WEBVTT - DEI Is About People, Not Politics

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<v Speaker 1>You're listening to Bloomberg Business Week with Carol Messer and

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<v Speaker 1>Bloomberg Quick Takes Tim Stenovic on Bloomberg Radio.

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<v Speaker 2>Tim and I everybody here at Bloomberg. We talk a

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<v Speaker 2>lot about data. We talked about bias in data, and

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<v Speaker 2>our next guest thinks a lot about how your unconscious

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<v Speaker 2>bias is affecting how you interact with your colleagues. According

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<v Speaker 2>to this woman, she's an award winning diversity consultant and

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<v Speaker 2>international corporate speaker. Her bio notoe. She is diversity personified.

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<v Speaker 2>She's a CEO and entrepreneur. She's black, she's a female,

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<v Speaker 2>she's bisexual. She's an ex preacher's wife, left handed and

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<v Speaker 2>a former division ie athlete. So she looks at life

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<v Speaker 2>from a lot of different vantage points. Curious to see

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<v Speaker 2>what she says about her diverse and yet divided atmosphere.

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<v Speaker 2>So welcome to Richa Grant. She's CEO of her own firm,

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<v Speaker 2>speaking and consulting from Richa Grant ELLC. She's worked with

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<v Speaker 2>the likes of Google, Levi, Xerox, Utube, p and G, Samsung, Harvard,

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<v Speaker 2>and parts of the US military. And she too has

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<v Speaker 2>a book on this side. Object better than your bs,

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<v Speaker 2>how radical acceptance empowers authenticity and creates a workplace culture

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<v Speaker 2>of inclusion. She is with Tim and me on zoom

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<v Speaker 2>from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Risha, really delighted to have you here

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<v Speaker 2>with us, and no doubt about it, your background really

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<v Speaker 2>caught our attention. Talk to us a little bit about

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<v Speaker 2>yourself and how your diverse background and looking at the

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<v Speaker 2>world from a lot of different points shapes your thoughts

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<v Speaker 2>about diversity and inclusion.

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<v Speaker 3>Definitely well, first and foremost, thanks so much for having me.

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<v Speaker 3>This is a topic that's been near and dear to

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<v Speaker 3>my heart my entire life. You know, growing up in Oklahoma,

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<v Speaker 3>it's not a place where diversity is celebrated in the

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<v Speaker 3>way that it should be. And so I don't think

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<v Speaker 3>that I chose it. I really think that it chose me.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, from the time I was a kid. This

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<v Speaker 3>is something that I have cared deeply about, and I'm

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<v Speaker 3>really frustrated with where we are now in the.

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<v Speaker 4>World because I believe that we are.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, we're prioritizing politics over people, and that's really

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<v Speaker 3>really all diversity and inclusion is about.

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<v Speaker 1>What do you mean when you say that that we're

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<v Speaker 1>prioritizing politics over people right now? What are some examples

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<v Speaker 1>of that.

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<v Speaker 3>I think you see it in all the all of

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<v Speaker 3>the elections stuff that's about to start happening for twenty

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<v Speaker 3>twenty four.

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<v Speaker 4>I think when you.

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<v Speaker 3>Look at the LGBT plus community, a lot of bills,

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<v Speaker 3>like over four or five hundred bills have been introduced

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<v Speaker 3>right to really stop the growth of that community. And

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<v Speaker 3>I feel like it's something that is being used as fear.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, it's being used people are prioritizing LGBT over

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<v Speaker 3>family values, and you know, it's really especially when you

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<v Speaker 3>drill down into transgender and it is really something that

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<v Speaker 3>is getting teeth right now, when really we're just talking

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<v Speaker 3>about humanity. You know, That's that's the whole thing about

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<v Speaker 3>this is we are talking about humanity.

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<v Speaker 4>We're talking about allowing people to just be who they are.

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<v Speaker 4>I am curious.

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<v Speaker 2>I am curious about who you are and where you

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<v Speaker 2>have felt the most stop signs are pushback? Was it

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<v Speaker 2>as a CEO, as an entrepreneur, being black, being a female,

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<v Speaker 2>being bisexual, being an athlete? Where I feel like there

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<v Speaker 2>are still so many gaps between women athletes and male

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<v Speaker 2>athletes in our world, where have you and forgive me that.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm like, what's the worst experience, But I am curious

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<v Speaker 2>where you have felt so much pushback as you know,

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<v Speaker 2>being in one of those worlds or environments, if you will.

