Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace Requires More Than Good Policies
By Marcia Hammonds
In order to have a fulsome and legislatively sound diversity and inclusion program, an organization must ensure that required and appropriate policies, processes and guidelines are in place to support the fair and equitable treatment of all employees. Providing this type of formal foundation and support within your organization not only represents best practices and the basic principles of human decency but also addresses legislative requirements related to human rights and federal or provincial labour laws.
However, policies and processes are only one component of what is needed to effectively support a diverse and inclusive work environment and, of themselves, do not ensure that diversity is valued as an integral part of the organizational culture.
In general, most individuals believe that all human beings, regardless of their race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, religion, marital status, family status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or age should expect to be treated with respect and decency in all aspects of their daily lives. But how this belief is brought into the work environment is likely somewhat individualized and based on personal experiences. Additionally, workplace leaders and managers may assume that because diversity and inclusion are common sense, that they are also commonplace within the workplace – when this is not always the case
I would suggest that effectively establishing a belief in the value of diversity and inclusion into the collective consciousness of an organization, which is the essence of any successful long-term diversity and inclusion strategy, is definitely more challenging and time-consuming than simply writing a policy or developing an operational guideline. It is not a ‘quick fix’ and requires commitment and a dedicated strategy that is supported by senior leaders, and thoughtfully implemented throughout the organization at various levels and through varied means.
One of the first steps in this process is to honestly assess and understand the current status of your organization in terms of diversity and inclusion. This will involve getting beneath the surface and seeking to understand what is being said (or not) so as to determine where to start and focus your efforts. Depending on what you feel would work best in your organization and result in optimal honest feedback, options for information gathering of this kind could include employee focus groups and/or roundtables, town hall meetings, or employee feedback surveys. Whatever method you select, taking the temperature of your team’s thoughts and perspectives on diversity and inclusion will allow for the development of an appropriate strategy and practical next steps. Employees need to be encouraged to think about the various aspects of diversity as they relate to their own beliefs and perspectives and consider the implications that their perspective has on their place of work.
Moving forward on changes within the organization might require taking ‘baby steps’ in terms of bringing what is in the minds and hearts of individual employees out into the forefront of how they work and interact with each other and the clients and/or customers they serve. Information and awareness are both key aspects of this transformation process, and can take the form of something as simple as monthly calendars communicating various celebrations and events held by different groups.
Additionally, identifying ‘diversity and inclusion champions’ within your organization but outside of the leadership team, can be an important and impactful way of encouraging the sharing of information and ideas and supporting increased diversity and inclusion as part of the business culture. Subject-matter experts, based on personal experience or interest, are often available and more than willing to share their knowledge and promote awareness on relevant topics either on a formal or informal basis. Utilizing internal capacity in this area not only supports the learning and growth opportunities for the greater team, but also for the individual expert themselves – truly a ‘win win’ situation for all involved.
Of course, no diversity and inclusion strategy, whether grass-roots or sophisticated, will be successful without open dialogue, team support and a commitment to the protection of values related to a diverse and inclusive workplace. The ability to ask questions, and make mistakes and mis-steps, are all part of the learning required when opening the door to diversity and inclusion in an organization. If employees do not feel comfortable in asking questions or voicing concerns – assuming they are coming from a genuine place of interest and understanding – how are they to learn and thus feel comfortable championing diversity and inclusion themselves? As such, frequent and planned communication events – in addition to ad hoc opportunities – focused on the topic of diversity and inclusion are crucial and necessary and can include something as simple as including diversity and inclusion as an agenda topic at weekly or monthly team meetings.
Oftentimes, taking small, thoughtful steps towards building a foundation upon which to achieve a larger goal is an effective way of supporting broader understanding and acceptance, especially as it relates to an all-encompassing area like diversity and inclusion. If such a foundation is part of each employee’s consciousness and is influencing how they undertake practical day to day activities, then when policies and processes are developed to support of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, they are more likely to go beyond mere words, and be a true reflection of a genuinely diverse and inclusive culture that is supported, valued and protected by everyone.
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