The power of understanding: diversity in the workplace

There’s power in understanding, embracing and appreciating our differences. Simon Fanshawe is looking at how organisations can harness this power in their approach to diversity and inclusion. We met with him to discuss what inspires a Perrier Award winning comic to become a diversity and human rights champion – and how organisations can bring about effective change. 

What inspired your transition from a Perrier Award winning comic to the world of diversity and human rights?

What were the key findings of your research into people’s ability to talk and discuss diversity and inclusion within the workplace?

"I’ve found that there’s a need to rebuild and strengthen the trust between employees and employers when it comes to conversations around diversity and inclusion. For employers, there’s a huge level of anxiety around getting it ‘wrong’, while for employees, there’s a lack of trust in management. So, it’s about addressing that lack of trust and finding ways to help people work together. Fundamentally, diversity and inclusion are about the fact we’re all different – and we don't always understand each other. Addressing this is a good starting point for any organisation. 

I feel so strongly about this, that I wrote a book exploring the concept called ‘The Power of Differences’. It operates on the very fundamental idea that we can't understand each other. But the great joy is trying to do so, even though we know that we never will."

Managers need to have a good relationship with the people they’re looking after. But are we placing too much of a burden of responsibility on the individual manager?

"I have incredible empathy for managers, and we're asking a lot of them. It's a very complex job managing a group of different people with diverse needs and working out what motivates them. We’re all randomly thrown together at work. We don’t know each other, and we must find a way of collaborating. It’s not easily done, but it’s simply stated.

"What’s important is to find a way of understanding each other’s differences, respecting what everyone contributes, and appreciating how they approach ideas differently. From there, you can figure out how you can all work together to achieve a common objective."

There’s recently been a newfound focus on diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Is this making it more difficult or more straightforward to deal with health and wellbeing issues?

"I think it makes it more difficult. This focus has meant that diversity and inclusion issues tend to be discussed in academic language, which can alienate people. I prefer to look at it like we’re all experts in diversity, because we’re all human and we don’t all understand each other!

"What we need to appreciate is that some groups of people have different experiences from other groups of people. But that doesn't define their life or their experience, it might just describe an aspect of it. 

"Everybody has got conditions for their success. And I think one of the most important things is that managers and organisations try to understand what they are. At the same time, they shouldn’t stigmatise people for having certain needs."

The way that organisations and employees are thinking about the data they have, particularly health data, is changing. How are these changing attitudes are impacting how organisations collect and store employee data?  

"It’s important to have both individual data and collective data to understand wellbeing and diversity issues. It's also important to label data accurately and understand exactly what you're describing.  

"There’s an obvious tension between offering personalised or customised care and support for employees, and organisations not wanting to handle private, confidential data – or indeed, employees not wanting to share it.

"A lot of it comes down to trust. Employers must explain what they are going to do with that data, and how they’re going to protect it. They've also got to build a relationship of trust with individual employees and managers and say, “I really want to know what your conditions for success are, so we can work together to make sure you do the best you can”."

If you were able to get the chief executives of major UK employers into a room, what would your advice be on how they could lead their organisations in terms of diversity and inclusion?

"My advice would be to lead in a way that values difference, is interested in dialogue, and understands that everybody in your business has different things to contribute. I'd also ask them, “how are you going to contribute using your differences, and how can those characteristics interact with the differences of the people you're working with?” From there, you can look at how you can collaborate around a common objective."

How can employers help improve employee wellbeing, and how important is it that they provide employees with wellbeing tools and resources?

"Ultimately, I think we've all got a responsibility for our own wellbeing. But what employers can do is give employees the platform, wherewithal, and the tools to do so. It should be a collaboration. And employers should also value and help employees thrive through any challenges they may face."