INSIDE MOMENTIVE

At Momentive, we're kicking off Global Diversity Month by celebrating differences, hosting discussions, and embracing opportunities to grow together.

Antoine Andrews

October 6, 2021 | 3 min read

SHARE THIS ARTICLE

Earlier this year, Momentive ran a study of over 6,000 people to understand how diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) shows up in workplaces within the United States.

According to the newest data, a majority of workers (62% overall) consider DEI to be “an important factor in our company’s ability to drive success.” This was true of people from almost every racial background and job level. This isn’t a revelatory insight; we know that these are issues people care about. 

The one exception was at the executive level. Only 48% of C-level executives aligned DEI with the company’s success, and almost half actually went so far as to consider DEI “a distraction from our company’s real work.”

This data was disappointing to me, but it would be disingenuous to say it was a surprise. The optimist that I am, this information was actually affirming. As one of several people at Momentive who have diversity and social impact in my title, I've dedicated myself to amplifying voices that are often unheard, pushing my fellow leaders for collective accountability, and reimagining new systems for the sake of equity in and outside of the workplace. 

I am proud to say that at Momentive, we realize diversity, equity, and inclusion are not distractions, but values that are critical to our brand as a global insights organization. In other words, diversity, equity, and inclusion are not additional fixtures, but foundational to who we are as a company. 

We are not perfect, but we are making progress, and as we kick off Global Diversity Month I want to seize this opportunity to embrace the reality and multi-tiered benefit of difference. Our workplaces are full of differences in culture, nationality, language, lived experience, ethnicity, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, and more. 

In the words of Sean Carter, “nobody [is] built like you; you designed yourself.” We recognize the individual beauty of difference as well as the collective value diversity brings to the table. From our engineering teams in Amsterdam to our customer specialists in Ottawa to our leaders in San Mateo, Dublin, Sydney, and remote locations all over the globe, at Momentive we recognize the value that diversity brings us in shaping what’s next.

Our purpose in shaping what’s next propels us to be intentional at every opportunity there is to go beyond surface celebrations and examine ways in which we can grow together. Recently a colleague shared an African Proverb with me: “If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” 

The goal is to continue our progression on this journey and do that together, aligned and with accountability as a core principle. We are excited about the discussions we will be hosting, the thought leadership we will be publishing, and events we will be coordinating this month to demonstrate our commitment to action, inclusivity, and progress. All of our discussions will celebrate diversity with a global lens. I look forward to experiencing this month with you.

Antoine Andrews is chief diversity and social impact officer at Momentive.