Dr. Jonathan Ashong-Lamptey’s Post

Every once in a while life is simply unfair to us.  I’ve got people close to me going through this.  Right now it’s their turn. Whenever it’s my turn I think a lot about faith.  I think about this quote: “Faith is loyalty to the unseen reality.” It’s from Neville Goddard. This quote got me through some tough times.  It helped me think about faith in a way I understand.  I find the loyalty part a call to action.  To ask what you really believe.  Then to act in line with that. It’s helped me a lot.  Hope it can help you too. 

In the UK we pretend “class” doesn’t exist. Even the Equality Act 2010 ignores the issue. This book wants the acting to stop. People Like Us By Hashi Mohamed This is very much intended for a British audience. But the core issues are relevant across the world. The author describes 3 Models of Social Mobility: 1 Striving This is the rags to riches story we all love. Self made millionaires and stuff like that. - This person makes themself better off. 2 Sacrificing Think in terms of different generations. Think immigrants as an example. - The first generation sacrifices for the next. 3 Shining Think of an individual with a gift or talent. This person is considered to be special. - They use their gift to improve their life. I’ve personally wrestled with the issues in the book. I have a lot in common with the author. The good news: social mobility is possible. As always I want you to make your own mind up. Do you agree?

Respect builds bridges. Disrespect burns them. Here’s an underrated inclusion tip: Speak respectfully even if you disagree. I’m staggered by how rude people get when they talk about "DEI" topics - Name calling - Shaming - Insults It happens frequently online. They don't care about maintaining relationships. We do care about work relationships. Instead - Explore what the real problem for them is - Be tough on the problem - Be soft on the person I use the word problem deliberately. Why? Because it's like maths. Maths problems get solved. It's amazing what you can achieve - Productive relationships - Greater insight - Action Works much better than name calling. PS. This is not an excuse for bad behaviour. It’s something that works well for my clients. Hope it can work for you too.

Corporate inclusion attitudes depend on the latest election results. Not because it's the right thing to do. Not everyone wants to admit this. Is this true in your company? If so, it's important your colleagues understand this. I talk about this more in this weeks newsletter

Huge diversity initiatives don’t always pay off. It’s often a risky play that doesn’t deliver. I’ve seen this lead to:  - No flexibility because it’s expensive - Blunders because details are overlooked - Fear of getting it wrong because the stakes are high I recommend things that are: - Low risk - Low cost - High impact I encourage you to use Evidence Based Inclusion as a process to bring this to life. We collect evidence from 4 sources: - The scientific literature - The organisation - The stakeholders - Professional Expertise. This raises the standard of your conversations. This provides evidence that leaders find compelling. This means they take action. Why? You back the evidence and the leaders back you. This is much better than the old way. In the future everyone will work like this. For now I’m spreading the word. Message me "Inclusion Ready" to learn more.

Someone asked me: “ What do want in a client?” Me: “The same thing you want in a team mate.” - Someone willing to learn - Someone willing to change - Someone willing to commit Plus I prefer people who : Listen to our podcast Check out my writing. 😆 It’s not vanity. The “best” clients have already gained something BEFORE they contact me. This is a signal that our values and principles are aligned. This means they are well informed about how committed I am to them. What do you look for in a team mate?

The upside of having no budget for Inclusion: You need less permission to get things done. This means: You can pilot small projects quickly. You can attract the believers. Your ROI is staggering. We help people do this every week. You can do this too. Don’t be discouraged. I’m cheering you on

Not hitting your Inclusion goals for 2024? You’ve failed to do one of the following: - Introduce a systematic process. - Earn trust to get buy in from colleagues. - Optimise for relevant measurable outcomes. It’s hard to miss if you establish these 3. Which one are you missing? Take this short assessment to find out. https://lnkd.in/edZyYB2H

Unconscious bias training is a waste of time.  But I found this book to be useful. Unconscious bias training is used as a hiding place.  It’s used as an excuse to do nothing.  I talk about it all the time. Blind Spot Hidden Biases Of Good People  by Mahzarin R. Banaji and Anthony G. Greenwald This book tackles the issue.  It’s built around the famous Implicit Association Test. You should know it’s validity and reliability have been questioned. That’s what happens with research. (you can do online to check your own bias) As always I want you to make your own mind up. What do you think of the test? 

If your leaders can't discuss inclusion without coaching. (it’s too complicated) - Drop the jargon - Drop the platitudes - Drop the propaganda Start simple. Don’t over engineer it. Use every day language. Encouragement helps too. Then they can talk about it. Then everyone can do it. Then they coach each other. That’s when your culture really changes. I know this because I’ve seen it happen. That means it’s possible for you too. Go for it! I'm cheering you on.