Creating Impactful Change: The Importance of Feedback in DEI
In the world of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work, feedback can be a powerful tool for growth and change. But what happens when feedback becomes personal and leaders are left questioning their approach? What happens when DEI practitioners are given input that questions their methods? In a recent episode of the Living Out Loud Discussion Series, I sat down with Bola Ruff to unpack what it means to flow with feedback. We explored the challenges along with the importance of embracing discomfort in order to get us closer to change. In all honesty, it’s easier to write this over putting it into practice. There were several takeaways from our discussion that feel important to share. Read on for practical lessons.
“However hard it may be, it’s so important to hear feedback. That’s how we can grow and create positive change in our DEI efforts.”
Feedback in DEI Work
When it comes to DEI work, feedback plays an instrumental role. It can be the difference between robust, enduring DEI initiatives and those that falter under the pressure of unaddressed issues and misunderstandings. Feedback is essential because it helps spotlight the aspects of our efforts that are working well, and those that may need further introspection and refinement. This keen insight into the functioning of DEI initiatives can help bolster them, making the organizational structure more inclusive, eventually positively impacting its bottom-line too. In the episode, Bola and I shared our perspectives on this, detailing our experiences with feedback in our journeys in the DEI arena. We discussed how continuously engaging with feedback allowed us to fine-tune our approach and map a path for impactful change. At the end of the day, feedback, while at times uncomfortable, is always valuable because it brings about the possibility for learning, growth, and ultimately, transformation. If we open ourselves up to it.
Feedback for Those Leading the Work
Leadership in any sphere requires the ability to give and receive feedback constructively. In DEI work, the stakes are even higher. Leaders aren't just handling business operations or managing a team; they're looking for ways to implement changes to their day-to-day activities and hopefully their own behaviors. Therefore, leaders in DEI work must be open to feedback, accept criticism with grace and utilize it to facilitate necessary changes in their leadership style.
Bola and I honed in on the feelings that can come up when people are receptive to feedback. Opening that door doesn’t mean it’s easy. It opens thoughts and feelings in us. So even with the best of intentions, leaders can set themselves up for a better experience if they anticipate a nuanced experience- where multiple truths will likely exist at the same time and they are all okay. In my chat with Bola, I talked about my past instances working with leaders and how they grappled with feedback. Their openness (or lack thereof) impacted their effectiveness in advancing DEI initiatives. This ultimately led to a place of acknowledging that accepting feedback without letting it dent your morale, and using it as a boost towards betterment, is the way forward for organizations.
“The ability to self-regulate is so important because if the feedback can’t even get inside and go anywhere afterwards, it’s really hard to do any change from there internally, let alone outside of if you are in charge of leading an organization or running it or leading these types of efforts.”
As a British-born Nigerian woman raised in the US, Bola resonates with how the dimensions of gender, race, and culture can impact family, work, and navigating everyday life issues. She is a former military spouse, a wife, a sister, a daughter, and an aunt. She completed her Master of Marriage & Family Therapy/Counseling at Capella University and currently works as a Clinical Preceptor and Therapist for Thriveworks. In her spare time, Bola loves to travel, take walks, and enjoy her family and friends.
Bola has unique experience working alongside Charmaine Utz in many DEI-related ventures as a social justice advocate, strategic partner, consultant, administrator, clinical expert, and friend. Charmaine credits Bola for helping her build the stamina it takes to stay in her purpose and contribute to DEI in creative and meaningful ways.
Contact Bola on LinkedIn & Thriveworks!
Recognizing and Regulating Responses to Feedback
Recognizing and regulating personal responses to feedback is crucial. It involves understanding our emotional responses to input, acknowledging the role of individual biases, and consciously refining this emotional response to facilitate productive conversations around DEI. If this is a new concept to you, know that you are surrounded by people in the same place on their journeys. Self-regulation has rarely been explicitly tied to self-awareness at work, especially when we weave in DEI. Oftentimes, recognizing responses to feedback is the first step towards introspection. Once we understand our responses, we can explore ways to self-regulate, which means finding ways to make room for our physical and emotional responses and using techniques to keep us present in the moment. Much of our work at Living Unapologetically is helping people learn themselves so well that they know their go-to responses and have access to tools to regulate. In fact, we developed guided meditations for this exact purpose. Check them out here! If you take anything away from this piece of our conversation, we hope it’s that you find power in learning to regulate these emotional responses, thus transforming the entire process of receiving feedback into an opportunity for personal growth and professional development.
Clinical Aspect in DEI Work
Clinical perspectives can bring a distinct edge to DEI initiatives, because of their focus on individual behaviors and experiences. This approach encourages necessary introspection of individual actions, feelings, and motivations, and how they collectively shape the workplace environment. The clinical (or in my own words- “therapist-y”) aspect of DEI work, is not a widely used practice. When people hear clinical, they usually think of a therapist and don’t see where it fits. When I say clinical, I use it as an umbrella term to capture the very real human part of how people experience the shifts and challenges that come with these topics. It is foundational to Living Unapologetically’s approach.
“Clinical” does not merely stop at knowing dynamics; it helps underscore the need for empathy and resilience. Viewing DEI through the therapist-y lens helps us normalize discomfort, shed light on ways through fear, and understand the coping mechanisms that bring us closer to each other and farther away. It is a major contributor in helping people navigate courageous conversations, underpinning the need for understanding, adaptability, and presence. These aren’t things that are taught in Powerpoint presentations. They are individualized human experiences that aren’t known unless explored in the context of our working relationships. They are unique dynamics that change from team to team, organization to organization. They are nuanced, real-life aspects of our learning journeys and are best explored under the guidance of experts that live and breathe clinical practice.
Leading DEI efforts is crucial for creating impactful change. It's particularly important for leaders and individuals involved in this work to flow with feedback. By embracing feedback and actively seeking it out, we can gain valuable insight and make informed decisions to drive progress. We can see layers of ourselves we might miss if left up to our own devices. The perspectives outlined in the article are essential in achieving our desired goal of creating safe, inclusive, and equitable work environments. By engaging in the practices we shared, we all have the power to make a significant impact and bring about the culture shifts we seek.
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Charmaine is a Relational DEI expert who sits at the intersection of thinking, feeling, and doing. She is an author, facilitator, skill builder, safe-space holder, family member, partner, and friend. And in all of those, her DEI lens is in constant use. Charmaine uses a social justice lens to help clients explore their individual and organizational needs amidst the backdrop of power, privilege, and oppression. You can access her book (Bias-Conscious Leadership), guided meditations, free tips sheets & guides, and blog posts on her website, www.livingunapologetically.com.
