experiences and personal insights of colleagues has raised awareness, as have blogs and historical reporting. Openly talking about inclusion has made a difference, supported by consistent, visible leadership. Managers Voice Respondent “ Moving the Dial on Race Guide - October 2020 5 WAYS TO A MORE SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT In order to support employees who encounter racism, leaders must educate themselves on the complexities of racism and prioritise anti-racist policies and behaviours. EDUCATE CREATE yourself and others on safe spaces for employees who 1 racism and privilege 2 encounter racism to talk about it LEAD PRIORITISE 3 with empathy 4 anti-racism at work ENCOURAGE employees to be themselves and to 5 bring their ‘whole self’ to work TERMS OF RACISM RACIST NON-RACIST ANTI-RACIST Viewing a racial group Trying to assume To be anti-racist is to as culturally or socially neutrality as a ‘non- proactively uphold the inferior is racism. racist’ results in being idea of racial equality. a bystander to racial Marginalising people inequities. Anti-racism is a system because of this is racist. that promotes the Saying “I’m not racist” creation of policies, Sometimes racism is does not prevent racism. practices, and obvious but at other procedures for racial times it is subtle. This You may trust in equality. makes it rife and often processes and policies, difficult to measure. but if you don’t look for Being anti-racist ways to actively root out requires active racism within them, then resistance to and you may be inadvertently dismantling of the supporting racism. system of racism. 9 START WITH DATA, SUPPORT EMOTIONS AND FLEX YOUR STYLE Aquilla Cozzella, Delivery Director and Chair of Diversity & Inclusion, Corndel, and CMI Race committee member Aquilla Cozzella describes data conversation through an online as the starting point for leaders group exercise designed to help looking to create an anti-racist us move from a ‘safe space’ organisation. “It is really important to a ‘brave space’. Sharing to start by carrying out an exercise experiences of racism and White which looks at the data. I work in an privilege can be incredibly difficult. environment where the majority of Creating ground rules collectively the workforce identify as White. Even is advisable but aim for rules before the pandemic, around 95 per which open up, not shut down, cent of our workforce worked from discussion, sharing and learning. home and so the lack of racial and ethnic diversity was less noticeable. It I was appointed as Chair of was initially quite shocking to see the Diversity & Inclusion in July data. Having to share that back to the 2020. I decided together with business was uncomfortable, but it is my colleagues that the best so important to be driven by the data model to use to drive inclusivity in order to see real, lasting change. and sustained change was the appreciative enquiry model.” “The organisation I work for is amazing. We are open to change, • Define the purpose and focus eager to evolve. The death of George of the inquiry through team Floyd spurred us on to recognise collaboration what we were as a business and • Discover others’ experiences what we wanted to achieve.