S2 E12 When Organizations Want to Change

​This week I'm joined for the first of two conversations with Dipal Damani, a leader in the field of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging. Dipal started her consulting firm, D & D Inclusion Consulting, specifically, to help organizations understand how to change, by working through DEIB audits with various clients. Dipal talks about how organizations and the people in them realise that they want to change, that this can still be a scary process for leaders to go through. We talk about how emotions and emotional responses are a big part of this work and Dipal talks about how organizations and their people can prepare for this process. Dipal identifies the process for how leaders can prepare themselves for an audit so that they can approach the findings with a spirit of openness and growth. This is an important conversation on this subject and one that talks about the real steps that organizations and leaders can take to become more diverse, equitable, inclusive and belonging-centered going forward.
 
More about Dipal
Dipal is the Founder and President of D&D Inclusion Consulting and is a racialized equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) consultant. She has extensive knowledge and experience in EDI, having delivered results in this area for the past 15 years. As someone who represents multiple identities that are historically marginalized and oppressed, Dipal has a deep understanding of the impact and intersection of marginalization, oppression, exclusion and power imbalance, and is able to speak to these issues from lived and professional experience. 
Prior to founding the company, Dipal worked with provincial and regional governments to implement inclusion policies, conduct EDI organizational audits, and launch multi-stakeholder EDI initiatives. In 2015, she founded D&D Inclusion Consulting to leverage her experience, knowledge, and expertise to work directly with organizations in creating more inclusive workplaces and communities.  
Dipal blends her social science research background with her practical experience to design strategies, tools, and training that help organizations move forward on their EDI goals. She takes organizations from understanding the benefits of EDI through to developing a plan, implementation, and evaluation.  In her work, she uses an evidence-based, data driven-approach, and also leverages her strong research, strategic planning, and evaluation background. She has extensive knowledge, skills and expertise in conducting EDI evaluations with a focus on anti-oppression, anti-racism and anti-colonialism. She brings to this work a strong understanding of differential impacts of historical inequities and racism faced by Black and Indigenous communities in Canada. 
Dipal holds a Master’s in Public Policy and Governance with a Certificate in Ethnic, Immigration, and Pluralism Studies from the University of Toronto. She is truly passionate about her work and loves finding innovative approaches and practices that benefit her clients.
 
 
D&D Inclusion Consulting:  
D&D Inclusion consulting is an equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) consulting firm that provides assessment, training and advisory services. The firm uses a proven methodology that has delivered results for clients. We use an appreciative inquiry lens, which is a strength-based approach that affirms strengths of the organization and the potential for growth in equity and inclusion - it is a methodology rooted in building organizational capacity. We have found using this approach with management teams, staff and boards allow for a safe space for rich dialogue and, more importantly, buy-in on moving the organization forward.  
We conduct EDI organizational audits to improve workplace culture and engagement. The audits are based on a data-driven, evidence-based approach, and draw upon leading research and promising practices in the field. We draw from the Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Benchmarks (GDEIB) from the Centre for Global Inclusion. We also root our analysis in global research from leading sources as well as promising practices. 
We are known for our engagement skills in our facilitation work. A strong focus is placed on ensuring the psychological safety of participants, creating safe spaces for open and honest dialogue, and managing expectations.
 
 
Follow Dipal at:
Website  |  Linkedin