February Featured Author | Veronica S. Smith
Welcome to our first featured author series where we share different points of view on advancing social justice and DEI+B efforts through the ever evolving fields of multicultural organizational development, human resources, implementation science, equitable evaluation and applied research, improvement science, learning science, performance measurement, and team science.
Each month we highlight someone in this work we admire and have learned from in the past. Our hope is that you find new perspectives, ideas, and insights to inspire and challenge the way you live and work.
Veronica S. Smith
Lead Executive and Equitable Scientist, data2insight
Veronica S. Smith brings over 30 years of experience working with clients to implement optimal strategies for creating a culture of belonging where everyone can thrive. Veronica has been immersed in advancing equity first in the environmentally friendly design and construction industry, then in science, technology, engineering, and math fields, and over the last 13 years with mission-driven organizations across sectors. She became a data scientist in the 2000s and founded data2insight to guide people who are drowning in data and starved for knowledge to act in ways that create thriving workplaces and communities.
Why do you do the work you do?
I do my work because I am a human, truth seeker, community builder, creative, and scientist who has experienced first hand the power of human connection and healthy relationships to sustain myself, others, and our planet through the beautiful struggle of life. One of my fundamental beliefs is that while I am not the only force in my own life, I am the primary creative force in my life. And I believe that leaders are the primary creative force in the lives of the organizations and communities they lead. I also believe that everyone is a leader in some way.
At this time most humans are desperately in need of more insight into what causes happiness, pain, inequity, and oppression. There is so much knowledge and wisdom about how to co-create a world where every person has health, well being, autonomy, self-determination, and freedom. Yet there is relatively little application of this knowledge and wisdom in workplaces and communities around the world. Instead there is too much focus on the outdated and monocultural principles and practices of exploitative relationships that perpetuate inequities (e.g. Jeff Bezos’ false claim that workers are inherently lazy). Every day I aim to act out of a place of love and hope, not fear, and to guide others to do the same in pursuit of what makes us all come alive.
What technique, method, tool, theory or practice would you like to highlight that is promising and/or proven for advancing social justice?
Two of my sheroes and mentors are Dr. Caprice Hollins and Ilsa Govan, the founders of Cultures Connecting, a DEI+B consulting firm that guides organizations across sectors committed to improving their ability to work effectively across cultures. Back in 2010 as I was launching data2insight, I met them while participating in the Leadership Tomorrow (LT) program. Dr. Hollins and Ilsa’s work with LT contributed in large measure to my immersion in what is currently known as DEI+B work and weaving it into measurement, evaluation, assessment, organize and implementation science.
Dr. Hollins’ recently wrote a book called Inside Out: The Equity Leader’s Guide to Undoing Institutional Racism. In that book, there is a technique and a tool that I find essential to effectively implementing DEIB work in an organization.
The technique of identifying foundational beliefs is critical for leaders who are preparing to, or in the process of, participating in DEI+B initiatives. Dr. Hollins writes, “One reason DEIB leaders, equity teams, and organizations are ineffective in this work is they fail to identify, and agree upon, foundational beliefs.” Dr. Hollins suggests that we think about foundational beliefs like an internal compass used to guide us when having difficult conversations. These beliefs assist you in interacting with people from a place of curiosity, especially when you are being triggered. Without shared and explicit foundational beliefs, organizations find there are more reactionary behaviors and less thoughtful responses.
One of the most important foundational beliefs for data2insight’s DEIB work is: Hurting, shaming, and blaming are not effective tools for opening minds and changing attitudes and assumptions. Dr. Hollins describes how, when equity leaders have little tolerance for people and organizations who are in the earlier stages of their DEI+B learning journey, they are coming from a place of self-righteousness, and/or are impatient with the slow pace and progress that this work sometimes requires. It can result in calling people out, rather than calling them in to do the work. Unfortunately, hurting, blaming, and shaming undermine DEIB work and can do more harm than good. That is why in some cases it can be better to not offer a workshop or program in an organization if it results in hurting, shaming, and blaming in the name of advancing DEI+B. Instead, the better action could be to convene the executive, DEI+B leaders, and/or equity team members to clarify foundational beliefs. This is what we call ‘tilling the soil’ so that DEI+B seeds (AKA recruiting efforts, workshops, programs, learning, and professional development) are more likely to bloom.
The tool that Dr. Collins developed with Dr. Jennifer Wiley is the Stages of Multicultural Organizational Identity Development (SMOID). This is an organizational identity assessment tool that data2insight has used extensively and is developing further in collaboration with DEI+B consulting firm LTHJ Global. Our clients use their DEI+B profile to identify the best strategies to evolve their organization systems from where they are to where they want to go. This kind of assessment is needed, because while training and recruiting strategies and tactics are important to create a culture of belonging, there are many more strategies and tactics that leaders want and need to leverage to realize the ROI from DEI+B. And it often is not obvious what strategies and tactics are best to leverage next. That is where the SMOID assessment findings come in! Over 30 years of organizational development theory and practice inform the recommendations. You can move forward with confidence when you have gained insight from SMOID. Revisit this assessment on an annual basis to see how your organization is evolving. Celebrate your wins and identify opportunities for continuing learning and improvement.
What is one book you wish everyone would read?
Pema Chödrön is an American Buddhist nun and teacher who has been a leader in establishing the monastic tradition in the West, as well as working with Buddhists of all traditions, sharing ideas and teachings. She is also a prolific author. The book I keep by my bedside, read and share frequently with others is Comfortable with Uncertainty: 108 Teachings on Cultivating Fearlessness and Compassion.
Working with people to co-create cultures of belonging requires diving into difficult conversations and situations daily. Pema’s writing explains how we can meet these with confidence and grace. The key, Pema says, is having the courage to rest in the open space of uncertainty, instead of trying to put things back together when they fall apart. I find reading the concise reflections in this book to be just the pep talk I need sometimes. And there’s plenty of practicality, too, including teachings on meditation, compassion, nonaggression, and non-attachment.
Here you can learn more about Pema Chödrön and to check out her books.
What are one or two practices, resources, and/or tools that help you live more into your values on the daily?
I could not pick just two! The 3 essentials to a great day for me are:
10 minutes of meditation a day: I prefer to sit before I go to work. And, if I don’t get that in, I do it in the afternoon or right before bed.
7-8 hours of sleep a night: My sweet spot for sleeping is 10:30p-6:30a. I aim to not deviate from that by more than 1-2 hours on either side.
Weekly planning and daily re-prioritizing: My weekly planning day is Sunday. I map out my week both personally and professionally. After dinner, my wife and I look at our shared calendar and update and prioritize our to dos. We have been doing this for all 20 years of our marriage, and it only gets more useful over time. I use a Best Self Journal to plan for my days. Writing out my goal and 3 targets for each day as well as mapping out my schedule (from my Google calendar). I reflect each evening on what I am grateful for and identify how I actualized my plan, regroup, and plan for the next day.
