January 2023 DEI Committee Blog

DEI Peer Consultancies: Harnessing the Power of Our Professional Network

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee kicked off 2023 with something new. We flipped the script on our monthly committee meetings. Instead of learning from a presenter on a DEI-related topic, we used the power of our network to draw out the knowledge that we’ve built over five years of shared learning and advocacy.

We used Peer Consultancies, a structured process in which  people can unpack real-world dilemmas through the exchange of respectful, thoughtful, experienced-based feedback from peers. This process is especially relevant to the field of DEI, because it builds shared efficacy regarding complex problems with no simple or single solution.

The first phase of the meeting asked WGR members to focus on a clearly-defined dilemma. Members reflected on a personal or professional DEI-related issue that they can address or influence by taking personal action. Members spent five minutes journaling about the dilemma in order to prepare to describe its context and identify a question for the group to advise.

Next, the group split into small groups of 3 to engage in constructivist listening, an effective group strategy which combines intellectual problem-solving and emotional release for the benefit of the speaker. Participants were given equal talk-time and no interruption to encourage deep reflection and listening about their chosen DEI dilemmas. Next, members of the group asked clarifying questions and offered feedback.

After the peer consultancies, members came back together to share insights. Without disclosing specifics about the dilemmas shared in consultancies, the group surfaced themes, shared resources, and identified knowledge gaps. The peer consultancies gave members intimate insight into pressing DEI issues other professionals are facing, and it built a positive sense of camaraderie and shared struggle in our DEI advocacy. Groups discussed issues including: building and maintaining rapport, especially across lines of cultural difference; strategies to build authentic and supportive networks; and practices to strengthen the level of accountability and allyship in spotting and addressing DEI dilemmas in daily operations. We look forward to drawing on these reflections as we build the program of discussion-based DEI Committee meetings in the year ahead!

We welcome all WGR members to join DEI Committee meetings on the third Tuesday of each month. Register here for the next meeting on February 21 from 11:30 AM–1 PM (ET). For more information on WGR’s DEI Committee, please reach out to dei.wgr@gmail.com.

DEI Committee Co-Vice Chair Larkin Willis authored this month’s blog.