18 A radical approach to tackling diversity and difference with Pooja Sachdev
An FT reviewer described the book as having ‘the most refreshing approach to diversity…. So, when Pooja Sachdev co-author of 'Rewire: A Radical Approach to Tackling Diversity and Difference' agreed to be a guest I had a long list of questions for her. It was essential reading for the programme I did at INSEAD on gender diversity and I was fascinated with the essential premise behind the book.
In this episode Pooja Sachdev talks about taking a broader, braver and more systemic approach to tackling organisational culture and mindset; the six lenses that drive culture and behaviour.
We also explore the knee jerk response in the last year to issues of systemic racial inequalities by organisation and her advise on three things organisations can do to be more inclusive.
My favourite question was about her reference to HR as ‘Poachers turned gamekeepers’
Om Podcasten
The Elephant in the Room Podcast is a curated safe space to have uncomfortable conversations about the pervasive inequalities in society and our workplaces.
The idea of the podcast was born from my sense of conflict about identity, self and the concept of privilege and fuelled by my own need to understand how my overlapping identities and experiences had impacted and would continue to impact my life chances.
Two years ago I decided to ‘opt out’ to find my own purpose and focus on passion projects including learning about the systemic biases that are endemic in business and society. The Podcast is my very own listening project, a step towards being more intentional in my learning.
The Elephant in the Room Podcast is for people who want to be a part of the change, for those who want to step up & speak out, for those who want to learn more about biases, barriers and best practice, for business leaders and for individuals, anyone who is interested in a fairer, more inclusive and compassionate society and workplace.
Each week I will interview inspiring speakers from across the world on issues that are taboo and deserve to be mainstream including(but not limited to) systemic and institutionalised racism, discrimination based on further eight protected characteristics, poverty, mental health, climate change. The podcast will also talk about cognitive inclusion, culture, purpose, ethics and the importance of empathy, cultural intelligence and how conversations on identity and disadvantage would be incomplete without considering intersectionality.
With the podcast I hope to share stories of people with lived experiences, stories that may have never been told, stories that galvanise us to take action for change and keep the conversations alive by raising the decibel on issues of inequity, inequality in our search for a fairer and more inclusive world.