Diversity Doesn't Mean Inclusion

As a Training and Education Strategists, I am very familiar with the wavering interests from individuals, teams, and entire organizations on receiving coaching, and/or instruction on topics relating to Diversity and Inclusion. Particularly, in times like these, when inequity and inequality rear its ugly and familiar head yet again on the main stage of mainstream media.

It is certainly a pleasure to witness so many leaders stepping up, speaking out, and taking immediate action to do their part in this ongoing battle against racial injustice. If I didn’t know any better, I would think Black people and the perversion of racism is just a novel as the other pandemic that’s going around.

The facetiousness of that statement is laughable for sure, but really. Black people have both BEEN here and been HERE before. “Here” as in enduring the collective pain of the blatant disregard of our existence, let alone of us mattering enough to let live. “Here” as in enduring the day-to-day struggle to co-exist in environments where we are almost invisible and aren’t valued.

When it comes to race relations in America the injustices are grotesquely clear, so it is unsurprising that it permeates every part of society including work. For many Black people, when it comes to work environments: our presence, our voices, our thoughts, our skills, our and our experiences essentially don’t matter. And given all that we have come to see during the global health crisis, this is especially true for our current “essential workers.”

Now that the social media dust has settles, let’s get down to the work.

So, the big question is why? Why is it that workplaces are becoming increasingly diverse in comparison to previous years, yet there are still groups of people who feel as though they don’t exist nor matter as employees? This is not specific to Black people either. I’m speaking of ethnicities other than white, women, younger employees, older employees, disabled, veterans, etc. Many people who are not White and Male still experience issues around lack of inclusion.

One of the main reasons this is still a major problem within many workplaces is the misconception that diversity somehow automatically equates to inclusion. Though affirmative action is dead, by title at least, organizations have still focused immensely solely on filing minimal quotas. These quotas are based on inherent diversity traits (skin color, gender, age, etc.) and is just a starting point as opposed to the solution.

What needs to be done?

Bottom line, there needs to be more attention given to creating environments that allow individuals to be their authentic selves, bring their unique perspectives and show up without the fear and insecurity of being the other.

Whereas diversity is rooted in measure, inclusion is truly about means and method. This does not mean that inclusion efforts cannot be measured, but it does mean that workplaces must take a harder and more intentional look at how inclusion is measured. It will certainly look different from workplace to workplace and will be more qualitative than quantitative, which of course in itself is hard for some leaders to wrap their head and executive level report outs around.

So where can we start?

First: Be absolutely committed to dismantling exclusion in your workplace. This may sound simple, but there is a fine line between implementation and idea. Commitment means having open dialogue and hard conversations at every level of the workplace. Commitment means budgeting and planning for intervention tactics such as training & education of staff.  Commitment means at least starting with the second and third points below.

Second: Develop a work group or committee designed solely for address inclusion/exclusion. Ideally this should be a mix of leadership and staff People who can provide input from every level of organization. The work group should lead on point three (below) and provide space for employees who are subject to exclusion practices to express their concerns. The work group should lead on this work and be a standing committee that acknowledge that inclusion work is not a one-time deal, or quick fix; but a perpetual and iterative process.

Third: The handy dandy survey/questionnaire. There is always some huff and puff when it comes to surveys, but overall studies show that employees who feel as thought their input is valued perform higher than those who are never asked. A good place to start is always a thoughtful questionnaire that allows people to share their personal experiences from which leadership and a task force can build upon.

All in all, in all honesty, if you are truly serious about creating more inclusive work spaces, it is my best recommendation to hire a professional in this work. If you are interested in learning more about how to go about this work, please contact me.

In Greatness,

Coach Shara