Breaking Barriers in Tech

The CRN Breaking Barriers event was thought-provoking and inspiring. Firstly, it was an honour to be asked to host the panel discussion on Employee Impact Groups (EIGs) and volunteering, but it was great to listen to different voices from across the industry, sharing their thoughts, opinions, and ideas. It was encouraging and warming to hear through the discussions and questions that were sent in by viewers, that, regardless of where organisations are on their diversity and inclusion journey, they all have ideas of what they want to do, an approach they want to take, and that they are actively seeking guidance from others. We wanted to address three main things: showcase what we have done already, discuss what we think needs to happen next, and call on the support required to push the agenda further.

I truly believe the event achieved this.

On a personal level, I was prompted to reflect, based on the conversations had, on new ways that situations and conversations were/are interpreted by others, pushing me to open my mind further and welcome colleagues, friends, and family to do so as well.

It’s a collective effort to make diverse and inclusive workplaces the norm, and events like this are amazing and so important in highlighting what is being done already and where we believe we can reach.

Computacenter has done a lot around ethnic diversity, especially over the past two years, and only plans to increase its momentum moving forward, however we also appreciate there are new suggestions to consider and more volunteers and allies ready to bring their energy and enthusiasm into the fold.

My underlying sentiment is always that we need to create an environment, no matter how small the action or activity, that makes people feel comfortable to share or ask a question.

It takes bravery to be vulnerable, but once one person does so, those around them will be open to as well, and ultimately that is what will drive change.