Suki Sandhu - How To Get Your Act Together: A Judgement-Free Guide to Diversity and Inclusion for Straight White Men

Suki Sandhu and Felicity Hassan make a compelling case why creating more diverse and inclusive workplaces is everybodys business. How to Get Your Act Together is a must-read and a powerful call to seize the opportunity that lies in embracing and celebrating people for who they are Richard Branson, Founder, Virgin Group

There is no finish line when it comes to creating a more equal, fair and just world. How to Get Your Act Together is a pivotal guide for going from awareness to action in creating a more diverse and inclusive workplace and society Marc Benioff, Chair and CEO, Salesforce

The magic of diversity is that it protects us from our blind spots and drives innovation it makes all of us stronger. This book offers ways to help you embrace what people can do and how they think, rather than where they were born and what they look like Ajay Banga, Executive Chair, Mastercard

Successful businesses rise on the shoulders of talented employees who are confident bringing their authentic selves to work. This book is a valuable guide for enabling leaders to take action to ensure they can Beth Ford, President and CEO, Land OLakes, Inc.

Diversity and inclusion are the gateways to stronger teams and better performance. Fact. But it takes a good deal of self-awareness and continuous learning to really ingrain the behavioural changes that are needed. This book holds up a mirror and then guides us skilfully and persuasively to the actions we all need to be taking Alan Jope, CEO, Unilever

Felicity Hassan is President of Audeliss, Inc., the US arm of Audeliss Ltd, a consultancy firm that levels the playing field for diverse executives and board members. Felicity serves on the board of the Womens Business Collaborative, where she also co-chairs the Advisory Council.

Suki Sandhu OBE is the Founder and CEO of Audeliss and INvolve, two globally recognized consultancy firms that champion diversity and inclusion in business. He is a Patron for akt, Board Director of OutRight Action International in New York and leads a fund via GiveOut to financially support LGBT+ activists in Asia.

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First published by Penguin Business in 2022

Copyright Felicity Hassan and Suki Sandhu, 2021

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ISBN: 978-0-241-48522-4

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This is for our husbands, our better halves,
our accomplices in love and life

There have been so many eye-opening moments that made me pause and think about the need to stand up and make a difference. I started working at fourteen and the instances of inappropriate behavior I experienced as a teenager are too numerous to mention. Post-university, I expected my transition into a corporate role to be night and day I was going to be disappointed.

The more sexually oriented experiences of my earlier working years continued, from requests by senior leaders to go on dates to actual comments about my sexual performance and preferences. While these could have appeared career limiting, I had a fantastic manager who forewarned me how best to acknowledge, laugh and move on. This seemed admirable at the time, but now feels irresponsible, given those that may have felt less empowered to decline such advances.

I am grateful for the bravery of those who brought the #MeToo and #Black Lives Matter conversations to light. It will be incumbent upon all of us to ensure that we maintain this momentum and demand positive change.

My first salary negotiation really offered a turning point for me. Never having shied away from a tough conversation, I went boldly into an early career discussion with my MD, armed with data around what Id achieved for the company, what I was yet to offer and what my value should be to my manager. The response, without hesitation and without any thought given to the preparation Id clearly invested in the meeting, was, You are paid extremely well for a woman of your age. Since age and gender evidently had zero bearing on the discussion, it was clear to me that something needed to be done.

My eyes were opened to the power of diversity in a corporate setting during my time at Bloomberg. I applaud Mike Bloomberg, for his unique stance on community and giving back, Peter Grauer, for the commitment he showed to holding the entire organization accountable for change, and Erika Irish Brown, for putting an early framework in place to make that change happen. This was my first exposure to the importance of straight white men and the power that their Allyship brings.

Their example, along with that of my own family, truly opened my mind to the importance of speaking up and being part of the solution. I consider myself extremely fortunate in the privilege that my parents afforded me through my education and upbringing. I have faced my fair share of challenges, but they pale by comparison to others. With that in mind, I wanted to write this book with Suki. I have a responsibility to my family, my husband, our children and the next generation as a whole to ensure that we unlock the immense power of Allyship in the fight for diversity, equity and inclusion for all.

I remember the very start of my career and how I hated the Graduate Program I was undertaking. The company was hyper-masculine and I didnt feel like I fitted in. Then, seeing potential in my abilities, one of the managers took me under his wing and mentored me. He was my complete opposite. Straight, white, South African. He was what I now know to be an Ally. As a result of his taking an interest in me and supporting me, I became the companys best-performing consultant out of thousands of people globally. I wouldnt be where I am right now if Brad Shotland hadnt helped me launch the career journey Ive been on. This includes founding two successful businesses in the diversity and inclusion space, earning an OBE from the Queen for the work I do, and helping countless candidates make career transitions and clients with their inclusion challenges. In 2016, having reflected on Brads profound impact on my career, I personally thanked him. Heres the actual message, along with his reply: