Doing the right thing shouldn’t require a business case
I read an article yesterday that shared findings of research into LGTBIQ+ professionals. I found it extremely empathetic, on-point and I identified with the key takeaways as a LGTBIQ+ identified person. However there was one sentence that really left me perplexed:
“Our research did not set out to prove the business case for an inclusive, diverse workgroup….”.
At first this sentence made sense, in a very corporate fashion I am accustomed that when presenting a case for anything, there needs to be a business case that backs it up. My team knows this. Want to ask for more budget? Let me see your business case. In fact, in our classes we are always sure to add a section (at the beginning) where we shared the economic benefits whatever it is we are teaching. This extends to our previous masterclass on inclusive design and our upcoming masterclass on circular economy.
Somehow reading this sentence last night left me uneasy. I took to heart that fact that I have normalized that one should expect a business case when one is presenting something new, or trying to get a point across. However, how does that play out when what we are trying to promote, convince or change is just THE RIGHT thing to do? It makes sense that there is a disclaimer in this mentioned article, because I would have expected at some point to receive numbers that show the economic benefit of inclusion. But why? Why do I need to numerically prove that something is beneficial, when again, its simply the right thing.
I am sure I can receive a rush of very logical answers to this question: Why do we need a business case to do the right thing? I get it. However I invite you to really reflect upon what you are normalizing. I constantly rely on numbers to get my point across. As a gay woman, let’s just say that I need to find ways to hack my credibility. However it still leaves me uneasy. So I leave you with the question: Should we need a business case to do the right thing?