At the AgileTonight event on Tuesday, August 7, 2018, four Agile Alliance members shared stories about the direct effect of Diversity and Inclusion on their lives with a room full of other members. It was a first and I am very appreciative to be a part of that experience. It was the beginning of a conversation that was long overdue. Thank you Agile Alliance for demonstrating the courage to create space for this conversation to take place. I was one of the members sharing stories about inclusion. Many people came up to me and said thank you for being courageous and sharing your story, putting yourself out there meant a lot to me, and so on. Others felt the conversation was too light and did not go far enough, because they wanted a deeper dive into the Diversity and Inclusion topic. A few who were transparent said it was too sad and heavy. I will assume positive intent for those who felt the subject was too heavy.
The aftermath led to two separate conversations with eight Agile Alliance members attending the conference, including myself. We used Lean Coffee, created by Jim Benson and Jeremy Lightsmith, to create topics for the Diversity and Inclusion conversations.
Alex Harms, Jenny Tarwater, Cara Turner, and Steve Holyer podcast discussion topics:
- Why are we so fearful?
- Can I combine inclusivity and accessibility into one Agile Alliance initiative?
- Examples of things that help – learning from experiences that people already have
- What don’t I know?
Title: Diversity and Inclusion: Looking Forward – What we can do?
Host: Dr. Dave
Jason C. Hall, April Jefferson, and John Le Drew podcast discussion topics:
- Tactics for pay equity
- Hidden diversity
- How can you be an ally when you hear/see things?
Title: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Host: Dr. Dave
Diversity and Inclusion White Paper by Dr. Dave
I hope this conversation continues in a positive way for Agile coaches to be allies for team members and create safety for the inclusion of diverse identities. The diversity and inclusion conversation is relevant in our workplaces, communities, and homes. As Agile coaches, we are responsible for making work humane, we owe it to teams and organizations to create safety for diverse teams with diverse identities. The identities include age, gender, race/ethnicity, religion/spirituality, socioeconomic status, accessibility, and sexual orientation.
Thank you Agile Alliance for demonstrating the courage to create space for this conversation to take place.
Look for the KnolShare with Dr. Dave podcast on iTunes and Google Play.
The KnolShare with Dr. Dave Podcast is streamed on GrokShare.com.
If you have any questions for Dr. Dave reach out on twitter @DrCorneliusInfo or @KnolShare.
