How Sesame Place Learned A Lesson About The Letters DEI

Training in diversity, equity and inclusion, it turns out, is important even in the world of children’s entertainment.

That was illustrated recently when the theme park Sesame Place Philadelphia found itself in the headlines after a Black family raised complaints because character performers ignored Black guests and interacted only with white visitors during a meet-and-greet event.

Along with ensuing bad publicity, the incident led to a lawsuit against the parent company, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, and prompted Sesame Place to announce it would expand its DEI efforts, including requiring training for all current and future employees. That training is designed to address bias, promote inclusion, prevent discrimination, and ensure that guests and employees feel welcome.

It’s a better-late-than-never approach, but other companies should take notice because you can take steps that will help you avoid being in Sesame Place’s situation to begin with. A proactive approach also will put you in the position of promoting DEI for the right reasons, rather than as just something you feel legally bound to do.

Unfortunately, there’s a tendency among some people to view DEI as an obligation, when in fact it should be seen as an opportunity to make an organization more effective. Instead of another box to check off the to-do list, realize that DEI is a chance to develop new ideas and get voices at the table who bring whole new perspectives. Who knows in what wonderful directions that could lead.

So, with that spirit of DEI adventure in mind, here are a few ways to get started:

• Set expectations. It’s important that you and your teams don’t see DEI training as a one-and-done event. Create awareness and understanding that you expect for learning and development experiences to be continual. Also, this isn’t just about providing people with information and then assuming your work is over. Explore how to incorporate tools and best practices to hold people accountable and see to it that those learning experiences play out in the day-to-day workplace. In other words, make sure knowledge results in action.
• Communicate. People won’t accomplish what you want if you don’t make your desires clear. If your DEI initiatives are not broadly and appropriately communicated, then the efforts to elevate the work to the next level can be compromised. A clear communications strategy establishes trust, confidentiality, and clarity on the DEI path forward plan. The communications strategy aims to educate and reinforce the firm’s business case for DEI and establish transparency around the process, including intended outcomes.
• Foster a culture of speaking up. In too many organizations, many people don’t feel comfortable sharing their thoughts, and as a result the same voices are heard over and over. That can lead to a conformist culture where those with differing ideas keep their thoughts to themselves. They lose out and so does the organization. But moving from a conformist culture to an inclusive one takes commitment. It means intentionally and actively honoring all voices and ensuring everyone feels safe to express themselves. Prioritize getting rid of any barriers that keep all voices from entering the conversation. Encouraging everyone to speak up is essential to leveraging inclusion and belonging within a workforce.
• Position DEI within the full employee life cycle – beginning to end. Perhaps this is where Sesame Place went astray, but it also appears from company statements that they are trying to make amends by including training for employees right from the start. That’s excellent, but I would add that a focus on DEI should begin even ahead of an employee’s first day on the job. It must be part of employee recruitment and feature in the conversations that occur during the interview period to ensure that the company’s and the job candidate’s values are aligned. It’s also important for the organization to have well established guiding principles at this point, and to have evaluated their culture and identified the gaps or opportunities so they can further embed DEI. If that’s not been done, then you are more likely to attract people who are indifferent to DEI or even see it as a distraction or unimportant.

Sesame Place certainly has recognized the importance of promoting an atmosphere that is inclusive and has begun to take the appropriate steps, belatedly or not, to correct problems that exist within their organization.

But you have the advantage of learning from Sesame Place’s mistakes and acting now – before significant and damaging problems surface.