Organizations are attempting to take more meaningful action in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) to create cultures of belonging. TiER1 Affiliate Contractor Victoria Rodgers sat down with learning expert Imani Mance, a Supply Chain Learning Leader of a Fortune 500 Company, to discuss how pervasive inclusion can cultivate a sense of belonging for learners. Keep reading for the full recap of their insightful conversation.
In Conversation with Imani Mance & Victoria Rodgers
Victoria Rodgers: On your website you share that you strive to give more than you take from the world. Can you share what you mean by that?
Imani Mance: That is my personal mission and why I’m in the learning profession because it’s a way for me to give back. There are so many people who’ve poured into me and helped develop me and allowed me to live a very blessed life. I feel an obligation to return that in abundance, because there’s no way I can pay back all that has been paid into me. The other part of that is thinking about things from an environmental and sustainability standpoint and being mindful of what resources I’m pulling from the world.
VR: I appreciate you sharing that. What does pervasive inclusion mean and why is it important in this field?
IM: Diversity, equity, and inclusion can be compartmentalized. Some organizations take diversity training and do diversity hires but that’s it. In order to move the needle where people feel a sense of belonging, everything that we do has to be pervasive. We must take responsibility, no matter where we are, to be more inclusive.
VR: What does pervasive inclusion look like?
IM: It’s creating space for others to tell me how I can create a safe space for them. It’s also about being vulnerable myself and sharing what I need to have space and if I don’t feel comfortable. We can’t know everything about every culture and every person, but that doesn’t mean we can’t create a space for them to provide that information. One thing I often say is, “Challenge my thinking,” and then I invite my team to have divergent thinking. I try to make sure that my team has an opportunity to tell me what my blind spots are, and then if I have a blind spot that may have been offensive or exclusive to someone, I say, “I am so sorry; that is not my intent, but it doesn’t matter what my intent is because that’s how you received it and it was not good for you.” It’s about acknowledging that and being humble in that process.
VR: What are some of the biggest challenges for leaders who are trying to create space and be humble?
IM: Being comfortable with the way things have always been, that’s the biggest challenge because there’s a minority, right? There’s a small group of people that may have one difference, so you may be similar on lots of levels but there’s one thing that makes them different that you’re not taking into account.
For example, we planned a learning event on Yom Kippur. We’re diverse in other ways, but most of the team is not Jewish. We had to change course. Once you start to gel as a team, you can lose the benefits of having divergent thinking and people who are willing to challenge the status quo. Again, it’s about being transparent and creating space for people to feel comfortable to call you out when your values are misaligned.
VR: Holidays are one of the safest activities for people to challenge each other and ask, Who are we censoring in this conversation? What’s your perspective on the evaluation side of pervasive inclusion in learning?
IM: A lot of companies talk about bringing your whole self to work. Well, bringing my whole self to work comes with kids, other interests and passions, and all sorts of things. It’s thinking broader than typical accommodations and asking about representation. One powerful example is that you can barely find stock photos of a pregnant woman in a leadership role. The same goes for someone with a different ability, like someone in a wheelchair. [It’s about] looking at those little details and asking, Did you feel like this class represented you? Did you feel like this was targeted toward you? It’s about broadening our lens of what we consider diversity. That’s why I say pervasive inclusion because it’s beyond gender, race, and religion.
Another example is college-educated versus not. We’re a retail company, so people grow in our company in different ways. Not everyone has a four-year degree, but sometimes I’m guilty of making that assumption, which is exclusive [behavior]. It’s important to be mindful of that and [ask yourself] how you can create space to acknowledge and honor [everyone’s] experiences.
VR: When incorporating this into learning and development, what are some of the most impactful practices that the company you work for uses to cater to learners?
IM: We created a series of learning videos, and they were great because they were reflective of real associates with diverse perspectives. By casting a wide net, we were able to include a diverse group of leaders to give advice and have learners learn directly from them versus me trying to create the training videos.
VR: It can be hard to get stakeholders to understand the importance of pulling in a range of people, not just the personas they think. Were there any barriers with the participatory route, or is that natural for the culture at your company?
