in conversation with kay fabella, founder of inclusion in progress
qb. cofounder Noemí Jiménez sat down with Kay to chat about her company, Inclusion in Progress, which works with equity-minded leaders to translate DEI across cultures to foster psychological safety for distributed teams. In doing so, she and her team ask: “How do we collide with compassion?” – a question that defines the cutting-edge approach of Inclusion in Progress’s work.
published 7.20.22
As a Filipina American from LA, who moved to Spain, Kay Fabella is no stranger to cross-cultural lived experiences. In fact, she’ll tell you it’s these experiences that are integral in fostering diverse and inclusive communities. qb. cofounder Noemí Jiménez sat down with Kay to chat about her company, Inclusion in Progress, which works with equity-minded leaders to translate DEI across cultures to foster psychological safety for distributed teams. In doing so, she and her team ask: “How do we collide with compassion?” – a question that defines the cutting-edge approach of Inclusion in Progress’s work.
It's exactly the kind of approach that their high-profile candidates need. Inclusion in Progress works with tech (Instagram and Red Hat being some of their more famous clients) and finance industries – both of whom, while being more multicultural, have had significant issues implementing DEI. At a public level, the company also partners with the nonprofit sectors, notably having previously worked with the UN and IMF.
In conversation with Noemí, Kay discussed how Inclusion in Progress builds cross-cultural DEI for clients and what we can look forward to as this area develops.
N: What do your clients struggle with most?
K: DEI work continues to feel urgent, and the actual process takes time to implement to see progress. Generally, we find that clients might be dealing with a confused idea of where to start. Until companies really sit with this idea of “what is my why” for DEI, it will be really hard to implement anything effectively if they act from a feeling of urgency. The question, “What is the why and where can we start first to make the biggest impact?” is what Inclusion in Progress deals with. We can identify what's happening globally across your culture or company overall, and we look at what we can do at a very specific level. What works for one division or geography will be very different for others. Being willing to create a strategy based on the client's why, tweak and test that strategy, and foster inclusive communication to implement those changes as opposed to following a fast-paced "one and done" approach – it’s the combination of those things that will give the breathing room for cross-cultural DEI.
N: We’ve talked a lot about cross-cultural DEI, but what exactly is cross-cultural DEI as compared to DEI in general?
K: DEI is primarily focused on helping those remove systemic and psychological barriers to advancement for those who have not historically had access to said advancement. Cross-cultural DEI is an extension of that conversation in that we look at people's cultural context (things like whether they're from the global north or south, their history of colonization, and whether or not their non-Western background or language affects how they're perceived at work) and then creating the spaces to continue to understand those cultural contexts – which allows teams to achieve their fullest potential at work and beyond. It's here that it becomes really important to look at the data through qualitative and quantitative lenses and evaluate what employees are feeling at every level. One of the first steps of this process is internal fact-finding, and usually clients that come to us, it’s not their first time having these conversations. We generally tend to partner with HR or People functions in conducting a culture audit. If we go into a company that hasn’t done a cultural audit, we are first asking what are the starting points of this conversation of important cultural context and history, and what are the spaces in which we will cause the least amount of harm as we navigate this.
We’ve learned that language is important. A lot of business is done in English with Western business practices, so if you are trying to get people on board for something, you will have to understand and translate it into their specific histories. There's a humility that you have to deal with. It’s the line of: “We can’t convince you, but with that being said there are people in your teams who are hurting because they don't feel seen or heard.” It’s become less about organizational culture and more about affecting change for the micro-cultures of teams. Your manager is the primary person you talk to about the company. How are you empowering these managers? What are you doing to make those channels easier when folks are onboarded fully remotely so they can put forth their best work and not be overwhelmed? It’s at this specific level that we look to equip managers with the ability to understand multicultural workers at different parts of the company will need to be given the same opportunities – whether they be remote or in person.
N: What are you most optimistic for as this work evolves?
K: We have talked about language, but language has evolved in a very short amount of time. Most folks are starting at point B, so that is exciting. People at every level of the organization are doing the self-reflection and the self-awareness of “How do I get involved to create a more equitable workplace?”, so there is a continuous sense of intent as well as a concerted effort to implement. And we have noticed, it’s spreading beyond just one figurehead. Clients realize internally that they need to bridge the gap between senior leaders and those starting at their career, between those who we feel similarities with based on culture and geography and those we may not relate to at first glance. In developing cultural context and working within it to deliver feedback, Inclusion in Progress is inviting our clients to implement the “power of the pause”. Essentially – before you have any interactions, ask yourself if this is culturally relevant, whether or not your lens may align with the person on your team you are speaking to, and what factors is receptivity to feedback colored by.
I will say, folks who work within DEI are growth mindset, humble, and committed to supporting people. In this space, there is such a coalition, and collaboration over competition, so I am extremely optimistic that change is imminent. And that we will see this spill over into the organizations we support.
To learn more about Kay’s work at Inclusion in Progress, visit their website.
If you know someone doing amazing things in this space, who deserves to be spotlighted, drop us a line.
