that, as you continue reading, we’re on the same page. In addition to diversity and inclusion we add equity and authentic company culture.
The Four Pillars of We & Us
Diversity: Gender, race, LGBTQ+, disabilities – When I speak of diversity those are at the heart of the conversation; diversity includes more than gender and race. Some organizations also include veterans as part of the conversation, but I don’t.
I was called out by a veteran for not adding veterans when I speak about diversity. I explained to him that I don’t believe veterans should be included under diversity, and that I feel that veterans are sometimes included because companies don’t think clearly about it. (By the end of our conversation he agreed with me.) Some companies receive extra benefits by hiring veterans, but what does that have to do with diversity? I’ll share a story from that veteran later.
Inclusion: We feel included when we’re invited into the room and are introduced to at least two people, and we’re not left to fend for ourselves.
Belonging is not the same as inclusion. You belong to a group. Inclusion is a feeling you have that you are welcomed into a space and are valued in that space.
Equity: This means having access – being able to use the tools, promotions, training, and staff that are available to everyone else.
It’s what keeps me invested in the company.
Company Culture: The feeling of walking into the office and knowing that we’re doing the work we say we’re doing.
We’re heard, seen, and valued.
Review the four pillars, and ask yourself if they matter to you. And how do you make sure that they matter to others?
If the four pillars matter to you, then as a leader you need to insure that they matter to the company. If there isn’t a commitment to these pillars, a real commitment, then you need to hold your company to task, because it’s important! Saying it and doing it are two different things.
If you believe in the four pillars, and you execute them in your department but the rest of the company doesn’t follow suit, then people in other departments feel that they’re losing out. This is what I call department inclusion.
A manager proudly told me that his department is inclusive because he can control who gets hired, and he makes it a point to reach outside the company to find employees. I asked whether the rest of the company works the same way, and he said that he had no idea, but he’s good! I told him that I applaud his actions, but that when he leaves the company his culture goes with him. Department culture isn’t sustainable; company culture is.
When was the last time you reviewed your company policies, procedures, and mission statement? Look at them again, and you may find that diversity, inclusion, equity, and company culture aren’t as important to your company as you thought.
When a company has made a commitment to expand beyond its current culture, its leaders constantly review company policies and procedures. If they don’t review them, they can’t ensure that new employees will understand the company culture or that they’ll feel included. Who you are and what you stand for determine what your employees, as well as your customers, expect of you.
Once you’ve thought about the four pillars, and asked yourself if you’re actively championing them, look in your bag. Ask yourself why you took your job. Then you’ll realize that others at your company may have taken their jobs for the same reasons.
Additional Questions to Consider
• Why would anyone want to work here?
• What are we offering them in addition to the job?
• What keeps them here?
• How do we insure that they keep learning as we keep growing?
• How do we communicate the four pillars to them?
• How do we communicate them on a daily basis?
• How do we insure that we all live our mission statement?
• Who will insure that we keep checking in with staff? (This is not the job of Human Resources.)
• Do we have diversity outreach? If so, what is it? Does it make sense to our mission? Is it working? If so, why? If not, why not?
Inclusive Committees
If everyone on a committee looks like you, talks like you, and comes from a similar background as you, then you’ve formed a club, not a committee. Take the time to mix up your committee with people from various departments and cultural backgrounds. Don’t have only leadership lead the committee or the meetings – give a voice to those who may be more comfortable sharing their discomfort with those outside of leadership. (This leads us into the topic of having a champion, an advocate, and an ally. I’ll break down the differences below.)
Once a committee is formed, and it looks diverse and sounds diverse, you may hear things you may not want to hear. There will be discomfort before there’s comfort (and maybe the committee will never really be comfortable). You have to ask again how important diversity, equity, inclusion, and authentic company culture are to your company. If you say that you’re committed to do what’s needed to assure an inclusive company culture, and to make it part of your foundation, then and only then will the real work begin.
Looking at your biases and differences is uncomfortable, but you need to be honest with each other to have a solid foundation and meaningful outreach. Ask yourself and others why it’s important to have a committee made up of people from various departments and backgrounds so you have cultural understanding. Make sure you understand before you assume that everything is good.
Your Role
What will be your role in the process of building an inclusive workspace? Will you be a champion, an advocate, or an ally? What’s the difference?
Champion: You bring up the issues when They & Them aren’t in the room because it benefits the big picture.
Advocate: This is truly part of your DNA. You believe that We & Us is the only way to move forward as a collective group. You also make sure that We & Us is threaded throughout all initiatives in the company.
Ally: You can’t call yourself an ally – that badge must be given to you. It’s given to you once it’s known that you rise to a situation regardless of what it is. We need to see that you’re really about the work not because you have to be but because it’s important and you hear us and see us and you move with us for us. It’s not about you, and it’s not a one-answer-fits-all. It’s not logical, and it means traveling a road that may not have been traveled yet. You bob and weave with us.
When Being an Ally Is in Your DNA
In the 80s I was dancing on a cruise ship. It was in the days when cruising was a luxury. The ships had one dinner seating and were full of iconic Hollywood movie stars and the
