Q&A with Malia C. Lazu

 

 

 

Malia C. Lazu is the author of the new book From Intention to Impact: A Practical Guide to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She is a lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management.

 

Q: What inspired you to write From Intention to Impact?

 

A: Throughout my professional life – as a community organizer, bank president, business owner, and now a DEI consultant – I have worked to level the playing field and empower individuals and communities.

 

I have seen first-hand what it takes to make a real impact – both in terms of promoting racial equity and improving competitiveness, innovation, effectiveness, and profitability.

That’s the premise of my book, From Intention to Impact: A Practical Guide to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The value to be captured through diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging is not just economic, but also social and cultural.

My book also acknowledges the significant challenges to DEI today, particularly in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling against affirmative in college admission policies, which has set off another ripple effect of “anti-woke” pushback and state laws that undermine and eliminate DEI programs. Nonetheless, we keep fighting the good fight.

DEI is my purpose, passion, and mission – to ensure that everyone has a fair and equitable chance to advance themselves, their families, and their communities.

Q: What do you think are some of the most common perceptions and
misconceptions about DEI?

 

A: One of the most common misconceptions about DEI is that it is “charity,” rather than a real value add. So let me state this clearly: DEI is not an act of charity. It is actually good for business, for organizations, for communities, for good governance (and governments!), and for society in general.

Fortunately, there is ample research out there that corroborates the value of DEI. It’s a perception–and a fact.

 

For example, in a 2020 report, Citibank estimated that if four key gaps experienced by Blacks – in wages, education, housing, and investment – had been closed 20 years ago, the U.S. economy would have reaped
more than $16 trillion in additional growth over that time.

 

If those same gaps were closed now, U.S. GDP would see a $5 trillion increase over the next five years.

 

Or consider the findings of consulting firm McKinsey: that closing the racial wealth gap would result in U.S. GDP being 4-6 percent higher by 2028 – in other words, more economic opportunity for all.

 

To capture this value, systemic racism must be rooted out from every institution across education, healthcare, criminal justice, cultural, sports and entertainment, and businesses in every economic sector.

Q: What do you see looking ahead when it comes to DEI initiatives?

 

A: DEI cannot be performative – the superficial “window dressing” and “lip service” that does not lead to a positive impact. The real work in DEI that needs to be done is identifying and confronting biases (conscious and unconscious), rooting out antiracism, and taking reparative actions.

Within businesses, this means addressing racial pay gaps and making commitments to advancement and succession planning that includes people of color. It takes policy changes and a review of hiring practices to ensure the talent pipeline includes highly qualified people of color and other underrepresented employees.

Within communities and governments, this means ensuring that everyone truly does have a voice to be heard.

 

For example, in real estate development, DEI means listening to the local community–to what residents and small business owners in and around the development want and need. This will transform development from displacement to inclusion and community-building.

At the same time, we need to be realistic. The “anti-woke” campaigns and pushback against DEI means the status quo is becoming entrenched. In businesses, white managers too often try to preserve their status by resisting DEI policies. We see this in the anti-woke and anti-DEI laws being passed by states, as well.

As I look ahead, I see a real need for businesses, politicians, policymakers, thought leaders, and community organizers to find ways to navigate these waters and keep pressing for meaningful change.

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the book?

 

A: For readers, the biggest takeaways are what I call the 3Ls: Listen, Learn and Love.

● Listen – On their own, people must engage in listening to develop their understanding. So much content has been created by BIPOC communities to help others understand what people of color are feeling and asking for.

 

By listening, people can better understand where different communities are coming from. Listening also helps people avoid faux pas in speaking and interacting with others. Listening is where it all begins!

● Learn – Once people have spent some time listening, they have prepared themselves to learn in a respectful and informed way. They can begin to interact with others to learn in real time how to be an ally.

 

Good learning looks like assuming the person you are learning from has something to teach you–and asking questions with respectful curiosity.

 

Here’s a simple example: be mindful of the holidays and commemorations celebrated by other cultures. (My firm, The Lazu Group, has actually developed a CULTURL Awareness Calendar to help people do exactly that!)

 

With curiosity–not judgment–ask questions about what that holiday means to someone. How do they observe it? What are their traditions? When someone has a genuine desire to learn, people will be happy to explain.

● Love – Taking loving action means to be open, accepting, and respectful of others. It means becoming an ally, with an understanding of what BIPOC people have to go through every day in a white-centric world.

 

It means to stand for change in the status quo–and confronting and changing biases (we all have them) in order to ensure that everyone is included. In short, to be loving is to be authentic and to care for others.

Q: What are you working on now? 

 

A: Spreading the word! Through my book, I’ve been fortunate to make new connections with people and organizations that, like me, are on the front lines of continuing to push for DEI. I'm also working on a DEI field class for Sloan I hope will launch this fall.

Q: Anything else we should know?

A: Just one final message: There is more opportunity to be found and more money to be made by being inclusive. After all, the best way to make money these days is from ideas–and that means with diversity of thinking and fresh perspectives that result from becoming more inclusive of people of color. The pie grows, for you and for me.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb