How can you use your influence to promote diversity and inclusion in your country's workforce?

Australia's strength lies in its diversity, and it's up to all of us to nurture and celebrate it in our workplaces. Here are my 5 simple steps we can all take: 1. Educate Ourselves: Stay informed about the benefits of diversity and inclusion. 2. Speak Up: Don't be a bystander. If you witness discrimination or bias, speak up. Your voice can make a difference. 3. Mentorship and Allyship: Extend a helping hand to underrepresented colleagues. 4. Diverse Hiring: Advocate for diverse hiring practices. 5. Flexible Work Arrangements: Support flexible work options, allowing individuals from diverse backgrounds to balance work and life. #DiversityandInclusion #Australia #Workforce

The follow through on what I like to call the 3A’s is so critical to helping organizations obtain results. Navigating diversity and inclusion involves three key steps: Awareness, Acknowledgment, and Action Steps. Awareness: Understand and appreciate the differences among individuals, including their backgrounds and perspectives. Acknowledgment: Recognize the unique value each person brings to the organization, addressing any biases and creating a sense of belonging. Action Steps: Actively implement initiatives like training, mentorship programs, and inclusive hiring practices to promote diversity and inclusion. By following these steps, companies can create a more inclusive and harmonious high performance culture for everyone.

Excellent topic. It's hard. It gets easier as you continue learning other people matter BIG TIME. How you do it is really something you need to learn for yourself. And that's authentic.

All great points in this article on how to promote diversity; but IMHO in real life I see a huge gap in even the understanding of "What Diversity Really Means?" I see sr. executives talking about hiring more women for diversity. Not sure if that qualifies. I see HRs talking about gender agnostic hiring. Not sure we even know how to manage/answer basic queries on if I identify as a 'he' even though I look as a 'she'-which washroom should I use? On the paper it looks cool, but diverse thoughts mean a lot of debate, discussion, change.. not sure anyone considers/wants that at all. We like diversity of faces on the website, in our company offsite pics, on the floor.. But when it comes to really embracing it-we need a lot of thought & work.

Knowing and defining your starting point is an important first step. Here, do not stop with only the diversity numbers. Take a deeper look at the subjective comments in your employee engagement surveys, walk the corridors to observe coffee corner behavioral patterns, and understand how promotions happen. Diversity numbers are just the tip of the iceberg - they are a reflection of what is deep below in the organization and a preview into the culture. Without an understanding of the diversity, or lack thereof came about, no planning will help in bringing about true diversity of thoughts in an organization.

As I mentioned earlier, your DEIB culture should mirror your community of stakeholders. That will foster harmony and respect on all sides.

We place a strong emphasis on identifying key indicators and metrics to effectively track our progress and measure our impact on creating a more inclusive workplace. Clarity and consistency in communicating these goals to our team and stakeholders are central to our approach.

I often hear about diversity targets and I wonder why organizations set and communicate only diversity targets. The diversity targets need a double click that helps address the root causes of the lack of diversity in the organization.

In my view the first step to inclusion is representation. Diversity targets are an important step in providing a visual benchmark to achieve diverse representation. Goals both motivate and guide performance and actions. We should socialise the diversity targets and the need for the same to the last person in the organisation so that it becomes a shared goal.

Follow up diversity targets with setting up support systems, training and awareness, policy reviews, changing infrastructure. You don’t want to bring people in and not have reasonable accommodations in place.

Have an agenda to your meetings. Give people leverage to choose ways of communication. Call out micro-aggressions. Listen. Do not speak over people. Don’t assume for others. Create safe spaces. Be hard on ideas and kind to people.

If people don't feel safe, they simply won't feel empowered. People don't do the best they can if they feel they aren't empowered. I have seen diverse voices who haven't gotten the support they need and what happens is that they "quietly quit". Why put in hard work if it won't be used or it has to be done in a way that isn't the best despite you giving your expert input? Diversity is giving everyone a voice and creating an environment where they won't be judged for sharing their experiences.

Over the past 20 years, as the founder of 8 different companies, I've had the privilege of working with and leading thousands of team members from all walks of life. I've learnt a lot about culture and how to best develop one that is diverse and inclusive. Whilst there are a lot of factors that play into this, ultimately it comes down to the team taking ownership of what the culture stands for it to be truly engrained into the company. If there's a lack of buy in then no matter how much management try to enforce the values it will fall on death ears and never be embraced. To do this, as a CEO you need to first and foremost involve your people in the development of the culture, then provide regular opportunities for them to showcase it.

