Liliana A.'s Key Ideas from Building For Everyone
by Annie Jean-Baptiste

DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) transformation must be an explicit, consistent priority driven from the top-down by an accountable executive team.

Leaders need to regularly invest time, attention and resources to DEI for it to become woven into the organization's DNA.

It cannot be sidelined or delegated.

Rather than one-off training interventions, systematically build inclusive practices into key organizational systems and processes that engage everyone.

Review each system - like hiring, promotion, compensation - through a DEI lens. Fix biases.

Proactively create and support employee-led resource groups that empower underrepresented groups, build community, provide mentoring, and foster leadership.

Ensure they have funding, executive access and impact.

Redesign meetings and collaboration to intentionally include diverse voices and perspectives. This enables better innovation and decisions.

• Teach facilitation for inclusion.
• Listen first, then integrate.

Proactively analyze and address biases and barriers in performance reviews, compensation, promotions, high-potential programs, assignments and day-to-day language.

Remove unfair obstacles throttling diversity.

Move beyond aspirations to take concrete actions to diversify leadership pipelines at all levels through equitable hiring, developing high-potential programs, succession planning, promotions and sponsoring underrepresented leaders.

• Broaden product design cycles to intentionally gather input from and co-create with users from diverse backgrounds.
• Listen, understand unmet needs, and act on feedback to build more universally inclusive products.
• See through other lenses.