I don’t know about you…but I NEED this weekend. I can feel the strain of everything that we are all being asked to endure, from COVID-19 to social upheaval and everything in between, taking its inexorable toll.
I will admit, I’ve been getting a little “crankier” than usual and ranting a little more often on social media. I want to share one of these rants (well, perhaps it’s not that bad) because I think the sentiment is important to keep top of mind as we embark on our good work in the industry. The original Twitter thread (slightly edited for clarity) is below:
A Series of Heartbreaking Emails
I have been getting a series of (frankly heartbreaking) emails from black and brown brewery workers who are taking on the task of “helping with” or even spearheading their organization’s new equity and inclusion efforts.
Let’s S L O W D O W N for a moment.
While many of these folx volunteered for this work, too many are doing so because they feel that the work will not get done otherwise. They are taking on what may be a tremendous amount of work, without compensation, and without expertise in the field.
I am not suggesting that we should give up on these efforts. But I beg brewery leadership out there to consider some important things.
1) Keep in mind that E&I work is an area of organizational/management theory and practice that requires commitment and expertise. Having black or brown skin does not confer this commitment or expertise upon anyone. Please, realize what you are asking of these folx and scale your ask appropriately. (Also, please recognize that failing to acknowledge that equity and inclusion work is hard, complex, and requires a considerable investment of resources is part of the problem).
2) Recognize the value of this labor. If additional compensation is not feasible, consider relieving these good folx of some of their regular responsibilities. Include this activity in their performance reviews and allow it to contribute to their cases for future leadership roles.
3) Provide support and scaffolding. Make sure that this person has access to resources and expertise. Even better, provide a budget (even a small one) or actual decision-making ability. Create a responsibility structure to support their work and share accountability for these processes.
4) Develop realistic expectations and let them know that this is a long-term effort. The pressure to “get results now” is very real and very detrimental in work that by necessity must be careful, considered, and sustained.
5) Don’t set up your folx to be a “diversity champion” on an island. Research in the field has proven over and over that this approach does not work. Aim for integration and transparency.