Equity: How to Design Organizations Where Everyone Thrives

by Minal Bopaiah, Johnnetta Cole (Foreword by)

Overview

A fast and engaging read, Equity helps leaders create more inclusive organizations using human-centered design and behavior change principles.

Even the most passionate advocates for diversity, equity, and inclusion have been known to treat equity as the middle child—the concept they skip over to get to the warm, fuzzy feelings of inclusion. But Minal Bopaiah shows throughout this book that equity is critical if organizations really want to leverage differences for greater impact.

Equity allows leaders to create organizations where employees can contribute their unique strengths and collaborate better with peers. Bopaiah explains how leaders can effectively raise awareness of systemic bias and craft new policies that lead to better outcomes and lasting behavioral changes. This book is rich in real-world examples, such as managing partners at a consulting firm who learn to retell their personal stories of success by crediting their systemic advantages and news managers at NPR who redesign their processes to support greater diversity among news sources. This slender book expands DEI past human resources initiatives and shows how leaders can embed equity into core business functions like marketing and communications.

Filled with humor, heart, and pragmatism, Equity is a guidebook for change, answering the question of how that so many leaders are asking today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781523090259
Publisher:	Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Publication date:	09/07/2021
Pages:	176
Sales rank:	439,679
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.47(d)

About the Author

Minal Bopaiah is the founder of Brevity & Wit, a strategy and design firm that helps organizations achieve the change they wish to see in the world through a unique approach that combines human-centered design, behavior change science, and the principles of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility. Bopaiah has written for the Stanford Social Innovation Review and TheHill.com and has been a featured guest on numerous podcasts and shows, including the Kojo Nnamdi Show on WAMU. She has also been a keynote speaker for many conferences, inspiring thousands with her credible, authentic, and engaging talks.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations ix

Foreword xi

Introduction: The Virtue of Equity 1

Chapter 1 The Relationship between Bias, Systems, and Equity 15

Chapter 2 A Design Approach to IDEA 29

Chapter 3 Engaged and Equitable Leadership 49

Chapter 4 Bridging the Gap 65

Chapter 5 Communicating the Change 77

Chapter 6 Creating Equity through Media and Marketing 93

Conclusion: Cocreating an Equitable World 111

Discussion Guide 123

Notes 127

Glossary 139

Acknowledgments 143

Index 147

About the Author 157

About Brevity & Wit 161

Editorial Reviews

Minal Bopaiah’s book is a succinct jewel. Anyone who wants to better understand inclusion, diversity, and equity, as well as paths toward reaching these goals organizationally—and personally—would benefit from reading it. My thinking has been broadened by reading it, and I know I’ll refer to it many times in the future.”
—Jody Williams, Nobel Peace Prize laureate
 
“Do you wish your organization was more equitable? Well, stop wishing and start designing! Equity is a guidebook for change. It’s a fast and engaging read loaded with practical guidance, and it’s a must-read for leaders who want to create conditions in which everyone can flourish.”
—Dan Heath, coauthor of Switch and author of Upstream

"Though this book is short, it's dense; it's meant to be studied, dog-eared, and shared throughout your organization. Just the glossary alone, with a three-page list of the most crucial concepts addressed in the book, will be enough to keep readers going back to this book regularly as a reference guide. Those looking for a way into the immense change that seeking equity requires would do well to look at this book as an elegantly written skeleton key."
—Philanthropy News Digest

"Equity: How to Design Organizations Where Everyone Thrives lives up to its title as a practical-minded guide to improving diversity, equity, and inclusion within one's organization. Chapters address how leadership can engage more effectively, the role of media and marketing in creating equity, countering bias in entrenched systems, and much more."
—Midwest Book Review
 
“Minal’s blending of design and diversity offers a unique way of understanding both. She combines real-world experience with relevant research to deliver a thoughtful, accessible, and engaging IDEA for meaningful change.”
—Keith Woods, Chief Diversity Officer, NPR
 
“Minal Bopaiah has woven accessibility throughout her discussion of diversity, equity, and inclusion, highlighting its importance to leaders who want to be resilient in a volatile and uncertain world. I highly recommend this book for any organization seeking to be an employer of choice for people with diverse abilities.”
—Bonnie St. John, bestselling author, Paralympian, and Fortune 500 leadership expert

From the Publisher