IM: Our stores are very diverse because we’re all over the country. We always say, “Reflect the communities that you’re in.” We believe in growing talent through the company from the cashier. Our EVP of stores started as a cashier. Because we have that growth pattern, we have all types of different people with tattoos and different hairstyles. This was one of the first times in my career where I felt like I could just be me and show up as myself. We embrace that if you’re doing a good job, what you look like doesn’t matter. I’m always looking for feedback, too: What are we missing? How do we keep those channels open for our associates to have a direct line of communication to us so that we can consistently improve and meet their needs?
VR: I love that approach. What impact does leaning into this work at the intersection of DE&I and learning have on you in a field that doesn’t have a significant amount of amplified BIPOC voices?
IM: One is being willing to have difficult conversations. Some people feel like it’s not their job to educate, but I invite that. When everything was going down with George Floyd and my peers came to me, I’m like, “Let’s have the conversation.” If someone doesn’t have the space or the energy to have these conversations with you, I certainly will, because, like I said, I have to give you the opportunity to create space for me. I have to take a risk and share my experiences, be transparent, and educate. I have a seat at the table. I’m the only Black woman on my director team of 10, and people can get a little squeamish when everybody turns to you to be the representative. I often say, “I am not the representative. Someone else may have a very different experience based on the people they’ve encountered, but this is my perspective.” The second piece that’s helped me is trying to not let microaggressions and what I perceive to be the situation impact me. It’s always served me well to do what I think is right and not worry about the things I can’t control or what someone’s perception of me.
VR: All of us build our seats at the table for different reasons. Some of us are creating a chair to sit in the street and protest to drive change. Some of us are designed to have access to corporate spaces where we can make a significant and impactful change. We use those opportunities to make sure that we are inviting people into the conversation and allowing people to learn and unlearn together. I’m glad the company you work for has your voice because it sounds like you’re doing some fantastic work.
IM: Thank you. I appreciate having a voice and being at the table. I often share that it’s a matter of two things: psychological safety and physical safety. Some people have more things that may be a threat to them based on their gender or race. We can have these dialogues and make it safe for you to say what you don’t understand and vice versa. We have to create that safety for everyone.
VR: How do you create that psychological safety?
IM: For me it’s about breaking down the barriers of hierarchy and making it more of a democracy for my team by not speaking first, letting other people chime in, and honoring when someone takes a risk and has divergent thinking. I also try to be transparent of my development by letting my team know how I’m trying to improve. My role is to support my team and enable them to do their job, which isn’t any more important than their role. I include them in decision-making, and when we have uncomfortable moments, I’m intentional about following up and asking for feedback: How could I have handled that situation better? How did I make you feel in that situation? I also try to do check-ins and ask questions like Do you feel valued? Do you feel like I appreciate the work that you’re doing? If you don’t feel comfortable telling me, please tell my boss or my HR partner, because that’s a problem, and I want to know.
VR: This was an awesome time. My last question for you is what are you reading or listening to right now that has your attention?
IM: From a diversity standpoint, it’s The Memo, but the team is also reading Atomic Habits. Talking about full transparency, I’m reading Conquer Worry and Anxiety. I took on this director role during the pandemic and I have two children, so there’s a lot of heightened worry and anxiety, and the book talks about mindfulness and breathing practices.
VR: I love it. Thank you for sharing.
About Imani Mance
Imani Mance has spent most of her career focused on improving business outcomes through people focused leadership and talent development. Imani has a unique background that includes information technology consulting, web and graphic design, instructional design, and human resources. She leverages this experience to champion learning experiences that are “frictionless”….meaning that seamlessly integrate into the dynamic working environment of employees today, but are inclusive of diverse groups of learners. That is why she continues to serve on the board of the African American Pulse, an associate resource group at her current employer that works to foster a diverse and inclusive workplace. Finally, if there is one thing Imani would want you to remember about her, it is that she approaches her work with the belief that “Everyone shows up wanting to do a good job, and it’s her job to make doing a GREAT job easier.”
Interested in digging deeper into this topic? Be sure to check out the recording of Imani Mance’s keynote from the 2021 eXLearn Virtual Conference.
