603: Fixing the Diversity Gap with Bethaney Wilkinson
In today's episode of the As Told by Nomads Podcast, join me and Bethaney Wilkinson as we talk about her life's recurring theme—the diversity gap. Bethaney shares what you can expect in her new book entitled The Diversity Gap: Where Good Intentions Meet True Cultural Change, how she believes solutions translate to communities, and how she does her work in race and equity despite it being an extremely taxing endeavor to be in.
Are your intentions only a starter?
In Bethaney's book The Diversity Gap: Where Good Intentions Meet True Cultural Change, she said, "when it comes to diversity, our good intentions are only beginning." In her quote, Bethaney talked about the short-sightedness of intentions. The tendency of intentions to be the end all be all for people. In diversity and inclusion, this consolation is often used as a band-aid when the attempt wasn't received or didn't work. And that's the problem.
The problem arises when the reaction becomes "oh, well, I meant well" instead of "what needs to shift?" This isn't about dismissing peoples' intentions, Bethaney believes. Transformation needs to be looked at seriously when it comes to race, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
About Bethaney Wilkinson:
Bethaney Wilkinson is a world-class facilitator. She equips leaders and teams with the skills they need to grow good impact together. Bethaney is a facilitator, author, and champion of race-conscious leadership. She has dedicated more than a decade to exploring the intersections of community, racial justice, and social change—specifically in the organizational context.
Outline of the episode:
- [01:25]Books that serve the community take a lot of time
- [07:54]Your tools and methods depend on your goal of diversity
- [10:38]Bethaney Wilkinson – on defining diversity as a concept and word
- [13:04]How Bethaney's work on diversity and inclusion started
- [22:21]The Diversity Gap – A recurring theme in Bethaney's life
- [25:02] Your authenticity will add value to the people around you
Resources:
Website: https://www.bethaneywilkinson.com/
Book: https://www.amazon.com/Diversity-Gap-Intentions-Cultural-Change/dp/1400226236
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