Public Speaker: Cultural Agility and Compassion in Action
On 23 May, the non-profit DEI organization Community Business hosted its DIAN (Diversity and Inclusion in Asia Network) Conference in Hong Kong, “Transforming Human Capital Systems.”
The hybrid event gathered over 70 participants and business leaders, entrepreneurs and academics joined forces to discuss the opportunities and future of DEI in Asia.
I was invited to join the “Compassion in Action” panel and discuss the role of cultural agility in inclusive leadership.
The panel was moderated by Noelle Sinclair, Director of DiverseMinds. I talked about the importance for organizations to equip their teams with cultural agility and softskills to navigate through the complexity of leading multicultural teams.
Here are some of the topics and takeaways from the session:
📍 A scarcity mindset?
The current geopolitical picture is leading toward a scarcity mindset and a fragmented world which translates into skepticism toward DEI.
📍 Scaling DEI in Asia requires a localized approach that considers the nuances: most DEI frameworks are Westernized and need adaptation.
📍Evaluation is king:
You can’t expect what you don’t expect. We need better DEI evaluation methods to measure its impact and ROI.
📍Adjusting the workplace for caregivers
We can’t ignore the impact of caregiving needs in the workforce, especially in an aging population.
Employers must evolve their mindsets and practices to create an equitable environment in which caregiving is not seen as a career impediment.
📍Empathy is a skill at the core of inclusive leadership and doesn’t equal weakness.
You can be a firm and compassionate leader.
Empathy in design: practices like aging suits and simulations are key to understanding the challenges of all users and helping design inclusive workspaces.
See the full line-up of the conference here.
About Community Business
About DIAN