What are some strategies for building an inclusive and diverse team in environmental health?

1 Define diversity and inclusion

Diversity and inclusion are often used together, but they are not the same. Diversity refers to the variety of characteristics and identities that people have, such as race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, religion, education, and experience. Inclusion refers to the extent to which people feel respected, valued, and supported to participate and contribute in a team or an organization. A diverse team is not necessarily an inclusive one, unless it actively promotes and practices inclusion. Therefore, the first step to building an inclusive and diverse team is to define what these terms mean for your team, and how they align with your team's vision, mission, and goals. You can use tools such as surveys, focus groups, or workshops to gather input from your team members, and create a shared understanding and commitment to diversity and inclusion.

2 Assess your team's current state

Once you have defined diversity and inclusion for your team, you need to assess your team's current state and identify the gaps and opportunities for improvement. You can use quantitative and qualitative methods to collect data on your team's composition, performance, climate, and culture. For example, you can analyze the demographics of your team members, such as their age, gender, race, or education level, and compare them with the demographics of your field or sector. You can also measure indicators of team effectiveness, such as productivity, innovation, quality, or customer satisfaction. Additionally, you can solicit feedback from your team members on their perceptions and experiences of diversity and inclusion in your team, such as their sense of belonging, trust, respect, collaboration, or communication. You can use tools such as surveys, interviews, or focus groups to capture their voices and perspectives. Based on the data you collect, you can identify the strengths and weaknesses of your team, and prioritize the areas that need attention and action.

3 Implement diversity and inclusion initiatives

Once you have assessed your team's current state, you need to implement diversity and inclusion initiatives to address any gaps or opportunities. You can use a variety of strategies and tactics to enhance your team's diversity and inclusion, such as recruiting and hiring diverse talent with inclusive language in job postings, expanding outreach to underrepresented groups, reducing bias in selection processes, offering flexible work arrangements, providing training and development on topics such as cultural competence, implicit bias, microaggressions, allyship, or conflict resolution. Additionally, you can create and enforce policies and practices that promote diversity and inclusion in your team. Lastly, you can foster a culture of inclusion and belonging by encouraging open communication and engagement among team members, creating spaces for dialogue, feedback, or collaboration, and celebrating the diversity and contributions of your team members.

4 Monitor and evaluate your progress

Finally, you need to monitor and evaluate your progress and impact of your diversity and inclusion initiatives, and make adjustments as needed. You can use the same or similar methods and tools that you used to assess your team's current state, such as surveys, interviews, or focus groups, to collect data on your team's outcomes and outputs, as well as your team members' attitudes and behaviors. You can also use indicators and metrics that are relevant and meaningful for your team, such as turnover, retention, satisfaction, engagement, or innovation. You can compare the data before and after your initiatives, and analyze the changes and trends. You can also solicit feedback from your team members on their satisfaction and suggestions for improvement. Based on the data and feedback you collect, you can assess the effectiveness and efficiency of your initiatives, and identify the best practices and lessons learned. You can also communicate and report your results and achievements to your team members and other stakeholders, and recognize and reward your team's efforts and accomplishments.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?