A Welcoming, Equitable Culture
Ideally organizational culture is the intersection between values and behaviors. It’s how we bring our values to life in how we treat our staff and customers and how we relate to our community.
But values can often be aspirational and not fully reflective of everyday practices. Who hasn’t encountered a nonprofit with great intentions but whose work environment is less than satisfying?
As more and more organizations choose to embrace diversity, equity and inclusion, how do we ensure that they are actually changing their everyday practices in meaningful ways?
Assume a certain level of inertia. Change is hard and cultural shifts take time. Organizations must build a roadmap for change that is built from data and from the voices of internal and external customers.
Openly assess the baseline. Conduct a DEI audit to assess policies and practices. Use direct staff input to move past what’s written on paper to understand the lived experience.
Chart hiring and promotion history over the last 10 years. What do the patterns suggest?
Follow the money. Who are the team members able to make budgetary decisions? Who accumulates influence by bringing money into the organization?
Review the organizational structure. Are there opportunities for shared leadership? Can information and decision-making be pushed out into every level?
Engage all levels of staff in creating change. Create a diverse and inclusive team to guide your process. Establish safe spaces where all employees can share honestly about what has been and what needs to be. Ensure that those uncomfortable with the change are heard and respected.
Consider the language that you use to describe and in your work. Is this language easily understood? Ask your clients and direct service staff how they describe the work.
Evaluate progress at 6-, 12- and 24-month intervals.
It can feel like a simple fix to change organizational policies but changing the unwritten rules will take time and require change at the individual and system level. While we need to move forward quickly and with a sense of urgency, we need to keep our focus on long term, sustainable change.