Thread by @WhistlingDixie4

Next I’m here for this @ESICM #LIVES2022 chat on ‘diversity’ with amongst others @iceman_ex

My first thought is that this should be in a main theatre

The first question is ‘what is’ diversity

@ElieAzoulay5 says it is ‘us…all of us”

(My own thought on that is the sense of ‘us’ is sometimes the issue but I get the intention)

Ellie says there’s a generation gap - need to understand elements of language that we don’t share

(I agree with that we can’t be afraid to learn form each other)

Marlies Ostermann says it’s not just gender or ethnicity etc …it’s about *individuals* beyond those demographics …and also about the MDT and professionals we work with

Weiss mentions diversity again mentions the gender stats for speakers at the conference used but ‘diversity’ is overused

(And often not understood )

Iliopoulou is a nurse, she says everyone needs to be represented in the activity of @ESICM and we should always look for biases - but also that she feels she has opportunity

@iceman_ex says diversity is very difficult to define but you know it when you see it

It is that you arrive and know your not other

That you know ‘there are people like me’ who occupy sorts of this organisation

(THIS IS A DEFINITION I GET)

@ElieAzoulay5 says we are building on period that wasn’t so ‘easy’ (think he means in terms of diversity - welcome recognition of a problem) and we need to let each other know when we fail

(yes but that depends on who each other is. You get views of those around you)

Now again we’re back to gender split…Marlies Ostermann is asked about how we improve that, taking into account prior lack of female presence on @ESICM council

(The state of fixation single attributes in particular gender, as opposed to the complexity of intersectionality is at this point really grating on me)

But also seems at odds with @ElieAzoulay5 then clearly speaking up today for the importance invisible and visible diversity

Carol Hodgson speaks to the research that shows that woman as leaders are prone to the bias that sees them as less likeable

(don’t I know it)

and that just saying team-leader reframes the role as ‘caring’ and is often more acceptable …interesting

Weiss says we need to make sure that we’re not forcing others to fit the ‘white straight male’ typical leader that we’re used to…we need to accept individuals

@ElieAzoulay5 says he was chief editor of @yourICM and that he knows the number of ‘women’ presenting research in big journals is describing & he still sees racism & sexism and we need quality markers to guide us to help us improve …he says that’s need ‘checklists for diversity’

A (female) published researcher in the audience says her research confirms that there are less first or senior authors in high ranking journals, and they DO submit but they they’re less likely to be published

@iceman_ex takes the mic to bring forward the concept of allyship

He also says that whether we like it or not - affirmative action is the only thing that has evidence that shows that it works…. (see Rooney Rule)

operations.nfl.com/inside-footbal…

It’s put to him that affirmative action (like Rooney rule) isn’t democratic….

(Do I feel like all elections are necessarily democratic with equitable access for candidates to have exposure and support …not sure. Thinking about targeted emails I mysteriously received)

@ElieAzoulay5 says that if we move on, we need to agree a ‘routine’ check list for any important position but we need to make change very early on the process

We need to remember the basics to be flexible like ‘let’s meet at 8pm’ isn’t possible for everyone (I agree with this)

@iceman_ex talks strategy - and says ‘you cannot he what you cannot see’ is important and he been hugely important for him

Weiss says there is not doubt that’s diversity makes us stronger and increase excellence

…but that he would like it be less political in its end points

He also feels we need research and to publish on it (e.g gender diversity and impact on care is neglected)

@iceman_ex answers a question about someone saying ‘when we look for diversity we create differences’ (or words to that effect) by saying that if we don’t understand each others perspectives how can we improve at all?

(I agree)

And then followed a lively discussion about whether the society should ,outside of research, collect information about individual characteristics at all….

And I wedged in my own challenge that we stop using the phrase ‘problem or diversity’ because diversity is always an opportunity

…and that as fixation on one thing gender like split of speakers doesn’t make me feel included, it’s a 2D claim - about a complex issue…so can we do better at signalling in our inclusivity?

And so to end. There was other nuance. I did my best

#LIVES2022