Our efforts to connect across differences require more than just good intentions. Diversity in the workplace requires real effort, compromise, and a strategy that promotes inclusiveness.
You need to understand that when it comes to promoting diversity within a company, this goes beyond a good narrative or speech, it’s about walking the talk and being comfortable about it. Diversity encourages people to open their minds, be more flexible, learn to work with different perspectives, and become more inclusive.
But What Exactly Do We Understand By Diversity And Inclusion?
When we talk about diversity and inclusion we must start by understanding that it is all about entrusting, welcoming, recognizing, and acknowledging people by appreciating what makes them different and unique, regardless of their age, gender, culture, faith, disability, academics, and nationality. But, let’s be clear about one thing, understanding the literal meanings of diversity and inclusion is not enough. The benefits of diversity and inclusion can only appear when we know how to respect and appreciate everyone despite their context, it’s about going beyond our own cognitive biases.
We Can All Benefit From a Diverse And Inclusive Workplace!
First of all, who does not want to get the best out of their workforce? Having a culture that promotes diversity and inclusion will help you, not only, attract the best talent for your company, but also retain it. Also, you will notice that an inclusive and diverse workplace enables you to strengthen the relationships between the team members and workforce overall, under a harmonic and respectful environment.
According to our statistics, businesses with a strong balance of male and female employees are 21% more expected to outstrip their competitors. Furthermore, workplaces with a good combination of cultural backgrounds are 33% more likely to beat their competitors, and it’s also noticeable that teams that are gender, age, and culturally assorted can make more progressive decisions.
Challenges of Diversity and Inclusion
Nothing good comes without hard work and motivation. If you think connecting a diverse group of people will be an easy task, we are sorry to tell you that you´re mistaken, because these dynamics have their challenges to be overcome. You might face communication issues as well as cultural misunderstandings, therefore you will need to set ground rules, increase cultural awareness, and set boundaries that allow every team member to feel comfortable and safe. Understandably, relationships that involve people with different backgrounds might be demanding, but they sure create better understanding and empathetic people.
We must be aware that only the intentions to encourage diversity have often been futile, thus, it’s mandatory to find reliable ways to deal with the challenges that come along with diversity and inclusion.
How to Build a Workplace With These Features?
An important step is to instruct your leaders on diversity and assist them in how to implement plans and actions that promote inclusion and diversity, also, it’s mandatory to have them understand the importance that diversity and inclusion have to the company, doing so, they will be the most suitable role models for their teammates. Furthermore, forming a diverse management panel will set an example of your company’s culture and values. And this logic doesn’t just apply to the managers, but to the entire workforce, because a diverse workplace is a consequence of the company’s values and its efforts to follow its vision and create a welcoming environment. At last, while building an inclusive and diverse company, a good approach can aid your business drive ground-breaking outcomes.