How do I practice inclusion?
The words ‘diversity and inclusion’ have been a topic of discussion and debate at workplaces across the globe. For most people these are just concepts or heavy words used by corporate entities, for some they are confusing, while for a huge chunk of the workforce diversity and inclusion is just inaccessible and the majority don’t know where to start when it comes to being diverse and inclusive.
Often mistaken to be interchangeable, diversity and inclusion don’t mean the same. ‘Diversity’ broadly means the practice of including or involving people from a range of different social and ethnic backgrounds and ‘Inclusion’ means the practice of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who come from different social and ethnic backgrounds. To make it easier, we will take this one step at a time, so for today let’s understand inclusion better.
Is inclusion a concept?
No, inclusion is not a vague concept that was made up and mandated to workplaces worldwide. Inclusion as we read earlier involves creating equal opportunities for our peers. This can be done through our words or our actions.
In fact for the longest time most people have been indulging in non-inclusive practices with their peers. Here’s a few examples.
- Assuming genders and pronouns;
- Projecting our biases;
- Not giving our peers a platform to speak;
- Alienating our peers who don’t share similar opinions as ours.
It’s surprising that the kind of behavior we indulge in consciously or even sub-consciously can have an effect on our peers.
What are inclusive practices?
Non-inclusive practices can make people feel left out or alienated, inclusive practices aim to do the exact opposite. They make people feel wanted, give them a sense of belonging and allow them to become the best versions pf themselves.
Simple acts like asking people their pronouns, making sure someone is comfortable answering a question you just asked, being respectful of someone’s boundaries, allowing everyone in a group to speak and voice their thoughts even if you don’t agree with them are some easy practices you can incorporate into daily life and even your workplace.
Why do workplaces need inclusive practices?
Inclusion gives people an amazing and fulfilling experience at the workplace. A recent study revealed that employees who feel included are 28% more engaged at work, have 19% greater well-being in their lives, are 43% more committed to their company and typically intend to stay with their company 3 times longer.
However, inclusion does not not come into existence overnight. It involves taking regular effort, learning something new consistently and putting it into practice.
Conduct’s Inclusion Dimsums are created with the aim of giving our users weekly inclusion hacks that they can implement in their workplaces. From understanding boundaries, knowing about pronouns, not creating assumptions to name a few.
We are also giving away free subscriptions to our dimsums for a limited period of time.What are you waiting for? Subscribe now!
If you would like to know more, please visit our website https://getconduct.in/
Schedule a demo by booking a slot on here : Schedule Demo
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