It’s time to break up.

Enough. I’m breaking up with International Wowen’s Day

Alone in a room?

Do you sometimes feel like you are working alone in a room?

Of course there’s every chance that you are actually working alone in a room, still at home. Stupid pandemic.

We want to hear from you!

First of it’s kind, one of a kind….just like yo

Awwww….isn’t that sweet? This is our special valentines day newsletter all about love. And I’m looking for your love. What does this look like?

What are you worth? Launching next week….

I started The Culture Ministry because working in Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) can be lonely, and progress can be slow. There is a lot to do in this space and there is a lot to learn.

The news has been filled this week with COP26, the UN climate change conference being held in Glasgow in the coming days. News topics include which world leaders are attending or sending their delegates (in person or online,) with the implication that those attending online may be less committed and what climate goals (or not) countries are committing to.

I often get asked why I started a podcast. And why is it called A Dog Called Diversity. I got asked this very question today.

For me I think there are two parts to working diversity and inclusion for a large organisation. The first part holds for many corporate type roles. I call this the “organisational navigation and getting stuff done” piece. It’s hard to believe I don’t work in marketing isn’t it?

A few months ago I was asked to share my experiences, working in diversity and inclusion with a group of human resources business partners. A group that was increasingly being asked to take on more responsibilities for driving diversity and inclusion (D&I) initiatives in their part of the business. It’s fair to say they were pretty engaged and asked lots of good questions.

One of the questions was about how to handle people in the business who were disruptive in meetings when they were talking about D&I work.

I have been a bike widow for quite a long time now. My husband loves to ride bikes, and buy bikes, and buy bike clothing and do bike races and go on biking holidays and watch bike racing. There are many late nights in front of the tv experiencing the latter. Him not me, though sometimes I get corralled in to watch too.

So what the hell does this have to do with diversity, equality and inclusion?

I was going to start off by saying I’m annoyed today but actually, I’m pissed off. But not just today, it’s been building over the last week.

It started with a conversation with a friend. She was telling me about a meeting with the leadership team she is part of (as the only woman). During the meeting each of the male members expressed their concern that they shouldn’t be focusing on gender targets as part of their diversity and inclusion work.

When I first started working in large organisations 20 years ago, the focus was on safety; whether people got physically injured at work. At the time I worked for the largest port management and stevedoring company in the world. While I worked there, every month we had a fatality at one of our ports. One month a truck driver was run over by his own truck. The next month a stevedore fell into the hull of a ship and died. The following month a wind burst pushed a quay crane over killing the crane operator. And on it went. Month after month in parts of our business around the world.

How would you feel if this was one of your family?

I have a project that’s come out of some inclusion survey results. I have been dreading it a bit to be honest. Not because the work is not needed or because I don’t think it’s important, but because it’s a massive project and because I think the way I was going to approach the project may not get the best outcome. But I didn’t really know why…..it was just a feeling.

So I kept moving and kept talking to people. Because you have to keep moving.

Over the weekend I was reflecting on someone who has been a great support to me in my career. I met Joe Fischer very early in my HR career in Sydney, when the only thing I had going for me was a great attitude and a willingness to learn. Not much actual experience.

Joe was the Head of Human Resources for a part of the business I worked for. I don’t think I ever worked directly for him, but he was such a source of support, kindness, learning and generosity.