Seema Jethalal has been the managing director of Daniels Spectrum for the last 4 years – this includes being intimately involved in the planning and developing stages to launch the facility and the high level of community engagement since the building opened 2 years ago. Seema currently sits on a number of boards and advisory committees (Manifesto, Toronto Arts Council, Ryerson City Building Institute, to name a few) and has been working at the intersection of the arts, social justice, and diversity for the latter part of the last decade.

INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP IN THE WORKPLACE – Q&A WITH SEEMA JETHALAL PART ONE

Q: WHY IS INCLUSION IMPORTANT TO YOU?

SEEMA:
Approaching everything through the lens of inclusion is critical. At the core, it’s the right thing to do, it’s reflective of the people we represent, but more than that, it’s where the best ideas come from. When we actually have people with differing viewpoints, life experience, and perspectives at the table – that are not homogenous – that’s where the best practices and philosophies are going to come from. So I think it’s hugely rewarding; it’s the right thing to do and it’s the best thing to do.

Q: WHERE DO YOU FEEL THERE ARE GAPS OR CHALLENGES IN ADOPTING INCLUSION?
For example - we have found that programming has become very driven by inclusion but this doesn’t necessarily reflect the inclusive practices of the org on the whole. Very often, there are still gaps within the workplace operations despite strength in programming.

SEEMA:
I feel like it’s not just the dichotomy between programming and operations, it’s also evident in front line versus senior management and board.  A frustrating discrepancy where there is still lots of work to be done. I want to be as helpful as possible and I think I am an optimist, but the want is sometimes not shared across the board or completely authentic. For example, I think most realize it’s sometimes easier to get funding or to do outreach with a diverse base, but the reasoning is not necessarily shared by everyone. So how do you take an inclusive approach in this instance? What do you do when you’re not all starting on the same page? Ask – Is this important to all of us? If not, let’s bring in a facilitator or two to talk about it to make sure we’re all on board because there is no point in trying to adopt an inclusive lens for everything you are doing if it is not authentic or at the core value.

Q: WHAT ARE RECOMMENDED BEST PRACTICES WHEN PLANNING INCLUSIVITY INITIATIVES?
 

SEEMA:
It boils down to authenticity: if you are going to be serving a particular group (and that whole idea of serving is inherently complicated from a postcolonial perspective) in order to be very real and authentic about it, make sure that you’re not just looking for a community and making assumptions about what that community wants. You need to work hand in hand with them and consider their views at the helm of what you’re doing. It’s really the only way you can do it properly. It could be insulting and ineffective otherwise. I’d reinforce inviting people with opposing viewpoints, and also open minds, and having them at the decision making table.
So it’s not just – let’s have a group of youth come to a focus group and help us shape this youth program. Let’s invite a couple of young people to sit on our program advisory committee, and/or hire them as staff. Maybe they don’t have the experience on paper to run the program yet, so let’s hire them in year one to be an apprentice; then in year two to be an assistant; then maybe by year three, they could actually run the program. Let’s build in those opportunities for growth and address some of the systemic barriers that have been preventing them from accessing those decision-making positions.
It’s those areas of discomfort where changes and growth happens.

Interview Part Two will be posted October 28th, 2015