Commercial Integrator May 2021 - 38

INDUSTRY DEI

on diversity, equity and inclusion could
yield better results in your searches for new
employees.
" If your company embraces DEI, you
open a completely different talent pool, " he
wrote. " The integration industry frequently
talks about the limited ability to find the
talent needed to grow our companies. This
becomes less of a problem for companies
that embrace DEI in their company culture
and hiring. "
Human Circuit president and CEO Bruce
Kaufmann is excited to see more emphasis
being put on DEI across the AV industry,
between NSCA's increased attention on the
topic and AVIXA's AV Pledge for an Equitable Future, among other AV industry efforts
at integration firms and manufacturers.
" As somebody who runs a business, one
of the hardest things is finding people and
recruiting them, " he said during the NSCA
DEI Forum. " To not think inclusively, you
narrow the pool. Diversity lends itself to the
creative process. "
Insperity's Robert Satterwhite says diversity, equity and inclusion " is a cultural mind
shift. " Business leaders, he says, should
start with a discussion about the issues and
" it's OK to acknowledge you have blind
spots. Figuring out why is the most important thing you can do. "
All people have " implicit biases, " says
Satterwhite, and that's why it's so important to kick off an honest conversation.
There are about 200 biases that people
can have that can lead them to think
differently about people who don't look
like them or come from the same ethnic or
geographical background.
One thing companies can do to increase
their inclusion, says New Era Technology's
Chris Turner, is to recognize all religious
faiths and make sure their beliefs are included and celebrated, not just focusing on
those that are practiced by the majority of
employees. This comes through at Christmastime, he says.
Diversity, says Satterwhite, is a " global
mindset and a cultural fluency that helps
you win more talent. "
Mood Media's Amy Blackburn notes
it's " up to the leadership to convey how
important this is " through communication and education, taking a " proactive,
38  Commercial Integrator  MAY 2021	

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NSCA launched its Ignite 2.0 workforce
development as part of an initiative to
increase the diversity across the AV integration world.

purpose-driven approach. " The levels of
change when it comes to diversity, equity
and inclusion are leadership, strategy and
culture, says Satterwhite.
He suggests handing out surveys and
setting up focus groups to increase the DEI
acceptance at all levels of the company.
" This is a journey, " said Satterwhite. " It's
not a training program. "
Metrolink project manager Akin Adewole says it's OK to start small and increase
your DEI practices.
" Small changes can make a big difference, " he says. " One thing you can do right
away is say people's names properly. Don't
abbreviate them or give them nicknames.
It's about meeting people where they are
rather than asking them to meet you. "
Satterwhite agrees embracing diversity, equity and inclusion must come from
leadership first.
" DEI is everyone's responsibility, " he
says. " The tone you set with people will be
reflected on you. "

Next Steps in AVIXA's Efforts
to Increase DEI
Lloyd knows not all AVIXA members or
people who work in AV will embrace the
DEI initiative or the AV Pledge for an Equitable Future.
" It's a very personal moment, " she says.
" We all have reasons this is very important
to us. There are some that are going to be
not as vocal about it and that's OK. "
Hanane Abdalla, audience engagement
manager, worked on the pledge with other
task force members. She describes the
desire to increase AVIXA's focus on DEI as
" like a volunteer army.
" There wasn't a blueprint out there but our
leadership just decided, 'We want to start the

conversation.' It was so emotionally charging.
I could take a lot of that pain I was feeling at
the time and pour it into purpose, " she says.
" It turned into so much more than a
conversation. It turned into strategy and a
ton of research, " says Abdalla.
AVIXA has also compiled a list of resources to " help AV professionals on this
journey, including an inclusive language
style guide which can help avoid biases
perpetuated by words and phrases that
can reinforce stereotypes and create false
power dynamics; as well as a 30-minute
unconscious bias training video created in
partnership with NonProfit HR, " according
to the association announcement.
Marketing projects manager April Peay
worked on the AVIXA inclusive language
guide that's a companion piece to the
pledge.
She says many in AV and in other industries are guilty of unconscious bias in the
words they use or the way they describe
things, but " it's not really about changing
the words. It's about creating a more
inclusive environment where everyone
feels welcome. "
AVIXA digital media producer Narin Nara
says the pledge is about getting AVIXA
members to " commit to the cause.
" We want people to understand there's
different backgrounds behind the humans, "
he says. He says the association's partnerships with the Boston-based Loop Lab and
Washington, D.C.-based EnventU have
served as examples of programs that expose AV careers to young people of diverse
backgrounds.
" This a time to highlight and celebrate
people with different backgrounds and skill
sets, " he says. " With the celebration comes
awareness. "
The AVIXA Diversity Council is also
launching an anonymous DEI survey, asking for demographics information such as
gender identity, race/ethnicity and sexual
orientation and delving into the availability of resources and programs provided by
AV employers.
" We're an international organization and
should be representing all the faces of AV, "
she says. " A lot of people have come to a
point of self-reflection and thinking about
things they've taken for granted. " CI
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Commercial Integrator May 2021

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