Diversity and inclusion are not only ethical and social values, but also key factors for successful client relations. However, many professionals make mistakes that can damage their reputation, trust, and rapport with diverse clients. Here are some tips on how to avoid common diversity and inclusion pitfalls and improve your client relations skills.
Everyone has biases, whether conscious or unconscious, that affect how they perceive and interact with others. Biases can lead to stereotypes, assumptions, and microaggressions that can offend or alienate your clients. To avoid this, you need to be aware of your own biases and challenge them regularly. You can do this by educating yourself on different cultures, perspectives, and experiences, seeking feedback from others, and reflecting on your own actions and reactions.
Your client's identity is composed of multiple dimensions, such as race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, disability, age, and more. Each dimension influences how your client sees themselves and the world, and how they want to be seen and treated by others. To respect your client's identity, you need to use inclusive language, avoid making assumptions, ask for their preferences, and honor their choices. For example, you can use gender-neutral terms, ask for their pronouns, and respect their religious or cultural practices.
One of the best ways to avoid diversity and inclusion mistakes is to listen and learn from your client. Your client is the expert on their own needs, goals, and challenges, and they can teach you a lot about their context, expectations, and preferences. To listen and learn from your client, you need to be curious, open-minded, and empathetic. You can do this by asking open-ended questions, paraphrasing and summarizing what they say, and expressing interest and appreciation for their insights.
Different clients may have different communication styles, depending on their culture, personality, and situation. Communication styles can vary in terms of tone, pace, formality, directness, and feedback. To avoid diversity and inclusion mistakes, you need to adapt your communication style to match your client's style, or find a common ground that works for both of you. You can do this by observing and mirroring your client's cues, adjusting your verbal and nonverbal signals, and clarifying any misunderstandings.
I once worked with a group of newcomers who would not make eye contact. As someone who values this in terms of communication, I honestly found it difficult to understand and accept. I asked one of the group quietly why they didn't make eye contact. Apparently in the culture I was working with, making eye contact with someone in authority is seen as disrespectful. Once I understood that I was able to explain I wasn't in authority but someone there to help - eye contact started fairly soon after - ask the questions to get it right!
No one is perfect, and you may make diversity and inclusion mistakes despite your best intentions. The important thing is to learn from your mistakes and improve your behavior. To do this, you need to seek feedback and apologize sincerely. You can seek feedback by asking your client how they feel about your interaction, what they liked or disliked, and what they would like you to do differently. You can apologize by acknowledging your mistake, expressing your regret, and explaining how you will avoid repeating it.
DE&I is a learning journey for all of us :) We're not going to be perfect and we're not going to get it right every time, but it's not about that, it's about wanting to improve and continuing the mission despite its challenges, which is why it's important to acknowledge mistakes and move forward productively, this requires an ability to look inwards and be honest with ourselves about our biases and shortcomings, only then can we truly improve :)
Diversity and inclusion are not static or one-time concepts, but dynamic and ongoing processes. To avoid diversity and inclusion mistakes, you need to keep learning and growing as a professional and as a human being. You can do this by staying updated on current trends and issues, seeking diverse perspectives and experiences, and challenging yourself to expand your comfort zone. By doing so, you will not only avoid diversity and inclusion mistakes, but also enhance your client relations skills and outcomes.
I have found that pushing myself out of my comfort zone and deliberately choosing to work in environments and will highly diverse groups that challenge me to think about diversity and inclusion is how I have learned about others cultures and backgrounds. Hence my sensitivity is now greater than it was. We are all different. One thing I have learned is that while we assume different cultures and backgrounds etc. have different values - they don't - so don't make that assumption. We have the same values, however, due to culture we may express them differently.
Some other points to consider:- Conflict Resolution Personal Boundaries Customized Approaches Accessibility in Technology Feedback Mechanisms