Workplace Culture & Engagement
Workplace equality: Not a question of ‘Why?’, but ‘How?’ Author and leadership coach Susan Popoola argues that investment in equality, diversity and inclusion can bring an organisation immediate and immense benefits.
M Inclusive environments can unlock immense potential
S
usan Popoola is the founder of business and talent management consultancy Mosaic Fusions, youth support organisation, Mosaic Wise CIC, and a published author. She has worked with organisations and business leaders from Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the USA, to develop inclusive and productive workplaces that embrace the richness of diversity. Her dedication to empowering future generations has led her to establish Mosaic Wise, enhancing her work with children and young adults as they navigate the complexities of life. This includes the Christmas letters initiative for young people who are careexperienced, recognising the challenges of being alone during festive occasions. An accomplished author who has lived in Milton Keynes for 20 years, she has written Touching the Heart of Milton Keynes: A Social Perspective, Consequences:
Diverse to Mosaic Britain and Male Perspectives on The Value of Women at Work. Her writing reflects Ms Popoola’s strong belief in the inherent value of every individual. At this year’s Women Leaders UK Awards, Ms Popoola - who was shortlisted under the category of None of The Above due to the diversity of her work - received an award for Transforming Lives. “She is a leader with a heart to represent those voices that are not always heard,” said Liz Newell, partner at profesional services firm and award sponsor MHA. For Ms Popoola, the award is encouragement to continue her work supporting leaders and others with the belief that true strength lies in its ability to harness the value each person brings. “By creating inclusive environments that celebrate individuality, we can unlock immense potential and achieve remarkable success together,” she said.
Susan Popoola receives her Women Leaders UK Award from MHA partner Liz Newell
To feature or comment email: news@businessmk.co.uk
ost business leaders now recognise the importance of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at work. There are those who believe that there is a moral or Corporate Social Responsibility for their organisations to represent society; those who understand that diverse teams, that are inclusive, fostering a sense of belonging are more effective and profitable to business. Others are aware that a lack of representation can be damaging to their brand image. EDI is therefore no longer a question of why, but how. Most specifically, how do we make it effective? Focused on gender but with the understanding that it has wider relevance, I explored EDI for my book Male Perspectives on The Value of Women at Work. There are numerous initiatives aimed at bringing about change and improving the experiences and progression of women at work. Progress is still, however, limited and does not reflect the quality of some of the initiatives nor the capabilities women have to offer. This left the curious child in me with the question: Why? Much has been said on the subject of gender equality from the perspectives of women but I was curious about the viewpoints of men. Through interviews with 30 men between the ages of 16 and 74 and from a rich diversity of backgrounds and professional experiences, I learned how the external environment to the workplace, the manner in which men and women navigate the workplace differently, together with organisation structures and design, impact men and women differently. Dr Tariq Siddique, who works as a leadership coach, highlighted some of the external factors such as how children are still treated differently on the basis of gender in most homes and in education. In addition, gender roles are often assigned within the books students read, with the message reinforced by the media. There is a predominance of
men in leadership positions in education and other areas within society. This all impacts the way in which men and women navigate the workplace differently, with men typically feeling a greater sense of entitlement than women, leading them to navigate the work environment more confidently. This is not to speak negatively of men but the fact is also that the workplace was historically designed by and for men. On the basis of my research and the subsequent conversations I have had, some of the key consequences I have observed are that women are less likely to apply for roles or ask for promotions than men, even when they are just as competent or even more competent than their male counterparts. Unlike men, women are also more likely to accept an initial salary offer while men will typically negotiate on an offer. Men are also much more likely to ask for a salary increase than women. This means that if a woman and a man are both offered £50,000 a year for a position, the woman may end up starting on a £50,000 salary while the man begins on £60,000. Even with merely regular cost of living increases, the gap between the two is likely to increase each year. However, the increase is widened even further when you take account of additional salary increase requests that men may demand. This has major implications on organisations’ quest to decrease the gender pay gap.
L
eading business consultant Thomas Power believes that women bring great value to the workplace but do not push enough and make themselves visible. “Women tend to take a more peripheral view while men tend to look straight ahead,” he said. Others also spoke of how they have benefited from working with women and learned to think differently. Men are further advantaged by their access to networks with decision-makers which
Organisations need to be clear about the competencies they really need as essential or desirable. They otherwise will not get the best person for the job. provides them with advanced knowledge, visibility and access to opportunities. Women will never have access to some of these networks. Keith Howell, a former chief design engineer at Rolls Royce, speaks of a need for ‘conscious shifts’ in leaders’ decision-making to take account of this. Women’s value can only be truly realised with the allyship of men, acting as sponsors and not just mentors. There is also a need to support men and to define the new role of men for their benefit and a future workplace that optimises the value of everyone. A number of system shifts are required by organisations that want to bring about gender equity and realise the full value of both men and women in their workspaces. This starts with reviewing the traits and competencies that are valued within organisations. Historically, organisations place more value on masculine traits more typically demonstrated by men such as competitiveness, linear thinking and independence. This not only disadvantages women; it means organisations miss out on the feminine traits more often displayed by women, such as collaboration, intuition and interdependence. There is also the need for organisations to review
how they assess and reward competencies. It should not matter that men are more likely to apply for a role if they do not meet the competencies than women. Either the competencies are not a true requirement or assessments should rule such men out. Organisations need to be clear about the competencies they really need as essential or desirable. They otherwise will not get the best person for the job. They also need to go further and make a conscious effort to ensure that there is an openness about all opportunities within their organisations and the competencies required. Reward also needs to be linked to roles, competencies and outcomes, not based on who is best able to negotiate for the highest return. The required changes will take a fair amount of consultation and dialogue to obtain buy-in and get things right. But the returns for organisations that do will be both immense and immediate. Susan Popoola MA CIPD FRSA Human Value Optimisation Maximising Productivity| Leveraging The Value of People www.MosaicWorld.live Susan@MosaicWorld.live 07957 743022
Business MK | December 2023
15
