I’ve written previously about Why Diversity and Inclusion Efforts Fail, and in that article I highlighted the importance of putting inclusion back into diversity and inclusion, because even though the formula D+I is difficult, D–I (diversity without inclusion) is a recipe for failure. What hampers many D&I efforts is a general unwillingness to go beyond mere compliance.
No one wants to go on record as questioning the business case for D&I because there’s practically no way to do that without sounding prejudiced or downright bigoted, but I think many still harbor significant doubts about the business case for D&I. And the kind of openness to difficult conversations it takes to meaningfully get past differences to achieve real inclusion are just the kinds of conversations most managers and many executives don’t want to touch with a ten foot pole because it makes them uncomfortable.
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Getting out of our comfort zones, however, is the only way to make real progress on D&I.
I find it quite frustrating that the business world talks a good game when it comes to D&I, but does not walk the talk. Bersin by Deloitte ran a study on D&I programs and found that although 71% of organizations surveyed want to have an inclusive organization that leverages diversity for business success, a mere 11% of organizations feel like they’ve achieved it. What’s more, the companies studied on average are spending just $50 per employee to support D&I initiatives. There’s only one word that can describe that level of support, and it’s pathetic.
Diversity in the Workplace
There’s literally tons of information out there about diversifying the workplace. Here are just a few good starting points:
Inclusion in the Workplace
After you have a really diverse workplace on your hands, what do you do to make sure it’s inclusive as well? And what does that even mean? Quite simply, it means that everyone is treated with dignity and respect, is welcome and valued. Remembering that this is the much harder piece of the puzzle, here are two ways to make it happen:
These are just some initial thoughts on how to begin to create a more diverse workplace, as well as retain that diversity through paying attention to inclusion. Future articles will look much more deeply into what it takes to put the I back into D&I.
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