AdNews, in partnership with the MFA (Media Federation of Australia), presents a series of articles from members of the MFA's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Council. The body promotes the MFA’s ambition to build a diverse, equitable and inclusive industry:
Wayne Philbert, Client Partner, Initiative Melbourne – MFA DE&I Advisory Council Chair:
“Inclusion is a sensitive topic, and even with the best of intentions it’s possible to make a misstep or implement something in a way that doesn’t deliver the desired best outcome. Learning from each other, despite our many differences provides a greater sense of inclusion."
What motivates you to advocate in the area of diversity, equity and inclusion?
Inclusion is what motivates me to advocate for this the most. Despite the progress that’s been made regarding so many areas of DEI, for many (myself included) it’s still a sensitive topic. Whether overt or implied, there’s a view that we tend to celebrate particular aspects of people but not others. It’s still a very young person’s industry and culturally we don’t (or don’t know how to) bring in the various aspects of diversity to that celebration of performance and contribution.
When I considered that others might feel the same way I do, I realised I could be a voice of positivity and influence on the areas that make me diverse, which might just help others feel more comfortable and included. I also wanted to confront my own thoughts and feelings, especially around age, and seize the opportunity to encourage advocacy for advancement and change on DEI among our media partners and clients – to reflect a more diverse and representative range of voices in the industry.
As I’m sure many of us can see, DEI is a complex and intricate issue. Even with the best of intentions it’s possible to make a misstep or implement something in a way that doesn’t deliver the desired best outcome. What I’m looking to do is assist and participate in the guidance and directions taken to get the topic addressed positively.
Yes, there’s work to be done, but we’re in a place to make meaningful and material change happen. I want to be part of that.
One of the MFA’s aims is for the DE&I Advisory Council to highlight simple actions individuals and companies can take to encourage and promote diversity, equity and inclusion. Can you share a positive example of an interaction with colleagues or clients during which you felt seen and included?
Rather than grand gestures and official corporate policies, it’s so often the little things which might seem inconsequential that can have the greatest impact on how included we all feel within an organisation at any moment in time.
For me, an experience that comes to mind was based around a music playlist. Given our office has such a wide and varied range of ages, cultures and backgrounds represented, it can be difficult to find common ground in the area of music. More often than not, the office playlist misses my tastes – which I’m totally fine with! After all, we can’t all love Taylor Swift’s music on high rotation.
But on one particular day, the selection of tracks were very much from my era and preferred tastes, so I HAD to find out who’d selected this playlist. It led to a broader conversation with that person and the rest of the team in which we shared some tracks between us, and I got to point them towards more obscure artists from the same era and genre. It was just a wonderful, connected moment where despite our many differences, there was value and vibrancy in the conversation and exchange. We were all listening, engaged and learning from each other and I definitely felt a greater sense of inclusion at that moment and from there on.
How would greater diversity and inclusion impact our industry?
There are so many benefits to greater DEI within the industry, and more than I can capture here but I’ll try.
Rather ironically, as an industry sector we tend to value the quality of provocative, divergent thinking and approaches to planning and strategy, however in so many cases we see homogeneity in our team / agency make-up, especially at selected levels. And despite emergent, growing diversity and representation across a multitude of factors, we’ve still much to do to see representation reflected more broadly.
Diversity enriches the value and depth of our thinking, insight, intelligence and perspectives. Clients naturally would receive the benefits of a more diverse viewpoint in the work we do.
Within the workplace, teammates would benefit from feeling more included, considered, represented and appreciated. It would encourage a more supportive place and sector in which to work. And again, because everything is linked, that would lead to more advanced and productive work for our clients.
As Francesca Gino writes in her book Rebel Talent, diversity and inclusion leads to “better thinking, fewer biases, better decisions, improved commercial outcomes, more innovation, better co-operation and teamwork, increased productivity, improved attraction and retention of talent”. It’s an excellent book and well worth a read, by the way!