Ep. 110: Nancy Roberts - Diversity and Data, Because It's 2019!

Today we talk about diversity, inclusion and equality, particularly in the workplace. This is one of those topics that is important, but polarising – the famous Jordan Peterson / Cathy Newman interview of a few months ago being a good case in point. Our insights aren’t really data-based, and that’s crazy because it’s 2019. Data is the new oil.

And diversity might also be an organisational superpower, particularly at the top. Diversity of opinions and backgrounds are excellent ways to manage risks and counteract cognitive biases. It can actually improve the bottom line. Moreover, if our large institutions and organisations are more reflective of our society at large, this could arguably lead to better management of some of the biggest challenges we face.

Our guest today has made it her mission to do exactly that. Meet Nancy Roberts, founder of Umbrella Analytics. Umbrella applies Artificial Intelligence to deliver diversity. Nancy is an incredible entrepreneur with tremendous vision and insight. After years of directly witnessing inequality in the publishing industry and the slow, very incremental pace of change, she decided to do something about it. Addressing this stuff requires data and facts, not diatribes, myths and legends. Umbrella was born.

We get into all of that and more including:

The data on inequality;
Differences between men and women in the workplace – and for my male audience, please listen to this!;
Organisational culture and why people “go native” in large organisations;
Quantifying culture;
How organisations can alter the language they use in internal and external communications to reflect greater diversity and obtain numerous benefits;
Much more

Show notes:

Nancy’s blog on Medium

Nancy on Unconscious Bias Training

Escape the City

The Jordan Peterson / Cathy Newman interview

NASA and the space walk cancellation because of lack of women’s sized space suits

Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders?: (And How to Fix It) by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic

The Peter Principle