Walking the Walk with Remote DEI

More and more, organizations are investing time and resources to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), recognizing its importance in making teams better. With the proliferation of remote work – particularly due to recent physical distancing measures taken to address the spread of COVID-19 – leaders have wondered how to engage in equity work virtually, as it often requires deep relationships, trust, and vulnerability. The dynamics of virtual communications and distributed teams affect how organizations operate, adding a layer of complexity to DEI in remote environments.

In an effort to understand the intersections of remote culture and DEI, The Learning Accelerator (TLA) formed a community of practice with six other remote education organizations – 2Revolutions, Deans for Impact, Illustrative Mathematics, NGLC, NYC Leadership Academies, and Transcend – and launched the Remote DEI Collective. Through this eight-month collaboration, the group explored common challenges and codified shared learnings, publishing our work in the newly released Remote DEI Toolkit, a free and open guide with insights, resources, and strategies for organizations engaging in DEI work across virtual environments.

As practitioners, teams, and leaders explore the toolkit, we encourage you to reflect on the following questions.

• How does remote work present challenges or exacerbate exclusion, and how can organizations mitigate these issues?
• How can teams build trust and foster vulnerability when operating virtually?
• How might remote dynamics affect talent acquisition, and how can teams ensure equitable recruitment, hiring, and onboarding?
• What concrete strategies can remote leaders put in place to improve diversity, equity, and inclusiveness?

We’re eager to share what we’ve learned and get feedback from others. Please reach out with any thoughts, questions, or suggestions!