Peer to Peer Magazine

Fall 2019

The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association

Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/1172342

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P E E R T O P E E R : I L T A ' S Q U A R T E R L Y M A G A Z I N E | F A L L 2 0 1 9 17 3. Create an Equitable Practice "A gender line... helps to keep women not on a pedestal, but in a cage." — Ruth Bader Ginsburg Despite an abundance of research confirming that organizations with more women executives are more profitable, there is still a gender gap in many organizations. "Left unchecked, biases can also shape a company or industry's culture and norms," says Iris Bohnet, Director of the Women and Public Policy Program at the Harvard Kennedy School, and the author of What Works: Gender Equality by Design. 20 An equitable practice levels the playing field for all by setting goals and taking actions that undo the structures and systems that place higher value on some people than others and that often makes leadership positions inaccessible, uneven and barrier filled. The need for achieving equitable practices in the legal profession is increasingly clear. The key is to turn intent into action. 4. Require Empathy Training for all Leaders Empathetic leadership is key to a diversity and inclusion transformation. At ILTACON 2019, Gillian Powers, ILTA Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion, shared, "The practice of empathy is key. Imagine another's mind. How are they feeling? What are they going through?" A good place to start is by recognizing your own bias. Taking the Harvard Bias Impact Analysis Test is an excellent place to start. 21 Next, make a practice of challenging assumptions to reduce "confirmation bias." It also may help to de-construct silos and employ matrix management to combat the top-down issues often found in a hierarchy structure. In addition, aligning personnel rewards systems accordingly is key. 5. Create a Sense of Belonging "When we lose the right to be different, we lose the privilege to be free." — Charles Evan Hughes According to Knowledge@Wharton by the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, increasingly, companies are adopting the stance that diversity and inclusion aren't enough: there must also be a sense of belonging for all employees. 22 They found that whereas diversity often gets linked to numbers and percentages, belonging "is about how you feel" when you're at work. "Do you feel valued? Do you feel like you should be there? Do you feel that your insights, commentary, and perspectives matter? According to Forbes contributor John Baldoni, "Fostering the sense of belonging may be one of a leader's most powerful levers. Used properly it elevates the nature of work with a sense of purpose that brings people together for common cause and encourages them to bond with one another in the work they do." 23 Fostering a sense of belonging makes plain and simple sense. As eloquently stated by Gillian Power during the ILTACON Diversity & Inclusion Session, "Give me the permission to be." 6. Be Mindful that Diversity in Technolo Matters Emerging technologies available today provide a highly flexible set of tools that allow organizations to re-examine their relationships, bringing opportunities for greatly enhanced efficiency in a wide variety of settings. 24 Inherent in emerging technologies is an ability for diverse parties to cooperate in an environment in which trust is brought about through the use of computer- based consensus mechanisms. 25 With the world becoming increasingly connected, now is the perfect time to incorporate all voices to shape, from the outset, diversity. Through emerging technolo, organizations are increasingly seeking to promote inclusive and positive behavior and avoid skewed results, imbalances, and outright discrimination that has previously occurred in society as these new systems are developed and used. Diversity should be promoted in the development of this technolo because the widest perspectives will foster the most valuable and resilient innovations. 7. Get Involved The timing is right for the legal industry to use our combined transformative power to contribute to a more open, diverse and inclusive global society. It is an uphill battle, but peace, prosperity, and advancement depend on it. ILTA Diversity & Inclusion groups are volunteer-led communities formed around a common interest, belief, bond or background. These are groups and segments of the ILTA community designated to enhance professional development opportunities within the overall ILTA programming, including conference education, local meetings, virtual activities, mentoring programs, and online and in-person networking. Don't let another moment pass you by, join today! ILTA 20 https://hbr.org/2017/06/7-practical-ways-to-reduce-bias-in-your-hiring-process 21 https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html 22 https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/04/beyond-diversity-how-firms-are-cultivating-a-sense-of-belonging 23 https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnbaldoni/2017/01/22/fostering-the-sense-of-belonging-promotes-success/#213404ea10f 2 24 https://diversityinblockchain.com/ 25 https://medium.com/@SusanJoseph1786/rating-innovation-an-innovators-take-3814344a852d

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