The Unseen Impediment in Agile Environments: The DE&I Blindspot
Published on August 11, 2023
Written by, Tana Marshall
As an Agile Consultant with extensive experience working with organizations both large and small, I've witnessed and been a part of numerous transformations. One thing, often remains constant—most organizations' agile practices seldom mirror the diversity of the world we live in. Herein lies a significant blind spot: the lack of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) in agile environments.
A Brief History of Agile and Unintended Biases
To truly understand this omission, it's crucial to turn the pages of history. Agile's birth in the early 2000s via the Agile Manifesto was a revolution in how products were developed and how teams collaborated. The manifesto prioritized individuals and interactions, functional products, customer collaboration, and responsiveness to change.
However, the majority of those who framed and first practiced agile were primarily white men. Although this in no way suggests a deliberate intent to marginalize, it inadvertently meant the early agile narrative missed out on diverse perspectives. Unconscious biases woven into its fabric have since influenced its adaptation in many organizations.
While the primary architects of the manifesto were visionaries in many ways, we must remember the landscape from which this methodology emerged. Most technological and management innovations of the past were developed within non-diverse environments. Thus, the initial phases of agile's implementation, although groundbreaking, lacked the depth of insights that diverse teams could offer. This historical oversight has led to the unintentional reinforcement of workplace practices that often align more with the experiences of its originators than a global, diverse workforce.
The Stark Reality: Lack of Diversity in Tech Today
One doesn't have to look far to see the diversity imbalance in today's tech world. According to a 2020 report by Statista, only about 3% of tech workers at major Silicon Valley companies are Black, with Hispanic workers at about 6%. Similarly, women in tech roles have consistently been underrepresented. This lack of representation isn't merely a numbers game; it has real-world consequences, particularly in product development.
Only about 3% of tech workers at major Silicon Valley companies are Black, with Hispanic workers at about 6%" (Statista, 2020).
Black tech workforce, in Silicon Valley 2014-2017
The lack of diversity in tech is not just an industry concern but a societal one. The ripple effects of this disproportion influence how technology is created, the biases it may hold, and the global user base it impacts. When large chunks of our population are underrepresented in tech development, it leaves a void in the holistic understanding of users, fostering technologies that often cater to a subset rather than the broader populace.
Product Failures and the Price of Homogeneity
Remember when Google Photos mistakenly labeled black individuals as 'gorillas'? Or when soap dispensers were unable to detect darker skin tones? These aren't just blunders; they're a testament to the environments in which these products were developed—environments that lacked diverse perspectives.
Such mishaps aren't isolated incidents.
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According to a 2019 MIT study, commercial AI systems from IBM, Microsoft, and Face++ misidentified the gender of Black women 34.7% of the time, whereas for white men, the error rate was just 0.8%.
These product issues, arising from homogeneity, also damage brand reputation and trust. Consumers today are more discerning and demand products that understand and cater to their diverse needs. Companies that overlook this face not only the immediate backlash of a failed product but also the long-term skepticism of a customer base that feels misunderstood or neglected.
AI, Diversity, and the Need for a Broader Spectrum
As we step deeper into an AI-driven world, the repercussions of a non-diverse tech landscape become graver. AI learns from data, and if this data stems from a biased perspective, we are only further cementing these biases.
Multiple studies indicate diverse teams tend to be more innovative, resilient, and yield better financial returns.
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