Mobility & Tech

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Step-By-Step

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the parking industry means different things to different folks. Oddly enough, not everyone can agree on what those three letters mean. For some, it means that we have qualified minority representation at all levels of the organization. This makes sense because for decades, there has been a dearth of representation beyond white males in the upper ranks. For others it means that the language and jokes that have been part of acceptable speech should come to an end. The folks who have been the brunt of such language and jokes have long put up with offensive and sometimes painful words because speaking out against certain terms and jokes could limit an otherwise promising career path. Perhaps very few people have the right definition or just maybe, they all are right in their understanding of what DEI means.

What many don’t quite understand is that DEI touches many aspects of the parking industry. A larger picture of DEI includes:

• Corporate structure (Does anyone look like me at/near the top?).
• Staff/transportation professionals (Do the folks making decisions and serving stakeholders come from varied backgrounds that can relate unequivocally with the unique needs of women? People of color? Lower income folks? Non–English speakers? LGBTQ folks?).
• Educational/hiring opportunities (Are our education and training professionals all white? Do they know the needs of those communities that are not middle income and white? Are we advertising for new hires in the same places or are we advertising in a variety of places where we get exposure to new and underrepresented communities?).
• Stakeholder income ranges (Do we develop apps that rely on credit cards? Do we think that life would be so much easier in operations if we could just get rid of handling cash?).
• People of color/race/sex (Do we know about the dangers of taking a shuttle bus at night to/from a dimly lit parking facility as a woman or as a person of color or immigrant who receives threats ).
• Religion (Do we understand the significance of religious practices and holidays in the lives of our co-workers? Do we understand that not everyone can drink alcohol but can still be a lot of fun? Do we understand that certain foods that we share can be religious taboo for those we work alongside?).
• Disability (Have we ever walked in the shoes of folks that are sight impaired? Have we spent any time understanding the limitations that come from living life in a wheelchair and utilizing our parking services? How about those who also need EV charging parking?).
• Sexual orientation (LGBTQIA) (Have we ever thought about the sometimes mean things said about our valued employees’ lives that are hateful and hurtful? Have we thought about how those folks must feel and that they continue to come to work and continue to excel in their jobs despite dreading having to deal with mean and bullying co-workers making snide remarks with impunity?).

I suspect that very few, if any, reading this story have seriously considered all of these very real DEI issues and have taken steps to address each one. I suspect the response is more one of being overwhelmed. I have always said that people don’t know what they don’t know and this is yet another example of where this is true.

Offering Support

The question you should ask yourself about your customers, employees, and co-workers is: In an effort to provide outstanding and award-winning service or a peak, level work environment where they can shine brightly with all their talents and skills, what have I done that supports them when and how they need it? Since you probably haven’t taken meaningful steps in all of the aforementioned categories, you might be feeling a bit overwhelmed. You may be wondering, “How do I achieve the many measures that help make my organization become one of excellence?” There is so very much you can do, that you should do, and hopefully at the end of the day, that you will have accomplished. 

My advice to you is this: No coast-to-coast interstate highway was built in a weekend. No skyscraper was built quickly and haphazardly. No BS, BA, MS, MA, or PhD degrees were ever awarded over one weekend. No award-winning multi-level, multi-purpose parking garage structure was ever constructed and opened for business in a total of seven days. All of these examples first required knowing what you wanted to accomplish and then creating a workable plan that was feasible, reasonable, and that provided a path from start to finish. 

First Steps

The first thing you need to do is understand that you don’t know what you don’t know. The second thing is including others who do know and use their experiences/perspectives to make a very real difference in the lives of your target audiences. For example, don’t utilize the expertise of an able-bodied person to fully understand the needs and challenges faced by a disabled person. Don’t bring a man’s opinion to the table to address the needs and challenges faced by a woman. Don’t bring a white person to the planning table to represent the needs of people of color. Don’t advertise to the marginalized communities for new-hire positions based on the generally accepted practice of using mainstream advertising channels. 

Remember, it’s not your fault that you really don’t know what you don’t know. But it is your fault if you don’t surround yourself with people who know and live what you could never truly know. It will make a world of difference.◆

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To help keep you grounded and moving forward, remember these quotes and post them on the wall if you have to….

There is wisdom in these quotes that can help you overcome any feelings of being overwhelmed. And finally,

“Make a difference!!!”

—Richard Easley

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