What’s Included:
Stay informed with 4 major DEI-focused email lists.
Unlearn bias with 3 culture altering books .
Gain insight into the landscape with these 4 podcasts.
Credit: WOC in Tech Chat
As Diversity, Equity and Inclusion becomes a larger focal point in business, here are some resources that our team at The Acacia Company trust and recommend to help you refocus, redesign, and realign your diversity and inclusion business strategy.
Dig in to Digital DEI Content
1. Diversity Reports
Hosting a platform with free access to other companies’ DEI statistics, Diversity Reports allows any company to upload their diversity metrics to share with others. Attentive to transparency in the workplace, the site currently displays diversity and inclusion results from companies such as Google, LinkedIn, Etsy and more. Input your numbers for accountability, if you choose, or subscribe to receive blog posts on how to implement diversity business change management in your organization.
2. Anti-Racism Daily
Created by serial social entrepreneur Nicole Cardoza, Anti-Racism Daily began as a hobby but has grown into a relevant, impactful newsletter. Drawing from the staff’s personal experience as well as history and current events, this is the perfect outlet to stay informed about global racial issues while gaining deeper insight about why the problems currently exist. The newsletter is free to receive but does offer a paid option for weekly guides, monthly reporting and other benefits.
The Acacia Company - A woman-owned business, The Acacia Company is a strategic DEI consulting firm that regularly publishes fact-based blogs focused on providing small to medium-sized business executives with conversation-starters on how to make their business operations more productive and diversity friendly. We provide complimentary resources and a free assessment to gauge your company’s DEI initiatives.
3. McKinsey & Company
Known for its large sample, data-driven research, McKinsey & Company examines frequently asked business questions such as, “Why is DEI good for business?” and “How does female leadership affect a company’s productivity?” The firm also researches DEI data across industries providing a well-rounded view of how diversity and inclusion initiatives affect a large swath of businesses. The company has also made its own public commitment to recruit more diverse candidates in their workforce, effectively walking the talk found in their own research. Take some time each week to explore their reports.
4. Harvard Business Review
The premier Ivy League owned publishing company has been a long-time student of DEI practices in business and provides excellent, peer-reviewed research on how it should be implemented by employers. Within the corporate community, Harvard Business Review (HBR) has become the subject matter expert on corporate productivity. However, in recent years, the organization has also become a leader in discussing equity, confronting race and the balance of power in the workplace. Discover their latest article about the tech industry’s employee diversity pipeline issue or learn more about how to use data to improve DEI.
Books to Broaden Understanding
1. We Can’t Talk about That at Work! How to Talk about Race, Religion, Politics, and Other Polarizing Topics
Written by diversity and inclusion thought leader, Mary Frances Winters, this instructional book helps you test your DEI knowledge while supplying guidance and support on how to navigate difficult but necessary conversations about race, religion, and politics. Order Now>
“Given all the external influences that ultimately impact how we show up in our personal and professional lives, it’s important that we, as organizations and leaders, encourage open dialogue and a safe space to engage. This book provides everything you need to do just that.”
--Rohini Anand, PhD, Senior Vice President, Corporate Responsibility, and Global Chief Diversity Officer, Sodexo
2. The New Jim Crow
A New York Times Bestseller penned by Michelle Alexander, this book provides excellent information about the complicated and often detrimental relationship between law enforcement and black men. It challenges the reader to reevaluate the idea of a post-racial America and illustrates the work that must be done to truly make change professionally and personally. Order Now>
"It is in no small part thanks to Alexander's account that civil rights organizations such as Black Lives Matter have focused so much of their energy on the criminal justice system."
--Adam Shatz, London Review of Books
3. The Culture Map: Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business
Written by an international business expert, Erin Meyer provides tested methods to decipher cultural differences within a team and gives easy-to-follow advice to help create a diverse yet harmonious workplace. Order Now>
"With business becoming ever global, there are a raft of books available on dealing with cultural differences. If you only read one, make it INSEAD professor Erin Meyer's...Skillfully blend[s] real-life examples...with an analytical framework... What brings this book to life are the numerous examples Meyer has encountered, both in her own life as an American living in Paris, and in her experience as running the Managing Virtual Teams module at INSEAD."
--HR Magazine, 5 star review
Culture-Shifting Podcasts
1. The Diversity Gap
A project created and hosted by Director of Programming at Plywood People, Bethaney Wilkenson dives deep into discussions tackling neurodiversity in the workplace, equity gaps in education and how to become the change you want to see in business. The show is produced in partnership with the start-up non-profit, Plywood People. Tune in to this must listen episode: Intergenerational Diversity and Strategic Cultural Change on Spotify or Apple Podcast.
2. Choose Inclusion Podcast
Hosted by an eclectic and diverse trio, this podcast uncovers the intricacies in inclusion work including diversity through the lens of LGBTQIA+ employees, fostering creativity with neurodiverse staff, and steps on how to foster belonging in the workplace. The hosts center their topics around equity and the outcomes while speaking explicitly about how the people closest to the problem should be involved in its solution. Tune in to this must listen episode: Your Lack of Diversity is Showing Now More Than Ever. Spotify or Apple Podcast.
3. Living Corporate
Examining corporate life through black and brown skin, Living Corporate serves up authentic dialogue with people of color professionals delving into conversations about hiring the “elusive” Black Executive Candidate, the role of white women in the workplace and experienced racial trauma at work. Tune in to this must listen episode: The Role White Women Play in the Workplace. Spotify or Apple Podcast.
4. Code Switch
Produced by National Public Radio (NPR), this podcast is hosted by journalists of color and solely focuses on telling stories about race and cultural issues happening in the United States of America. Covering topics from black-white pay gap to interracial relationships outside of the workplace, Code-Switch is known for confronting contentious issues head-on and is the most popular podcast produced by NPR. Tune in to this must listen episode: Ask Code Switch: What About Your Friends on Spotify or Apple Podcast.
Understanding the nuances of diversity and inclusion issues will be a lifelong discovery. However, the resources listed above are a great launchpad into the topic and will give you an excellent foundation. Use all or some of these resources to gain a better understanding of how you can create equity and belonging in your place of business to generate more engagement by your staff while providing value for your clients. Have a resource that you really love? Share it in the comments.