36. Demanding More with Sheree Atcheson

“The other problem that we have is that people disregard the nuances of, in this case, women. And one of my Forbes pieces that I wrote, which is called Women are not a Monolith, and we must stop treating them as such..."

In Episode 36, Sheree Atcheson, Global DEI Senior Executive at Valtech, joins me to speak about her book, Demanding More. We explore the concept of white saviourism and white feminism, and how we can all benefit from DEI.

Sheree’s DEI career has spanned for over a decade, as a consultant, keynote speaker, published author, advisory board member and a Forbes contributor. In 2013, she launched and led the award-winning UK expansion of Women Who Code, the world's largest non-profit globally dedicated to women in tech. Her goal is to raise awareness of the incredible prospects available in the industry...

Sheree speaks about her intentions behind Demanding More, which was to create a book that is easily accessible and digestible by all, and that is helpful in pushing people to stand up and ask for more in a purposeful and sustainable way. She describes her experience of being born in Sri Lanka and adopted by a white family; her feelings of being the ‘only’, the intense racism she faced, and how she had to fight for equal treatment in her schools. She breaks down white saviourism - the act of helping others just to elevate yourself and your reputation, and the role that it played in her adoption. As she explains, making a difference starts by shifting the focus from ‘you’ to ‘them’, instead of what will I gain from this, it should be on how others can benefit from this. Lastly, she discusses six core DEI themes:

- Privilege – She explains that the problem here is insecurity, which pushes some to deny others the same access to opportunities that they have. Those in the majority might feel conflicted about embracing diversity, as they find themselves asking whether their success is dependent on their merits or their positions, or, whether their failure is dependent on their lack of talent or on someone’s else opportunities.

- Intersectionality – The key thing here is awareness, and this can be done through observing data and listening to stories. Lack of inclusion can lead to people being attacked, and in some instances, murdered, and companies should take this as seriously as any other safety issue, and should discuss and share this openly with their employees.

- White Feminism – The highest or most privileged groups of women are often prioritised in DEI strategies because those in leadership positions can relate and identify with them. So, DEI strategies end up being exclusionary rather than inclusive, as they neglect the intersectional identities women have.

- Strategy and Processes – Sheree explains that preparation is key, it is about doing things proactively not reactively. When looking at representation, use Agile (rather than Waterfall) methodology, listen, learn, and conduct research. Skill is also very important and not just passion, passion can lead people to develop strategies that answer their problems or they can relate to, when in fact, what is needed is something that everyone can relate to.

- Inclusive Technology – The issue with using AI to de-bias different processes is that humans are the ones creating the software, so there is room for error. The fast-paced nature of the tech industry makes it difficult to rigorously test it out and to see the impact it has on everyone in society.

- Growth Opportunities – Sharing growth opportunities and creating sponsor frameworks is very important. What works
best in organisations is when everyone can focus on what they are best at, not a position they’ve gotten due to their service, loyalty, networking, or background, but based on their skills. Leaders should give people space to learn from their mistakes and support them through this.

Links:

Sheree can be found on:

- LinkedIn

- X (Twitter)

- Website