Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Diversity comes down to respect.  Whether it is race or religion, national origin or sexual orientation, age or disability or any other trait or belief that makes one employee different from another, there has to be respect.  Everyone has stereotypes or biases that affect the way they interact with others and it’s extremely difficult to change these beliefs that have been developed over a lifetime.  However, everyone can control how he or she respects others.

Diversity issues at work can manifest themselves as very obvious discrimination or insensitivity, however in reality micro inequities are much more common.  Microinequities are small signals, slights and behaviors that make co-workers feels devalued, excluded or unappreciated.  Every employee in an organization must make a concerted effort to insure that they treat everyone the same and that biases they may consciously or unconsciously possess do not get included in their communication and treatment of others.

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Diversity is also an important business imperative.  The world is full of vastly different cultures, beliefs and backgrounds and to be successful in the business world companies need to find a way to sell to all of them.  Cultural diversity in organizations allows them to understand the needs of everyone the market to.  In addition, creativity and innovation are strengthened exponentially through diversity.  Having a plethora of beliefs and backgrounds will inspire new ideas and innovations that take organizations from the ordinary to the extraordinary.  As Joel Barker says in his classic film Wealth, Innovation and Diversity, “Without diversity, there can be no innovation; without innovation, there can be no new wealth; therefore, diversity is the key to creating wealth for all.”