Diversity and Inclusion
The difference between “diversity” and “inclusion” isn’t immediately obvious, but the nuance between the two is incredibly important.
We love this quote from Damien Campbell-Hooper, Chief Diversity Officer at Zoom, that pretty succinctly sums it up:
Inclusion is sometimes described as a sense of belonging. It’s how an organization welcomes, involves and empowers everyone on a team to do their best and be successful.
It’s by nature much trickier to measure than diversity — it’s really something that’s felt, not seen, and is baked into a team’s culture.
It’s worth bearing in mind that diversity is nothing without inclusion. ☝️ You won’t reap the benefits of diversity if not everyone can bring their whole selves to work, if not everyone’s voice is heard.
And, inclusion isn’t just about “underrepresented groups” — it’s about everyone (and we really mean everyone — even those who typically enjoy privileges or positions of power) feeling like they can bring their whole selves to work.
So what is inclusion in practice? It’s a combination of values that comes through in both subtle and overt ways:
⚖️ Fairness: at the most basic level, respect and fair practices for all
🥰 Belonging: making an effort to show everyone that they’re valued and welcome at the table
⛑️ Safety: a team environment of openness where people feel psychologically safe to be their authentic selves
💪🏽 Empowerment: a culture where people are encouraged to make decisions, speak up, grow and fulfil their potential; where the business not just supports development but actively works to raise aspirations
What does exclusion look like? This video shows us examples of how it’s not just about labels and demographics:
The benefits of an inclusive culture where everyone is embraced for their uniqueness and individuality as a human being are multiple:
… and the list goes on.
At the end of the day, exclusion affects us all and we all have a part to play in working to build up an inclusive culture at work.
. . .
The bottom line?
Inclusion describes how well your organization brings out the best in your people, accounting for different viewpoints, experiences, and working styles. It is comprised of four key ingredients: fairness, belonging, psychological safety, and empowerment. At its heart, inclusion is about acceptance and embracing the myriad differences in each of us that make us who we are.
Inclusion Works by Hive Learning
Inclusion Works from Hive Learning is a group-based peer learning program designed to create large-scale impactful & inclusive change across your organization. We give people the tools to make small changes to their daily behaviors and help them rapidly learn, relearn, and respond to the changing world around them.
Fiona Young (she/her)
Having previously led Learning and Development for 3,000 people at Europe’s leading venture builder, Blenheim Chalcot, Fiona knows a thing or two about how to build high performance culture. As Content Director at Hive Learning, Fiona pioneered the organisation's leading guided content programmes which are designed to turn learning into action. Most recently, Fiona led the inception, development and delivery of Inclusion Works by Hive Learning - the world’s first diversity and inclusion programme focused on turning unconscious bias into conscious action - created from over 1,000 leading sources.
