SEPTEMBER 2024HR TECH OUTLOOK8In MyOpinionCarolyn Butler-Lee, VP of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Cummins, Inc. ByEMPLOYEE SUCCESS & DEI: 3 WAYS TO OPERATIONALIZE YOUR STRATEGY 2. Accountability is in the numbersTo truly be regarded as a business initiative, you need to implement an intentional, systemic, and measurable approach to DEI with proven outcomes. Remember, this is no different than an organization tracking product quality. If quality standards had failed and you were losing consumers or your brand reputation was tarnished, you'd want to immediately understand your baseline and your product ecosystem and develop strategic interventions to improve. Diversity and inclusion metrics are no different.Start by understanding your baseline. Find out where you stand today, then map a strategy for closing those gaps. For example, how much time are leaders at your organization spending with their people? How are systems designed to ensure leaders understand their role in setting clear expectations, coaching talent to succeed, cultivating engagement, and fostering innovation and a growth mindset? Also, how homogenous is your executive team? How does your succession plan support your desire for change, and what does the data Employees thriving in the workplace are directly correlated to business success, yet many organizations do not understand, measure, and move the needle on their commitment to employee satisfaction. Fortunately, today, business leaders can intimately and intentionally link business outcomes to employee engagement and diversity--just like they might track progress and gaps in product quality. My approach to igniting change has always been rooted in three core elements: commitment, accountability, and perseverance. 1. Commitment begins and ends with leadershipMany leaders tend to talk about "how" and "why" for change--but they fail to plan. I'm interested in action. That action begins in the boardrooms and C-suites of organizations, creating competitive business advantage through embedding DEI into the culture and business strategies. Carolyn Butler-LeeHere's the thing: You can't keep trying the same thing, and you're wondering why you don't get results. Not every aspect of your strategy will work
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