Communicating Beyond Promises: A D&I Dashboard

Over the last few months, we’ve had a parade of companies reacting to the racial unrest that followed the death of George Floyd.

Lots of promises were made. Some of it was money being donated, which is, in a sense, the easiest thing to do. Which is not to say it doesn’t matter, because I’m sure it does. But between writing a check and re-looking at everything you do, especially in the composition of your leadership teams, writing the check is the easier way to go.

Companies Face a Lack of Trust

Those promises are still out there and companies need to come to a reckoning with one inconvenient fact. The Spring update of the Edelman Trust Barometer shows that trust in business globally has fallen below trust in government. People don’t think companies do things they should—like pay living wages and address the impact of automation, for example.

Simply put, actions will speak louder than words. In fact, though words might have helped for now, companies who don’t follow through on their commitments are just postponing a storm that will gather in intensity.

To their credit, many of my communication colleagues have said that they are concerned about holding their company accountable with external stakeholders. It would be easy to think that once you communicated the promise, keeping it was someone else’s job. But, no one wants to be the person who mouthed empty promises.

Create a D&I Dashboard

The good news is that a model already exists for how to handle this. A few years ago, companies were facing similar pressure on sustainability and one of the steps they took was to develop public-facing sustainability dashboards.

Simply put, it allowed companies who meant to keep their promises to demonstrate that they were doing so. It proved there was action behind the words. Just as importantly, by memorializing the goalposts, it kept them from being moved by outside activists. In a sense, it gives the company control over the process.

Something like this is especially valuable for a company that might be a little behind the curve.

Here’s an example of what a D&I dashboard might look like:

A Diversity and Inclusion dashboard proves action is being taken and builds trust

This is simple blocking and tackling. The dashboard should be public facing, should be on the intranet and in a public place or places where employees can see it.

What’s interesting is that communications can be part of solving the problem, but not in the way people think. I think a lot of people think the communicators will “spin” the company out of whatever problem it has.

Here we change people’s minds by demonstrating reality in an accessible form and before we are asked. We don’t say there’s nothing to hide, we act like it. A strategic effort to be transparent and communicate factual information and track ongoing process is the communication solution that this problem calls for. Of course, good facts still have to be earned through action.