People often talk about “diversity” and “inclusion” as if they were interchangeable words, but the truth is that they are very different concepts. When we talk about diversity in the workplace, we are talking about the presence – or absence – of people from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, age groups, geographic locations and religious traditions with an assortment of physical and mental abilities, sexual orientations, gender identities and philosophical tendencies. Diversity refers only to the composition of the workforce and not to workplace policies that address the diverse needs and wants of that workforce. This is where inclusion comes in. When we talk about workplace inclusion, we are talking about how an organization makes its employees feel accepted. Inclusion speaks to words used in the workplace, especially by executives and managers. It's also how an organization celebrates holidays, how meetings are structured and organized, or what types of accommodations are available in a workspace. These are the signals – sometimes obvious and sometimes subtle – that an organization sends to its employees, all of which can make a person feel valuable or worthless. Too often, organizations pat themselves on the back when implementing a hiring policy that increases diversity, but that's a meaningless move unless you also tackle organizational culture. If your organization hires a diverse group of people but sends them hostile signals, sooner or later you're going to lose them and be back to square one. If your organization is serious about creating a truly welcoming environment for a diverse workforce, you should carefully consider these three areas:Zone 1:Consider C-suites. The composition of your leadership team speaks volumes about your organization's commitment to diversity and inclusion. Unless those who hold the levers of control in your organization reflect diversity at a very basic level, you cannot call yourself a truly diverse and inclusive organization. However, diversity does not magically appear in the C-suite. Providing training and advancement opportunities so that diverse high potentials are included in the talent pool is key to achieving this outcome. Moreover, until those on the lower rungs can look up and see someone who looks like them at the top, they will have a hard time feeling like they really belong or being inspired to move up the corporate ladder. business. Area 2:Reduce promotion bias. Your organization's evaluation and promotion process says a lot about your philosophy and priorities. Too many managers apply disparate standards on a whim, or resort to discriminatory practices, which lead to more of the same. Promotions are one of the main ways to show employees they matter and fill the talent pool properly, so you should do everything you can to eliminate bias from the process. This means training managers to recognize and confront their own biases (explicit and implicit) and changing promotion requirements so that rewards for hard work are more widely available. Zone 3:Talk to the team. If your organization has already taken real steps to diversify your workplace, you may already have a built-in mechanism to measure the strengths and weaknesses of your inclusion practices. Even still, it's important to ask your employees to provide feedback (anonymously, it's honest and helpful) about their interpersonal experiences, especially in the context of workplace culture, and then use those feedback to make substantial changes to your workspace. If, for example, your employees tell you that they need a milkhouse or a prayer/meditation room, consider giving them accommodation. These investments will pay off in the long run and help employees feel more comfortable as they strive to make their best possible contribution in the workplace. Diversity and inclusion isn't just good for organizational morale. This dynamic duo is also good for the baseline. Inclusion breeds happiness and happy employees are productive employees. According to a McKinsey &Company report, companies in the top quartile for ethnic and gender diversity are 25% more likely to have higher financial returns than less diverse companies. In other words, diversity not only strengthens wallets, but corporate coffers as well. If you want to elevate the value of working with your company over the long term, embrace diversity and increase inclusion; you'll be glad you did! Karima Mariama-Arthur + positions A leading authority on leadership development and organizational performance management, Karima Mariama-Arthur brings over 25 years of comprehensive, top-notch experience in law, business and the university with every client engagement. An astute advisor to prominent organizations from DC to Dubai, her expert insights help clients successfully navigate the ever-changing and competitive global business environment. Karima is the author of the internationally acclaimed and 2019 NAACP Image Award-nominated leadership guide, Poised for Excellence:Fundamentals of Effective Leadership in the Boardroom and Beyond (Palgrave Macmillan), which was started at the United States Military Academy at West Point. As an extension of her work, she speaks regularly at the national and international levels in her areas of expertise and sits in an advisory capacity on selected boards of directors. Karima Mariama-Arthur https://www.moyens.net/author/karima-mariama-arthur/ How to become an expert (with a capital E) Karima Mariama-Arthur https://www.moyens.net/author/karima - mariama-arthur / Not getting any feedback at work? Give your own Karima Mariama-Arthur https://www.moyens.net/author/karima-mariama-arthur/ 4 tips to turn off distractions Karima Mariama-Arthur https://www.moyens.net/author/karima- mariama -arthur / The star of “Million Dollar Listing Miami” on Working Smarter, Not Harder
