I get a lot of questions from my clients about what are some practical things they can do promote diversity and inclusion in their organizations. They frequently seem focused on policies and procedures but there is one basic thing we can look at to profoundly affect our workplace environment, our own behavior. Think about the power you have to make your business or organization a welcoming and safe place. You can set the agenda and the tone which will then guide your entire operation just by setting an example. Some of the things to consider are:
1. Treat everyone equally without consideration for age, race, culture, physical ability or religious background and without setting them up for failure or ridicule.
2. Have non-punitive systems in place to deal with conflicts that arise from people having different points of view and backgrounds.
3. Ongoing dialogue and education on diversity.
4. A forum for people to vent opinions without retribution, conversely, denigrating another person.
5. A zero tolerance policy for that is backed up with educational opportunities to modify behavior.
6. A workplace that rewards people who work well with others.
7. Elimination and discouraging of cliques.
8. Political correctness viewed as a tool to help people work together productively rather than a term that implies being able to say whatever you want about anyone, anytime.
9. Ongoing training on diversity and inclusion from the top down, everyone required to attend.
10. Diversity and inclusion included in the values statement or mission of the company.
These ten items are the building blocks of inclusion and promoting diversity. They are not difficult in and of themselves if you value them in your organization and institute them on a daily basis. People tend to perform based on the expectations we put on them and the example we set. When executives and managers commit to following these principles they show their workforce that inclusion is a high priority at the company, not a painful and infrequent training they have to suffer through.
These ideas can be implemented without creating chaos in workplaces. It simply requires a commitment form the top down and ongoing training and support to build in accountability. Think about yourself for a moment and how many of these points you follow daily. To be a truly diverse workplace you will hopefully be personally behaving this way most of the time.
Regards,
Guy Farmer
Diversity Trainer
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