Neenu Kainth on affinity groups
From Inclusion and Diversity with Neenu Sharma · · GE Digital
“Affinity groups like the African Affinity Forum, the Women's Network, and the Hispanic Forum help us build the organization by fostering a sense of community and trust among our teams. These networks are not just about individuals identifying with an affinity but about a larger movement towards connection, understanding, and learning from each other.”
On , Neenu Kainth, Senior Vice President & Chief Customer Experience Officer at ENACT HOLDINGS INC, spoke about affinity groups during Inclusion and Diversity with Neenu Sharma on GE Digital.
About Neenu Kainth
In a September 2021 video conversation with GE Digital CEO Pat Byrne, Neenu Sharma, then serving as GE Digital's Chief Diversity Officer, Interim Chief Marketing Officer, and Vice President of Brand and Corporate Communications, discussed her approach to inclusion and diversity. Sharma defined diversity as "having a seat at the table," inclusion as "having a voice," and belonging as "having your voice heard." She argued that much of the work over the previous 20-30 years had focused on "behavioral inclusion," such as understanding personal biases, but that the priority should shift to "structural inclusion," which examines how equitable systems and processes are and how to prevent unconscious bias from occurring. Sharma outlined a framework she called "TEAMS," which includes talent advocacy, engagement and belonging, awareness and transparency, market and ops integration, and standard work. She stated that any initiative not falling within these areas or lacking an ability for structural inclusion was likely not worth pursuing. Sharma described empathy as her "superpower" and said it could be cultivated through asking questions, discovering commonalities, and listening intently while being vulnerable. She also noted that affinity groups, such as the African Affinity Forum, Women's Network, and Hispanic Forum, help build community and trust, and that during the COVID-19 pandemic, people were "craving moments to connect as a community."