The Four Lenses of Representation

We need to reframe representation, as representation is more than just checking a box.

At Hummingbird Humanity (an LGBTQ+ owned company), we believe putting people first is essential to the success of any business. Historically, workplace diversity conversation has focused on whether women and people of color are included in an organization and its leadership. While it’s an important part of the conversation, it’s only the beginning.

Representation is a holistic reality that meets and values people right where they are. During this presentation, we’ll look at the Four Lenses of Representation: People, Culture, Customers, and Community.

This presentation will highlight some current-day inequities when it comes to representing varied identities across different industries, such as the lack of Black (only 4%) and Brown (only 3%) post-secondary school professors (Time 2019).

We’ll also discuss the latest initiatives companies are taking to move the needle, like Lily’s Reverse Mentoring Program to increase LBGTQ+ representation at the executive level (Lily 2020).

This presentation will be a springboard for you to begin understanding representation and its value to your business, employees, and community.

Companies with gender diversity are 21% more profitable than those who lack it, 72% of employees will leave a workplace for another they deem more inclusive, and a study by Harvard found that customer satisfaction is tightly linked to company culture (McKinsey 2018).

As you review the concepts and the real-world examples for each Lens, remember that any given situation may require more than one viewpoint to understand it fully.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Understand the growing implication for companies as current day inequities will be amplified with the future projections for historically excluded groups
• Expand the view of representation through a 360 approach that review representation through the four lenses of employee, culture, customer and community
• Demonstrate statistical data on how commitment to the 4 lenses of representation delivers a return on investment, employee engagement, customer satisfaction, and sustainability

Igniting Human-Centered Workplace Cultures

Doesn’t every organization want a workplace culture where humans thrive, diverse voices are celebrated and representation from all walks of life exist? Of course. That’s why it’s important to foster a human centered workplace.

The vision is to create a workplace that amplifies voices of individuality while allowing all humans to feel seen, heard, supported, and have a true sense of belonging.

The framework touches on the 4 aspects of a human centered culture:

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Social Impact
• Human-Centered Leadership
• Holistic wellness

Through these four areas, each can be viewed through the Four Lens of Representation:

• People
• Culture
• Customers
• Community

This framework provides a holistic view of how companies can work to change their culture to one that works for all of their employees and stakeholders.

Brian has developed this framework to guide leaders across industries to understand how they can engage the people at their organization in ways that are both good for humanity and good for business.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Gain an understanding of why a “people-first” way of thinking is a better and more profitable way to do business
• Discover the 4 important aspects of a human centered culture and how they can be incorporated into your organizational structure
• Learn how to cultivate deep empathy, demonstrate vulnerability, and build trust with your employees
• Facilitate dialogues to encourage shared learning and an appreciation of the lived experiences of your employees