Celebrating DIAN Decade

Celebrating DIAN Decade

The Diversity & Inclusion in Asia Network (DIAN) was established in 2008 as a means to share best practice, drive conversations and promote positive change among companies across the region. From its foundations with a small handful of pioneering companies, DIAN has grown in the leading network for companies and professionals committed to advancing diversity and inclusion in their organisations. DIAN focuses on driving thought-leadership and, over the last ten years, we have had the opportunity and privilege to work with some of the brightest thinkers in D&I, including renowned authors, consultants and experts, all of whom have direct experience working with companies and shaping D&I strategy. To celebrate DIAN Decade, we invited these experts and partners to take part in a podcast series, joining the conversation and bringing their expertise on how D&I has evolved in Asia over the last 10 years. In conducting these podcast interviews a number of key themes emerged:

 

How are we redefining leadership and driving culture change?

For D&I to work in our organisations, we need to understand that it is a nuanced, long-term process that requires collective, constant, and consistent effort at all fronts and at all levels. It is a transformational journey that requires a change management mindset. One of the challenges of working with multinational corporations in Asia is making progress on complex issues that require unique approaches in different markets. This is a particular challenge when the tendency is to find an efficient regional approach with clear-cut metrics you can compare globally. The future of work seems to be moving towards more autonomy for employees, and the future of D&I should be no different. Valuing and empowering local D&I champions to effect change will, hopefully, help address issues and highlight opportunities that resonate with individuals.

  • Inclusive Leadership and Culture Change in the 21st Century | Interview with Gulnar Vaswani, Chief Cultural Officer, Gulnar Vaswani

Gulnar Vaswani ‘re-imagines’ leadership in the 21st Century, particularly the Asian leader, and talks about how culture and values help make behavioural change long-lasting. She also discusses the complex interplay of global dynamics and local culture in the workplace, bringing in multiple dimensions of diversity into the conversation. Listen here

  • ‘The Invisible Elephant' and Other Obstacles to Growth | Interview with Tom Verghese, Founder & principal Consultant, Cultural Synergies

Tom Verghese highlights that it is important to develop leaders who have a truly global mindset – which may be more Asia-focused and less Western-centric than in the past. Tom also shares the nuanced tools and methods he has developed over the years to build dynamic leadership styles for Asian leaders. Listen here

  • Leading Multicultural Teams | Interview with Jane Hyun, author of Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling at co-author of Flex

Jane Hyun discusses the ‘Bamboo Ceiling’ and how to help local talent become more ‘global’. She gives practical advice on how organisations and today’s global leaders can ‘flex’ and more effectively manage and lead a multicultural workforce. Listen here

  • Thriving in a multi-cultural workplace and building resilience | Interview with Suzanne Price, Founder, Price Global

Suzanne Price makes the case for acknowledging the typically siloed issues that individuals face based on their race, culture, nationality, or gender. She tackles the key challenges that Asians face, including double image management and unconscious bias, as well as mental health. Listen here

  • Implementing 'The Live Case Study' | Interview with Connie Wong, Founder & Managing Director, CSW Associates Inc.

Connie Wong's talks about unconscious bias and how training to mitigate biases, particularly around cultural differences, has evolved over the years. She focuses on the interactive 'live case study' as a tool for expanding conversations and building awareness around D&I. Listen here

 

Who are we excluding?

Even with the best intentions, certain key stakeholders tend to be excluded from our D&I efforts. The three interviews below highlight a few areas that tend to get overlooked.

  • Engaging Men to Promote Gender Equity | Interview with Michael Kaufman, Senior Fellow, Promundo

Michael Kaufman shares what inspired him to start the White Ribbon Campaign and its impact and evolution over the past three decades. He also discusses current gender equity movements, such as #MeToo, and what companies and individuals, men in particular, can do next to address this. Listen here

  • Transgender Inclusion | Interview with Shubha Chacko, Executive Director, Solidarity Foundation

Shubha Chacko discusses the often overlooked ‘T’ on the LGBT+ spectrum – explaining the concept of transgender inclusion and how companies can use an Asian / local approach to overcome resistance to sexual minority inclusion. She also touches on the subject of caste in the Indian workplace. Listen here

  • Mental Health, Disability and The Invisible 9% | Interview with Nadine Vogel, Founder and President, Springboard Consulting Disability and mental health are emerging as key focus areas for employers.

Nadine Vogel, talks about how disability inclusion, particularly in Asia, has evolved over the years. She also talks about the carers (‘The Invisible 9%’ who are affected by disability) whom companies need to support as well. Listen here

 

What is the future of D&I?

Community Business and the DIAN Network have been driving the conversation towards seeing D&I as a business imperative. This means aligning D&I goals with business goals to achieve market success – from interacting with diverse stakeholders to developing products and services that meet diverse customer needs. And, in this increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world, businesses want to thrive.

  • Asian Innovation: Increasing Creativity | Interview with Professor Roy Chua, Associate Professor of Organisational Behaviour & Human Resources, Director of PhD Programmes, Singapore Management University

Professor Roy Chua explores how Asian cultures shape an individual’s proclivity for creativity and innovation and how a more inclusive corporate culture can help make diversity pay off in innovation – particularly in this new disruptive environment. Listen here

  • The Future of D&I, According to a Futurist | Interview with Margaret Regan, President & CEO, The FutureWork Institute

Futurist, Margaret Regan, looks at how closely current trends have reflected her predictions as well as where she expects the fast-changing nature of the workplace and the marketplace to lead us. She further explores the future of diversity and inclusion and its implications for business leaders and D&I professionals. Listen here

 

The DIAN Decade Podcast Series is available in its entirety on our website, free of charge. Please get in touch to learn more about DIAN Decade. You are also invited to join us at the DIAN Decade Conference in Hong Kong on the 12th of November. We’ll be celebrating the progress we’ve made in diversity and inclusion in Asia over the last decade and exploring the evolution and future of D&I in Asia. Register now!

 

About the Author: Tina Arcilla, Senior Manager, Diversity & Inclusion in Asia Network (DIAN), Community Business