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<v Speaker 4>It's definitely for me it's it's been being black, you know.

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<v Speaker 3>And again growing up in Oklahoma.

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<v Speaker 4>You know, I come from a from a.

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<v Speaker 3>State where when we were when we would read about

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<v Speaker 3>in high school, for instance, we would read about a

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<v Speaker 3>Huckleberry Friend, Tom Story, you're all those things that you know,

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<v Speaker 3>they use the N word in this in those books,

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<v Speaker 3>and instead of you know, really talking about understand we're

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<v Speaker 3>not going to say that word, the black kids would

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<v Speaker 3>go out in the hall.

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<v Speaker 4>You know. And I remember even thinking then like, wow,

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<v Speaker 4>this is you know, this is crazy.

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<v Speaker 3>It was never the concept of let's not say this,

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<v Speaker 3>let's talk about talk about why this is a problem.

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<v Speaker 3>And then as I got older, I still had to

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<v Speaker 3>you know, I still had to experience being black, like

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<v Speaker 3>being bisexual, being a woman.

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<v Speaker 4>All of those things may have played a part in it.

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<v Speaker 3>But I know, for me, I've had many instances where

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<v Speaker 3>just being a black person has kept me from doing

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<v Speaker 3>some of the things that I wanted to do in life.

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<v Speaker 4>And so what I realized about.

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<v Speaker 3>Myself is that I developed a bias toward white people.

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<v Speaker 4>And that was something that was the game changer for me.

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<v Speaker 3>And because when I started this business, I started the

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<v Speaker 3>only diversity communications firm in the state of Oklahoma.

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<v Speaker 4>And when I got to tell you, it was the

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<v Speaker 4>most challenging thing I've ever done in my life.

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<v Speaker 3>It was insane, and I would get so much pushback,

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<v Speaker 3>and in my mind, I'm thinking, Wow, it's because you know,

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<v Speaker 3>it's because I'm black, It's because white people don't they

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<v Speaker 3>don't want to hear this, they don't care about this.

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<v Speaker 3>But when I realize that you know what, you're carrying

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<v Speaker 3>the same bias in to your meetings and in your

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<v Speaker 3>interactions that you're probably receiving.

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<v Speaker 4>So for me, it all starts with the person you know.

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<v Speaker 3>And I knew that I needed to recognize how my

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<v Speaker 3>bias was showing up in my behavior. And so when

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<v Speaker 3>I begin to change that and I begin to really

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<v Speaker 3>just look at people for who they are, I noticed

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<v Speaker 3>a big difference not only in myself but in the

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<v Speaker 3>people around me.

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<v Speaker 2>So we should take So I am curious, like when

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<v Speaker 2>you go into or google hires you, or wants to

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<v Speaker 2>work with you, Levi's or P and G or the

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<v Speaker 2>US military, Like when you go into and I'm sure

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<v Speaker 2>it's not all the same situations, but I am curious.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, what are you brought in to do and

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<v Speaker 2>what is it that's like top of mind or their concerns,

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<v Speaker 2>their worries that they want you to help them with.

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<v Speaker 3>It is really about because for companies, these discrimination lawsuits

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<v Speaker 3>are still one of the number one lawsuits that companies face.

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<v Speaker 3>And for them, if their culture is not connected, they

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<v Speaker 3>don't have cohesion, then you know, goals aren't being met,

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<v Speaker 3>people aren't happy.

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<v Speaker 4>You have to keep replacing people. So most of the

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<v Speaker 4>companies they want to make people aware of their biases.

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<v Speaker 3>Their unconscious biases, and how they're showing up toward their coworkers.

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<v Speaker 3>And so for me, I help them to identify own

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<v Speaker 3>and confront those issues because a lot of people still say, well,

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<v Speaker 3>I don't have bias, but I like to use this

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<v Speaker 3>audience engagement tool and it's completely anonymous.

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<v Speaker 4>So when I ask people where their biases are, it

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<v Speaker 4>is ridiculous.

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<v Speaker 3>Black people, white people, homeless people, overweight people, people with money.

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<v Speaker 4>You know, it's like we don't like anybody. We have

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<v Speaker 4>an issue with with everybody, And.

