5. The first thing to do to improve inclusion

By Michele Manocchi

R&D Consultant | EDI Strategist | SDG + ESG Integration Advocate

Whether you're a consultant looking to attract clients or an EDI coordinator dedicated to enhancing your organization, the question “What is the first thing we should focus on to become more inclusive?” will come up multiple times, and you need to be ready.

Indeed, this question offers both an opportunity and a potential threat to EDI work.

The first step is to understand where this question comes from. This phase might take some time and effort, but it is crucial, so don’t approach it lightly. You should ask yourself:

• Who is posing the question? What is their department, role and position? Do they have a reputation for being supportive of new ideas?

• What are, or might be, their intentions and goals? Did they formally introduce the topic by saying they wanted to discuss some inclusion work, or is the question coming out of the blue at the water cooler?

• What’s the context? Is there a genuine commitment to inclusion (for example, is there an office and a team with resources dedicated to it, or is inclusion work only mentioned in the strategic plan)?

• Regardless of the level of development and implementation, is this question asked sincerely (is there genuine interest?), or is it an attempt to undermine EDI initiatives by supporting a small measure and then using the ineffective outcomes to justify cuts

  
  

Reflecting on these questions (and any others you choose to add, based on your situation and goals) should help you determine your next steps. [FYI, you can book a free 30-minute meeting to discuss these and other questions and their implications].

Let me share what I do to be prepared if that request is genuine and the organization wants to commit and move forward.

But first, this is what I DON’T do; I don’t give a simple answer to make the organization believe that doing one thing will solve everything. It can be tempting. As a consultant, you want to impress your potential client; as an employee, you see an opportunity from leadership and want to take it to accomplish at least one thing.

However, listening to these Sirens increases the risk of long-term failure. You are not offering effective support to groups that need change within the organization, such as the equity-deserving groups. Moreover, the client or manager is unlikely to engage in future conversations because they will eventually realize how shortsighted that approach was, especially after ending up in an even worse situation than before.

The only sensible – and professional – response at this early stage should be, “You should start by changing your approach to inclusion.”

Certainly, as a consultant or an internal EDI officer trying to gain senior leadership’s support, you don’t want to start by creating issues or offending people. However, regardless of which strategy you choose, your main goal should be to clarify that a magic solution doesn’t exist and that they need to approach EDI strategically and systematically. EDI isn’t just a training session or an additional part of the organization’s chart. It is a comprehensive framework through which all aspects of an organization must be examined, at every level, including external suppliers and partners.

What I DO is offer the opportunity to co-create a map that shows where EDI will generally intervene, while also ensuring the organization’s vision and goals are maintained. This map, which already requires some time and dedication, shouldn't be seen as a preliminary step before actual work begins. Instead, working on it will help the organization evolve because, as you know, once issues are identified and mapped out, you're already halfway toward the solution.

By co-creating this draft, you will see if the organization is genuinely committed to the necessary work while helping them develop their ownership and accountability for the elements outlined in the map. Once they understand that you aren’t providing standardized, ready-made “solutions” but collaborating with them to identify their contextual needs, expectations, and resources, their approach will change, making long-term success possible. Alternatively, they may reveal their true nature and choose to stop or sabotage the work. Either way, you are fine: you will either do meaningful work with committed people or stop wasting your time.

To make this possible, identifying who will participate in the co-design of the map is the most important step (see my post #1). Then, you can use paper and pencil, Post-its, crayons, pictures, or online tools to start drafting a map that will illustrate, for each department:

• If buy-in already exists or needs to be built (awareness).

• The participation of internal sponsors, experts, or employees with hands-on experience in designing the map.

• Potential research and assessment activities can enhance commitment and support future decisions. For example, a socio-demographic questionnaire helps understand who is working in the organization and what their priorities are — a bottom-up approach that is more powerful and equitable than imposing actions from the top.

• The documents we will review (the strategic plans and policy book, at minimum; do we want to develop an anti-racism policy framework?)

• Strategies to identify which levels need training (front-line only? Should we prioritize senior leadership first?), create customized content for each level, and choose the most effective delivery methods (one-hour online sessions or a full day in person?).

• How much the organization aims to connect with the community (suppliers, clients, partners, funders, etc.), and what the plan is for each.

• The essential steps, actions, projects, and resources needed to achieve each of these points.

• The data management strategy to measure progress on all mentioned aspects and demonstrate, both internally and externally, not just a certificate of participation, but a detailed, ongoing plan with its intermediate achievements.

You can imagine that such a map might become quite complex and large, which is exactly what we aim for. Indeed, it will demonstrate the complexity of EDI work and the needed resources, allowing us to evaluate the level of commitment from leadership.

This approach will also transition the consulting intervention from simply performative to delivering genuine impact with lasting results.

Once you have the map, you can identify where to start with the internal co-creators. This time, however, it will not be “just an action." Instead, it will be part of a larger, well-mapped puzzle where everyone can see the connection between individual actions (e.g., a training session) and the bigger picture and long-term goals. The positive impact is guaranteed. The increased commitment as well.

Would you like to talk about this more?

Does it seem impossible?

Or, instead, do you use a similar approach?

Leave a comment below, visit my webpage, or book a free 30-minute consultation to chat with me.

And don't hesitate to get in touch with me if you'd like help in building your organization’s customized map.