A new report by the World Economic Forum, in collaboration with McKinsey & Company, highlights five key factors that can drive to enhanced Diversity, Equity and Inclusion – or in other words DEI – that have impacted leaders across business sectors, providing clarity and creating sustainable change.
The Global Parity Alliance—a cross-industry group committed to advancing DEI—launched the DEI Lighthouse Program to identify initiatives that have resulted in significant, quantifiable, scalable, and sustainable impact and surface what those initiatives have in common. The ambition is that equipping leaders with these best practices will help focus DEI efforts on what works best, ultimately contributing to faster, scalable progress across the global business community and surrounding ecosystems.
In this context, the Global Parity Alliance launched the ”Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Lighthouses 2023” Report which identifies five success factors that emerged from the Lighthouse Programme and shares eight case studies of initiatives for enhance DEI at the workplace.
5 success factors
#1 Nuanced understanding of root causes
- Understand the problem with a deep fact base.
- Identify the root causes
- Get input from the target population, initially and throughout
- Prioritize and sequence problem areas
#2 Meaningful definition of success
- Set clear and quantifiable aspirations (what and by when)
- Articulate a clear case for change that moves employees to action
#3 Accountable and invested business leaders
- Set initiative as a core business priority
- Hold senior leaders accountable for outcomes, not just inputs or activities
- Model and lead desired change, starting with the CEO and senior leaders
- Ensure resources for longevity in the budget, expertise and timeline
#4 Solution designed for context
- Develop solutions that address the root causes, with scalability in mind
- Integrate changes into key processes and ways of working, so impact is sustained
- Equip and encourage employees to contribute
#5 Rigorous tracking and course correction
- Define KPIs and implement rigorous tracking process
- Use data and feedback to course-correct as needed
EXPLORE MORE by reading the report here
According to a recent report by the Diversity Study Group, the shipping industry is making progress on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). With regards to the maritime industry, ICS has recently published a toolkit on diversity and inclusion (D&I) to aid businesses and industry’s organisations with best practice and guidance.
During 2022, many companies, organizations and alliances took their first steps in improving inclusion in their workplace, providing more platforms for all people to have equal career opportunities. For example, Thome Group, together with Hafnia, Anglo American, RightShip, Rio Tinto, and Wilhelmsen joined forces to launch Maritime Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Innovation Lab 2022.