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<v Speaker 3>So I tell people all the time, like you know,

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<v Speaker 3>there are everybody does not Every white person is not racist,

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<v Speaker 3>every black person is not to be feared.

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<v Speaker 4>Every homeless person is not just lazy.

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<v Speaker 3>You know. We have to deal with the person in

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<v Speaker 3>front of us instead of looping them into a group

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<v Speaker 3>of people that may have offended you in the past,

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<v Speaker 3>because that's what happens. We have an interaction, it can

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<v Speaker 3>be in bad interaction, or we're living through the pains

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<v Speaker 3>and experiences of our of the people who raised us.

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<v Speaker 3>So they tell us things about people.

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<v Speaker 4>And we carry that for the rest of our lives.

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<v Speaker 3>We never even give people the chance. Well, you know,

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<v Speaker 3>and I try to tell people. You know, I tell

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<v Speaker 3>companies all the time, you don't have diversity problems, You

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<v Speaker 3>have people problems. Diversity is not a problem. Diversity is

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<v Speaker 3>a fact.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, that's what I wanted to talk to you about.

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<v Speaker 1>That's what I wanted to talk to you about. Because

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<v Speaker 1>a couple of years ago, I would say, in twenty twenty,

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<v Speaker 1>in the wake of George Floyd's murder, a company started

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<v Speaker 1>to talk about this in a different way. But I

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<v Speaker 1>don't know if they continued to talk about it. I

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<v Speaker 1>don't know if that kind of went away a little.

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<v Speaker 4>Bit A lot.

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<v Speaker 1>We agree, what are you seeing in your work?

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<v Speaker 3>Oh, it's been this year has been the most challenging

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<v Speaker 3>really since I started speaking. I've been doing this twenty

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<v Speaker 3>five years, so way before it was cool, and when

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<v Speaker 3>I started, it was more apathy. People just kind of

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<v Speaker 3>you know, they didn't get it. Now it's like people

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<v Speaker 3>get it, and they get it in a way that

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<v Speaker 3>scares them. So, if I'm being honest with you, like

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<v Speaker 3>one of the things the main things that's come out.

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<v Speaker 4>Of this year is DEI fatigue.

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<v Speaker 3>And I said, okay, please explain that to me. Well,

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<v Speaker 3>our employees are tired of hearing about DEI. Can we

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<v Speaker 3>talk about it from a culture standpoint and not say

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<v Speaker 3>the words DEI.

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<v Speaker 4>Well that's what I was happening, you know, twenty years ago.

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<v Speaker 3>And the thing is people may be tired of hearing it,

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<v Speaker 3>but think about the people that are tired of living

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<v Speaker 3>in it, and they're tired of dealing with it. And

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<v Speaker 3>so you've probably seen the numbers where I mean, I

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<v Speaker 3>think it's fifty percent of DEI directors or some really

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<v Speaker 3>big number like that have lost their jobs, you know,

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<v Speaker 3>because companies are now they're pulling back.

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<v Speaker 4>And the thing is you cannot pull back on people, right.

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<v Speaker 4>And the biggest fear, the.

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<v Speaker 3>Absolute biggest fear that I get when I really get

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<v Speaker 3>a chance to talk to my audience is.

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<v Speaker 4>That white people are they.

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<v Speaker 3>Fear that this is going to pull them out, right,

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<v Speaker 3>this is this is going to exclude them and any

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<v Speaker 3>company that's doing inclusion.

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<v Speaker 4>Right, it is about everybody.

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<v Speaker 3>It's not about pulling people out, it's about bringing everybody in.

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<v Speaker 4>Right. That's the problem is we've been pulling people out.

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<v Speaker 2>You talked about diversity officers. We did a story earlier

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<v Speaker 2>this year in February hiring for diversity officers stalls two

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<v Speaker 2>years after big promises. So it does feel like quite

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<v Speaker 2>quite a change. Listen, we run out of time, but

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<v Speaker 2>I hope we can continue this conversation in the future

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<v Speaker 2>because you really have made me certainly think about it.

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<v Speaker 2>The idea of it's not a diversity issue, it's a

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<v Speaker 2>people issue, I think is just a big theme and

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<v Speaker 2>a big way to think about this. Be well, and

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<v Speaker 2>hopefully we'll have you back soon. Richa Grant, CEO of

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<v Speaker 2>our own firm author of Better than Your Bs. Check

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<v Speaker 2>it out everybody