Why I started The Culture Ministry

Back a number of years ago now, I joined a Company on a four-month maternity leave contract. I was so desperate and grateful to snag this job, I thought very little about the Company I was joining. I just needed to escape the Company I was currently at, and keep a salary coming in. 

One of the things I remember was learning early in that new Company was that they had a global diversity and inclusion (D&I) role. Just one role (for across the workforce of nearly 30,000 people) but I was so impressed. I remember thinking about what an amazing Company I had joined and how amazing that job must be, and wishing I could do it, but never thinking it would happen. 

That four-month contract turned into a permanent role. Two years later an email landed in my inbox telling me the current D&I leader had resigned, and applications were open. I was so excited. I wanted that job. I couldn’t believe that someone would resign from it!

Apply I did, and after an internal interview process I was appointed. I was the shiny new global D&I leader for what was now a very large business (with close to 60,000 people). I. Was. So. Excited. 

I thought and planned about how I was going to make a real difference. I smugly thought about how I was going to work with our leaders and executives to make the Company a better place for everyone. I fantasised about how my actions and insights, and hard work were going to pay off.

And then reality hit. 

It turns out I wasn’t allowed to speak to the CEO about his views on D&I, and what was important to him. And it turned out that nobody really cared about my vision for D&I, which I spent a lot of time researching and reviewing and thinking about. And it turned out when I spoke to other D&I leaders in the market, they didn’t really know which actions they were working on would make progress in their business. And it turned out that there is an overwhelming amount of research and content about D&I and you don’t know what you should pay attention to. 

And I found out that working in D&I is lonely and tough. Decisions take a long time to happen. Actions take a long time to implement. Progress is slow and wins don’t happen very often. There are so many things that need attention and there is never enough time in the day. Sound familiar?

This is why I started The Culture Ministry. 

I wanted to create a place where people who work in D&I don’t feel so lonely. 

I wanted to create a place where people who work in D&I can connect with others and get help and support. 

I wanted to create a place where people can ask questions in a space where everyone is trying to make a difference. 

I wanted to be able to curate the best research and resources in the market to help people working in D&I. 

I wanted to create a place where we could learn from each other the actions that do make a difference, and the ones that were a waste of time. 

I wanted to create a place where we could learn from other’s career journeys.

And I wanted a place where people who want to move their career into D&I can come and learn and grow. 

And so I created The Culture Ministry and I would love you to join me.