The Huge Mistakes You’re Making During Black History Month And Other “Big Ticket” Calendar Events

In the UK it’s Black History Month in October and it’s likely that your organisation is about to repeat the same huge mistake it makes every year!

Find out how to avoid this not only for Black History month but for all Big Ticket Diversity Events

Here are some key messages from this episode:

• Why so many of the Big Ticket Diversity Events you attend feel so dissatisfying and repetitive
• Three things that don’t get discussed enough at Big Ticket Diversity Events
• The biggest problems with calendar based diversity events and much much more

Play the episode for more.

Here are some key takeaways from this episode:

 The Need for Evidence Based Observations

 I explain the importance of making observations based on specific data related to the experiences of employees within that organisation:

“What doesn’t get talked about is what that looks like in your specific organisation. This means any discussion about what challenges are experienced by black people in your company will be in abstract terms that are not specific or compelling to the audience. This is dissatisfying”

 The Need to Highlight Meaningful Progress

 I discuss why it’s valuable to demonstrate measurable progress:

 “What I never hear is last year we had 3% black leaders and now we are at 5% and here is why”

 A Programme of Change

I explain why this event needs to discuss the ongoing experiences and programme of change for the employees in question:

“Black History Month is portrayed as a single event, a snapshot in time where the historical contributions of black people are recognised and given the spotlight in a way that they are not normally. However the experiences of black employees aren’t confined to Black History Month.”

Here are some resources so you can go deeper:

Jonathan Ashong-Lamptey: Ethnic diversity an issue in UK workplaces

Check out these related episodes of the show.

The Reason You Are Ignoring The Diversity Promises Your Company Is Making To You

Developmental Networks: The Most Important Career Tool You’ve Never Heard Of

Whenever you’re ready, there are a few ways I can support your Inclusion Journey: