Why Authenticity Truly Matters When Creating An Inclusive Workplace [Interview with Antoinette Boateng]

Antoinette Boateng is a Global Inclusion Specialist and a 20 year veteran of the “people” space. 

Find out about true authenticity from someone who lives and breathes it. 

Here are some key messages from this episode: 

  • The reasons why Diversity & Inclusion being a “small world” causes problems
  • The importance of authenticity to Antoinette’s work
  • Why ethnic based employee resource groups are not supported as much as gender based groups 

Here are some key takeaways from this episode: 

The Need for New Voices in Diversity & Inclusion

“Inclusion is a small crowd and that’s part of the problem”

The Need for a More Intersectional Approach to Diversity

“It’s not a diverse group of people who are winning, I just think we have to look a lot more at intersectionality when we talk about gender interventions”

Good Position vs. Good Role Model

“People being positioned well in an organisation to effect change is very different to a person being a role model, and I find that I see consistently people making that mistake”

Here are some resources so you can go deeper:  

Antoinette Boateng on Linkedin

The 30 Per Cent Club

The McGregor Smith Review

The Parker Review

The Davies report

The Equality Act (2010) Gender Pay Gap Information

Check out these related episodes of the show

The 30 Per Cent Club: How It Transformed Diversity & Inclusion in the UK Forever

Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men

Whenever you’re ready, there are a few ways I can support your Inclusion Journey:

The Elements of Inclusion #4

Leaders must collaborate innovatively to leverage cultural expertise and drive business performance.

  • Why inclusive outcomes are driven by innovation
  • How developing a business case for diversity and inclusion specific to your organisation is a competitive advantage
  • Why novelty is at the heart of your inclusion journey

The Elements of Inclusion #3

Leaders must establish systems to ensure that everyone shares the same advantages and benefits. These processes will create incentives for inclusive behaviours.

  • How to augment your team with the tools and insights they need to prevent structural disadvantage
  • Why reinforcing generative norms ensures everyone belongs in the organisation
  • How inclusive representations can be embedded to promote an inclusive culture

The Elements of Inclusion #2

Leaders must redefine career development relationships to support inclusive performance.
  • Why traditional mentor relationships must be revised for an inclusive workplace
  • How leaders must embrace networks of developmental relationships for individual growth
  • Why established workplace norms must evolve for inclusion in the modern workplace

The Elements of Inclusion #1

Leaders must properly socialise people and socialise inclusive ideas by providing an environment for the cultural learning needed for an active role in an inclusive organisation

  • How your socialisation processes must evolve to encourage the sustainable cultivation of inclusive competencies
  • Why Leaders must consistently negotiate the line between organisational commitment and personal authenticity to promote performance
  • How developing intersectional self awareness can help leaders to leverage individual employee experiences