It is counterintuitive to managers but not to cognitive scientists. Given airtime to an issue is not always a good idea in terms of solving the issue. ‘Addressing it’ in managerial terms means describing it, dissecting it, debating it and then doing something. In the process, the airtime dedicated to the problem has contributed to increasing the problem.
The problem with terrorism awareness is that the terrorists love to have terrorist airtime to terrorize. You see, I have used the word terror four times in a line. Now I asking you this: don’t think about terrorism. Now!
I know. You can’t
Diversity and Inclusion formal programmes, particularly the ones well broadcasted across the organization, declare that there is a problem called diversity and inclusion. We are not terribly diverse, not much inclusive, so here is a programme. This is how traditional managerial thinking goes.
Don’t talk about it, or not too much. Do things that increase diversity of opinions, not just gender or minority voices. Request to always have different options, to involve people who are not naturally involved. You can’t seriously have a Diversity and Inclusion programme that is reduced to the number of women in the management team plus a couple of ‘people of colour’ in high places.
I am not in the business of discussing here the moral merits of ‘affirmative action’ or forcing quotas. This is perhaps a topic for another day. But whatever you do, do it first and talk about it later.
The best Diversity and Inclusion programme is the one that is implemented without people knowing that there was one.