Written by Lauren James
“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed; We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.”
After celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 17, the Civil Rights leader gave us this strong reminder of the fight for diversity, equity and inclusion that we are still working toward today. There is no doubt that the last two years in the United States have been extremely difficult as a country—particularly dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and then facing a reckoning of racial inequalities in the aftermath of the George Floyd arrest and death, among others in 2020.
Unfortunately, while we continue to deal with the pandemic on day-to-day basis and it never seems get better, it seems the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020 really made waves across the country and helped many recognize the benefits of diversity, especially in the workforce. After all, as McKinsey & Co. found in their latest report, Diversity Wins, the “most diverse companies are more likely to outperform less diverse peers in profitability. In the case of gender diversity, it was by 25%. In the case of ethnic diversity, that number jumps to 36%.”
But it’s not just that—having a diverse population in an inclusive environment generates different ideas and perspectives, enhances production, improves overall engagement, sparks innovation, plus many other benefits. It’s nothing but good things!
With this continued spotlight on diversity, equity and inclusion, you can see the tide is changing. Here are some ways you can promote these things in your workplace:
· Understand unconscious bias and build awareness
· Communicate the importance of managing bias
· Promote pay equity
· Develop a strategic training program
· Acknowledge and respect holidays of all cultures
· Make it easy for your coworkers to participate in employee resource groups
· Mix up your teams
· Facilitate ongoing feedback
· Assess current company policies
Also be a part of this changing landscape by donating to various organizations across the United States, including the American Association for Access, Equity and Diversity (AAAED), American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), plus so many more.
