Discomfort is part of the process

I’m telling you, I’ve seen it in my own organization. If the leadership does not value, and has not embraced diversity, equity and inclusion, no real change will happen.

The remarks from the program officer, who I counted as a friend, cut deep. I knew she was being honest and direct with me, as always, and yet the eternal optimist in me kept hoping she was wrong because not all of our leadership was on board.

The context of that conversation was that the program officer was telling me that philanthropy is not much different from the modern conservation movement: rooted in wealth, power and privilege; founded and led for years by men, many from families of privilege or high socio-economic status; and built on a foundation of (Western) science- or data-driven decision-making. While she believed firmly in the work she was doing, she also—as a woman of color who was younger than many of her colleagues and supervisors—experienced daily challenges when she tried to create change in her portion of the foundation. Every grant she recommended to be awarded to a BIPOC- (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) led organization was questioned in much greater detail than those going to white-led organizations. She was frequently asked what Black people think about an issue because she was the only Black program officer, even though she could not begin to speak for all Black individuals. She was often shut down in staff meetings when she voiced an opinion that reflected her lived experience, because “…her remarks made others uncomfortable.” When she advocated for the foundation to encourage diversity among grantees’ boards and staff leadership, she was told to be more patient, that “…change takes time.”

As a program director, I worked to begin changing the things over which I had control while also working to grow understanding and support across the organization. We had already hired professionals who reflected the identities and perspectives of our external partners, so I worked with the HR director to make changes to my team’s job descriptions and new position descriptions to better reflect the skills and experience team members had and those we sought.

When land protection colleagues asked for help in distributing position announcements to more diverse audiences, we worked together to post announcements at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities and other institutions with predominantly students (and faculties) of color. The HR director incorporated a session on diversity, equity and inclusion in the next supervisor training process, recognizing that incorporating diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the entire supervisor training was the next step.

Along the way, I asked hard questions, which yielded both positive results —from colleagues who were interested in the organization more accurately reflecting the demographics of our service area—and negative results from colleagues who felt that incorporating diversity, equity and inclusion into our work was “mission drift.” I learned it was important to be able to share both data, such as maps showing the diversity of demographics and socio-economic conditions in areas of high natural resource value, and stories of engagement with, and support from, people and places that were different from our typical audiences. Staff conversations and “book clubs” formed both by design and organically, to provide spaces for discussion and exploration of the changes needed and, ultimately, a DEIJ work group was appointed by the organization’s leadership.

There were more steps than can be recounted in a couple of paragraphs, and the change was slow. There were more colleagues who wanted to be a part of the organizational journey and change than I had anticipated. There were times that I had to enlist the help of colleagues, either to help me figure out how to say things differently or to say things that were more likely to “be heard” coming from them. There were times I was told to stand down, that I was aggravating key leaders. There were also times that board members thanked me and colleagues for the external work with diverse organizations and communities, and asked what they could do to help the organization move forward on its internal journey. And there were times when the relationships of trust that had been developed with people and places that were different fully advanced the conservation goals of the organization while also helping the external partners meet broader community goals.

As my friend the program officer would say, “If you’ve met one foundation, you’ve met one foundation.” Likewise, each of our land trusts is unique in its own way: in our goals, priorities, service areas, partnerships and more. An organizational journey toward diversity, equity and inclusion—just like the Individual journey—must, by definition, be thoughtful, planned out and, simultaneously, organic, to address issues that arise unexpectedly. As with any growth process, it’s important to look back at your organization’s history, determine where it is now, and identify action steps, timelines, individuals responsible for carrying out actions, anticipated outcomes and measures of success. Your organization’s journey must address the specific issues and needs for change and requires the support and leadership of the organization’s board and staff leaders.

By definition, your organization’s journey will be rooted in discomfort because of the need to change actions and behaviors. While discomfort may not feel good at the moment, it is part of the natural process of change. Think of it as setting your goals to run a half-marathon if you’ve never run before: You start out slow, perhaps walking first then running one step at a time and work to build up your stamina and build up the muscles you need to complete the run. Even when you’re fully in shape for the half-marathon, in the initial part of your run, you’ll find you’re breathing hard and it’s painful but then you work through that spot and hit your stride for the rest of the activity.

The most important thing to remember, though, is that it is perhaps one of the most worthwhile journeys your organization will ever undertake. It is a journey for the people and places we care about, and it is a journey for the future: for our children, grandchildren and the planet.