Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Published on : Monday 11-03-2024
At the 3DEXPERIENCE World 2024 in Dallas recently, Aneesa Muthana shared her perspective on how DEI can foster innovation.
Who here has been in front of a presenter about DEI? Have you? Have you seen enough talk about DEI? Well, this session is a little different than most sessions about DEI.
It's a perspective from a machine shop owner who's worked with a diverse team.
My name is Aneesa Muthana, and I will be speaking about diversity, equity, and inclusion – DEI. My focus, empowerment without dividing; they have become buzzwords. You hear them all the time. Unfortunately, sometimes, shallow words. But hopefully, today, you'll hear from my perspective and find a little bit of inspiration.
But we know that we have made progress because the fact that I'm speaking to you today about the topic is a testament to that progress.
Engineers, manufacturers, we have so much going on. Designing, processes, building, production, and then what about those metrics? On-time delivery and quality? Lots of going on. But DEI should not ever be presumed as a burden; it is a responsibility. But when you embrace it wholeheartedly, really towards those efforts, you will reap the benefits of any work you put in. Before I talk about what DEI is, let's talk about and address what DEI is not.
It's not checking off a box or a political agenda. Unfortunately, it has become that. But we as leaders can make decisions while running our departments and our companies, not to fall into that trap.
It is not a trophy employee or a token board member. Success must be earned and never given. This is one of my favorites. It's not playing the victim. Playing the victim fosters a toxic environment. No one wants to work next to an entitled employee. It brings a new culture down. It's one employee, this employee can get away with it because of the color of their skin or because you just checked off a box. That's not fair. Only qualified employees. And if they're diverse, great. And if they're not, that's okay too. And it certainly isn't us versus them. You know, I hear people, it doesn't work that way.
I have been in this industry my entire life. White males are my mentors, my mentees, and during IMTS, they're my shopping buddies because we love big machines. But seriously, if we want this to work, if any initiative for DEI should work, it will only work by empathy. And progress only happens when you get everyone's buy-in. It doesn't work that you bash a gender or a race. Villainising the white male, yet expecting him to embrace change, is a recipe for failure. It doesn't work. Ladies and gentlemen, that is not advocacy. That is hypocrisy.
So what is DEI? DEI starts with diversity. And diversity means different things to different people. It could be your race, it could be your age, it could even be your educational level. But it's about hiring qualified individuals from a variety of backgrounds. Equity consists of your policies and practices in place.
Ask yourself, are they fair and impartial? No one wants to be a charity case. Everyone deserves to be compensated fairly and provided opportunities to develop their skills. I had no idea I was gonna imagine a background. No idea. So if I blend in, follow the shoes.
Inclusion, it's that warm and fuzzy feeling we get, right? The sense of belonging that we all yearn for – said the wrong thing. I've made mistakes. I obviously have plenty of bad things said to me as well. But it's okay, especially with good intentions. We're learning. It's not walking on eggshells. It's respect, its understanding, its empathy, its compassion. It's accommodating when necessary and respecting our differences.
My motto, everyone has a place in manufacturing. Work hard, you, the company, and the industry will prosper together. Now this is not brain surgery. This basically DEI, before the acronym came out. What it means is do the right thing. Treat people fairly. That's all. We don't have to make it complicated. But let me tell you, if your company values aren't aligned with this, more importantly, if your company values aren't aligned with your personal values change them. If you can't change them, it is on you to find your plan B.
So one group of diversity would be women. Look around you. There are not enough women in this room. And especially back in the 1990s and early 2000s, I was the only woman in the room. It still happens, but not as often.
Women groups provide inspiration, mentorship, and resources to those that are new in the industry. These groups, many times, have male allies and male funding because they realize they wanna tap into that group of people, and they want to leave a legacy and help and empower the next generation of women to stay in the industry. There's plenty that come in, but they don't stay. These groups help them. And this is what I mean about not dividing, empowering without dividing, because it starts bashing men, which in all honesty, there's sometimes that happens.
It's on us women to walk out, because that's not empowerment. So as a business leader, there's always, what's the return on investment? Well, with RoI and DEI, besides doing the right thing, there's plenty. I actually wrote an article for Modern Machine Shop, and it lists several. Today, because we're short on time, I'll talk about two.
Innovation is championed through diversity. Different perspectives, different ideas bring creativity to your team. Besides, if everyone on your team looks like you and comes from the same background as you, you haven't even scratched the surface of innovation. So we have a workforce crisis. In the workforce crisis, what better way than to promote the industry to those who may not be inclined to join? It's not brain surgery. We need more people. I hope my perspective gave you a few takeaways.
Don't let your company's values be pretty words on a wall or content for the website. Make sure they mean something to every single person on your team. It's okay to show off your team, especially if they're a diverse one. Not on a pedestal, but on social media and in events like these. Show off your team. Make them feel like they belong. So, supporting groups, mentorships, it's changed my life. I have individuals who I hired as interns in the early 2000s who are now engineers, business leaders, and even my accountant. And now, they're mentoring me.
Giving back and providing resources to groups is a win for us just as much as it's a win for them. We are makers, especially for the next generation, so we can leave a legacy, a legacy we are proud of.
Thank you.
Aneesa Muthana is the CEO and co-owner of Pioneer Service Inc., providing precision machined parts since 1990. She is a hands-on leader with extensive experience in almost every aspect of a production machining environment. Aneesa believes in building relationships both inside and outside of her company, and in the strength of inclusivity in an industry where success can only be earned, and never given. In 2021, she returned to her family business, M&M Quality Grinding, after 29 years, coming full circle while retaining her role at Pioneer Service.
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