Taking a Breath: Why Slowing Down Matters in DE&I

In this Unmuted podcast episode, host Jeff Waldman meets with Dr. Dominique Riviere, an expert in equity and social justice, in both the academic and professional arenas. In this episode, the focus of the conversation is on the concept of "slowing your roll" when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I). In a world of constant and rapid change, many people think moving faster is always better, but that is not always true. This is particularly the case when dealing with DE&I.

The following areas are discussed:

What does “slow your roll” mean? What does this mean in the context of DE&I?

In our world today, why do organizations and people often rush DE&I efforts, and what are the potential consequences?

How can we strike a balance between the urgency to address DE&I issues and the need to take a more measured, thoughtful approach?

Are there any suggestions of key indicators or signs that may suggest it’s time to “slow your roll”?

Are there any suggestions for organizations to take a more calculated, strategic and slower approach?

Are there any examples from organizations of the long-term benefits of organizations slowing their roll?

About Dr. Dominique Riviere:
Dr. Dominique Riviere earned her Ph.D. from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, at the University of Toronto. Since then, she has held positions in research, policy analysis, and business operations across multiple sectors, including post-secondary education and technology/innovation.

Her academic training in ethnography and narrative inquiry also helped to show her the importance of stories, and how they can be used to create injustice and to repair it.

As such, in 2020, Dr. Riviere created Fictive Kin Equity Lab (https://fictivekinlab.ca/), a learning and development consultancy that takes a narrative-based approach to supporting the work of equity professionals and other advocates

Dr. Riviere is also an unapologetic romance junkie, an unabashed chocoholic, a ballet dancer, a mother to the world’s most energetic 5-year-old, and wholly determined to someday live in a country where winter does not exist.