"What does a workplace utopia look like to you?"

This is the question Dr. Ella F. Washington asks company leaders, and often she hears about an ideal vision of an organization that values diversity and inclusion and wants employees to bring their whole selves to work.

But how can you get there? Organizations have largely missed the mark when it comes to creating environments where all employees thrive in an equal and equitable way, because they treat diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as a program that gets done rather than the necessary and difficult journey it is. A truly inclusive workplace requires invention and reinvention, mistakes and humility, adaptation to a changing world, constant reflection, and sometimes significant sacrifice.

The road to an inclusive workplace is a difficult one, but you can traverse it, and there's help along the way. Start here with stories of companies making the necessary journey, including Slack, PwC, Best Buy, Denny's, and many others. Hear from company leaders about their successes and failures, the times they were on the vanguard, and the moments they realized they had much more work to do. These are profiles in perseverance from people who are keen enough to recognize the need for inclusive workplaces and humble enough to know they're not there yet. Along the way, Washington provides a framework for thinking about where these companies are on their journeys and where you and your company may be too.

Progress is hard won on the necessary journey to becoming an inclusive organization, but it must be won. John Lewis said it best: "You see something you want to get done, you cannot give up, and you cannot give in."

About the Author

Dr. Ella F. Washington is an organizational psychologist who finds inspiration at the intersection of business, diversity, and leadership. Dr. Washington has global consulting experience in financial services, sports and entertainment, oil and gas, higher education, and government. Both her research and her client work focus on structural barriers to inclusion for diverse groups in the workplace and working with organizations to build inclusive cultures. She also works one-on-one with leaders to develop their inclusive leadership skills. Previously, Dr. Washington worked at Gallup as a subject-matter expert in diversity and inclusion. In that role she provided insight to clients on issues of inclusion, culture, strategic diversity, and engagement.

Dr. Washington is on the management faculty at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business. She earned her PhD in organizational behavior from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and her BA in Psychology from Spelman College.

You can find Dr. Ella F. Washington at ellavatesolutions.com and on Twitter @ellafwashington.

Reviews

"This book is a great, firsthand narrative on the journey of corporate America in recognizing the importance of DEI, implementing recommendations, struggling with resistance, and producing important outcomes." - CHOICE, the publication of the American Library Association

"The Necessary Journey... offers valuable guidance and motivation for any organization committed to creating an inclusive environment where all employees can thrive on equal terms-to their and the organization's mutual benefit." - Developing Leaders

"Entertaining yet informative, The Necessary Journey is packed with real world practical advice-one of the best books on diversity, equity, and inclusion you can read." - Impact Investor

"Highly useful for diversity officers, HR workers, CEOs, and activists in the business community." - Kirkus Reviews

Advance Praise for The Necessary Journey:

"An unusually informative, instantly actionable book on how to move from lip service on diversity to the reality of inclusion. Ella Washington is a leading expert on the science and practice of inclusion, and she shows what it takes for workplaces to walk the talk." - Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author, Think Again; host, WorkLife with Adam Grant podcast

"I love Washington's challenge to us, which is to take on the issues of DEI ourselves in our own organizations and get on the journey rather than waiting for mandates. Laws can't change feelings, but leaders can. If all of us just got on the journey-starting today-this ugly scourge of a problem could be magically fixed. This book outlines the hard climb to the top-but one you can do-and Ella Washington is your Sherpa." - Jim Clifton, Chairman and former CEO, Gallup

"The Necessary Journey is a must-read for any leader interested in building a more inclusive culture. Whether you're just starting out or already on the road, read this book to win hard-earned progress." - James D. White, former Chairman and CEO, Jamba Juice; author, Anti-Racist Leadership

"Filled with illuminating case studies and actionable advice, The Necessary Journey is the only road map you'll need for creating an inclusive workplace-no matter where you and your organization are on your journey." - Laura Morgan Roberts, Associate Professor of Business Administration, University of Virginia Darden School of Business; coeditor, Race, Work, and Leadership

Book Information
ISBN 9781647821289
Author Ella F. Washington
Format Hardback
Page Count 320
Imprint Harvard Business Review Press
Publisher Harvard Business Review Press