Inclusive Environments

Most often found at the end of D, E&I, or the middle of DIB (Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging), inclusion 4 Ways To Improve Your Company’s Inclusion, Diversity And Equity Strategy (forbes.com) is a well-worn word these days.  While Diversity is quantitative in nature, fairly easy to measure, and lends itself to granular analytics, Inclusion is more qualitative and so while we all agree it is important, many have struggled with how it should be assessed.  You have worked hard to create a diverse workforce but retaining them requires that you work equally as hard at providing an environment where everyone feels included.  

Inclusion What is Inclusion? – Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion – LibGuides at Austin Community College (austincc.edu)is providing a work environment where all people feel respected, accepted, supported, and valued, allowing all employees to fully participate in decision-making processes and development opportunities within an organization, and is a challenge to measure.

Gartner www.gartner.com proposed the following holistic questions which accurately assess the organization’s feelings around inclusion.  They can be asked individually in quick pulse surveys to certain teams or on an annual basis across the whole organization.

  1. Fair treatment: Employees at my organization who help the organization achieve its strategic objectives are rewarded and recognized fairly.
  2. Integrating differences: Employees at my organization respect and value each other’s opinions.
  3. Decision making: Members of my team fairly consider ideas and suggestions offered by other team members
  4. Psychological safety: What Is Psychological Safety at Work? | CCL  I feel welcome to express my true feelings at work
  5. Trust: Communication we receive from the organization is honest and open.
  6. Belonging: People in my organization care about me
  7. Diversity: Managers at my organization are as diverse as the broader workforce.

While many of the above questions seem qualitative and anecdotal in nature there are clear actions, we can take to ensure successful outcomes.

  1. Conduct pay equity analyses at least annually to ensure all employees at paid equitably in relation to each other 
  2. Create clear job descriptions and clear guidelines around who is eligible for and who ultimately receives promotions
  3. Train people leaders to listen more than they speak and to draw those who may be quieter into the conversation
  4. Enable small acts of kindness- Random Acts of Kindness | Welcome a handwritten note, flowers, a sincere thank you
  5. Create mentorship and reverse mentorship programs where a person can apply to be mentored or to be a mentor to a senior-level executive.  Many white males cannot possibly understand what it is like to be a woman or a Black male or female in corporate America.  Allow them the opportunity to begin to understand.  

This is not a check the box exercise, it is a journey and likely a long one, but each step along the way will provide its own rewards!

Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

sherrie-suski-diversity

Diversity is not just the range of human differences, but acknowledging, understanding, accepting, and valuing differences among people including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, social class, physical ability or attributes, religious or ethical values system, national origin, and political beliefs.  Diversity and Inclusion programs are developed in the workplace to ensure that people of all types are included at all levels of the organization and can draw on each other’s strengths and experiences.

The world’s increasing globalization requires more interaction among people from diverse backgrounds. People no longer live and work in an insular environment; they are now part of a worldwide economy competing within a global framework. For this reason, organizations need to become more diversified to remain competitive. Maximizing and capitalizing on workplace diversity is an important issue for management.

Managers need to recognize the ways in which the workplace is changing and evolving. Managing diversity is a significant organizational challenge, so managerial skills must adapt to accommodate a multicultural work environment.

Effective managers are aware that certain skills are necessary for creating a successful, thriving, diverse workforce.

First, managers must understand discrimination and its consequences.

Before we can truly embrace a diverse workforce, managers must understand that discrimination hurts us all, not just the person who is of a different ethnicity, but those who have to witness it.  It creates a divide in the workplace and is counter to the desire to collaborate.

Second, managers must recognize their own cultural biases and prejudices.

Each individual is unique and does not represent or speak for a particular group. When creating a successful diverse workforce, an effective manager should focus on personal awareness. Both managers and employees need to be aware of their personal biases. Therefore, organizations need to develop, implement, and maintain ongoing training because a one-day session of training will not change people’s behaviors.

Finally, managers must be willing to change the organization if necessary.

Organizations need to learn how to manage diversity in the workplace to be successful in the future. When dealing with diversity, managers must promote a safe place for associates to communicate. Social gatherings and business meetings, where every member must listen and have the chance to speak, are good ways to create dialogues. Managers should implement policies such as mentoring programs to provide employees access to information and opportunities. Also, employees should never be denied necessary, constructive, critical feedback for learning about mistakes and successes, due to concerns about a person’s differences.

Managing diversity is about more than equal employment opportunity and affirmative action. Is it about embracing each of our unique differences.