I have had an epiphany.

Who knew that working to build:

- Increased creativity and innovation,

- Employee engagement,

- Accessing the best talent,

- Better problem solving,

- Improved business results,

- Fairness and equity,

- Competitive advantage

- Company reputation

And more….. is start/stop work. Boom or bust?

As part of starting The Culture Ministry I also started The Culture Club for organisations.

An annual membership consisting of curated resources for Diversity & Inclusion work. Research, articles, templates and tools, specialist organisations, videos and podcasts.

Depending on the organisation and their needs it could also include research and advisory services, presentations on specific topics, and coaching.

The restaurant was modest, humble. Having lived in New Zealand over three years now I would say, a relatively typical restaurant. However, it didn’t take long to work out we had stumbled into something quite special.

The pine tables and modest interior quickly gave way to an incredibly knowledgeable sommelier. And the food? Unbelievably good. Chef’s kiss.

It wasn’t long before we googled the restaurant to discover it was an award winning, top New Zealand restaurant.

Over the past couple of weeks I have been speaking to people working in Diversity & Inclusion and hearing about the current challenges.

These range from having to get executive team approval for small changes, through to dealing with the emotions created by political leaders in the US and countries closer to or at home.

Having other people for support, learning and to build your network with will help you to succeed.

What we specialise in is :

• DEI Audits, Surveys, benchmarking and Self ID work– basically helping organisations have good data, and make good decisions with it.

• Crafting Diversity & Inclusion strategy that connects with the organisations purpose, and who they serve. In my view trying to be everything to everyone needs to stop.

• Inclusive leadership development – not the 2 hour workshop delivery and leave kind. I like working with leadership teams from 8-10 months and up to 2 years because what leaders say and do has a massive impact on your culture and how included people feel.

• Providing the structures and tools for Employee Resource Groups to be successful, support inclusion and better business outcomes.

When I first started working in Diversity & Inclusion, I was the only person doing this role, in a very large organisation.

It was during Covid, and while I was part of a team of people we were all working in different areas, no one was doing what I was doing, and we were located all over the world.

It. Was. Lonely.

One of the biggest problems I didn’t anticipate in running The Culture Ministry, a Diversity & Inclusion consulting business, is getting paid.

You would think this is a straightforward task.

I do the agreed work. I give the company an invoice. They pay invoice by the date specified on the invoice. Done.

Not done 😩

I remember the day well.

The day I found out the incumbent in the global Diversity & Inclusion role in my company, had resigned. Who would resign from such an amazing role? (I thought to myself.)

I applied, and secured that role. And this is where things went a bit sideways.

When I first started working in my career in human resources, which included organisational development, change management and diversity and inclusion, I was given opportunities not because I knew all the things.

I was given opportunities because I could work stuff out. I remember saying in one interview (multiple times) that no I didn't know how to do that yet but I would love to learn. I got that job.

Are you asking for permission to coach or give advice? Or just ploughing ahead anyway?

Are you taking up all the verbal space and oxygen while people’s eyes are glazing over? 

Have you forgotten how a conversation works? Or your manners? Your ethics? Your curiosity?

Inclusion is about good conversations.

For ages, my happy place was influencing leaders through sheer charm and persuasive arguments (cue evil laugh: mwahahaha). Building relationships and connections felt like the real way to make change happen in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).

But I've had a bit of an epiphany. While relationships are key, backing them up with solid data? That's where the magic really happens.

Yes Trump’s second presidency and the associated media hype around his executive orders are creating a backlash against Diversity Equity and Inclusion work. Unfortunately, this wasn’t a new situation.

You know how we are told, particularly women, to say yes to opportunities, and then work out the details later?

Well…..

I was contemplating this thought as I entered the gym this morning. Luckily, because it’s raining, I suspect, the gym was very quiet. The last time I went (over a week ago, on a public holiday), it was heaving. So. Many. People. There were people on every machine. Sometimes two people taking turns. 

When I was returning to work 4 months after the birth of our first son. It was hard. It was hard because my manager didn’t remember I was coming back. It was hard because my husband didn’t think he would need to pick up or drop off our son at childcare. It was hard because I wanted to crawl under my desk and just sleep from exhaustion.

This week (Monday 1 August to Sunday 7 August) is world breastfeeding week. This week makes me reflect each year on my journey breastfeeding my two boys. Of course, we all know that breast is best but it’s not an easy road and it’s not for everyone. It’s important to remember that fed is best. When you are in the fog of a young baby you can get pretty caught up on stuff that doesn’t matter too much in the long run.

I used to love international women’s day. I used to love the events that brought fabulous women together to celebrate their fabulousness. I loved listening to different speakers and hearing about their career journey. I loved the opportunity to get dressed up and attend lunches and morning and afternoon teas, and breakfasts and cocktail events.

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.

“I’m so tired of talking and sharing about successes….”

I started The Culture Ministry because over the past 20 years of my career (mainly in male dominated businesses) I have been frustrated by the lack of progress and change needed to improve diversity and inclusion in organisations.