Fostering a sense of shared commitment to diversity is crucial. To achieve this, showcasing success stories where diverse teams approached challenges uniquely can serve as a compelling strategy. It's vital to help individuals recognize how diversity can enhance their personal aspirations, creating a mutually beneficial outcome. Without people perceiving diversity as a win-win solution that aligns with their interests, garnering their unwavering support becomes a challenging task.

Diversity and inclusion are essential to the success of any team. When people from different backgrounds and perspectives come together, they create a more innovative and productive environment. As a leader, it's your responsibility to empower your team to be champions of change. Create a space where they feel safe sharing their unique perspectives and collaborating across differences. Celebrate the richness diversity brings, and equip your team with the tools, training, and feedback they need to grow as advocates for inclusivity. Together, we can build a workforce that truly reflects the world we live in.

As leaders, we have more positional and influencing power than we believe. Leadership is a privilege and leverage this privilege to advocate for change. Speak up when you see discriminatory behaviors, and call out micro-aggressions, and double standards. The more we speak up and stand up as leaders, we not only role model behaviors but also help create awareness.

Speak up. Call out bad behaviours. Call out stereotypes and bias. Don’t sit on a fence. Don’t mansplain. Don’t be patronising. 360 degrees feedback.

Constantly assess whether your DEIB culture has the most desirable mix, and anticipate how it might change in the future. Try to fill any gaps, either with new people or via counseling about any gaps.

At Kuberjee, we understand the importance of using our influence and authority for positive change. We lead by example, modeling the behaviors and attitudes we expect from our team and stakeholders. Accountability for diversity and inclusion is a fundamental principle within our organization. Furthermore, we leverage our network and influence to raise awareness, educate, and inspire others to join our cause. We actively seek opportunities to create and implement policies, practices, and initiatives that support diversity and inclusion, challenging the status quo to drive meaningful change. Our commitment is to advocate for change and to be a driving force in creating a more inclusive and equitable workplace.

As a leader, you have the power to advocate for diversity and inclusion. Use your influence to create a more equitable and thriving workplace. Lead by example, showing the respect and inclusion you desire. Hold yourself and others accountable for upholding these values. Utilize your network to raise awareness, educate, and inspire others about the importance of diversity and inclusion. Seek opportunities to implement inclusive policies and practices. Be the catalyst for change, and watch your organization thrive.

We also recognize the significance of identifying challenges and areas for improvement. Seeking feedback and advice from experts and peers is part of our strategy to continually enhance our effectiveness in promoting diversity and inclusion, ensuring a workplace where all individuals feel valued and empowered.

Embracing diversity and inclusion in the workforce isn't a one-time effort; it's an ongoing journey. Take time to evaluate your progress: - Are we fostering an inclusive environment? - Are diverse voices being heard and valued? Collect data, listen to feedback, and learn from both successes and failures. Celebrate achievements, but don't shy away from acknowledging areas that need improvement. Seek advice and collaborate with experts and peers. Promoting diversity and inclusion is a dynamic process that requires constant reflection and action.

Cis white men can do these things: - if you’re last invited, refuse pale stale male panels, working groups, boards, etc -if you’re asked first, say “yes if…” and set diversity conditions on your presence. Thinking I’m attacking you? I’m not. Why do you think that? Thinking “but I’m one of the good ones?” You probably are. The power to give up space and elevate those less heard is the most significant power you have.

Keep an open mind and always feel free to criticize any biases that may creep into the cultural dialogue, and modify terms of speech and behavior as needed through coaching.

Disability is still far too often left out of the conversation in diversity and inclusion. Therefore to have an impact across the country, representation of diversity needs to be consistent across the board—disabled leaders at all levels, from the government down to the grassroots.

Being what we preach. There's anything more effective and affective than instead of giving advice do it yourself. At living in Toronto I come come to understand the value of pluralism. Beyond tolerance and diversity. As our world becomes "smaller and smaller", and migration or forced migration more common we need to create positive spaces of understanding and compassion to address those differences in cultures. Specially, because we all have biases. And this is a life long journey of learning.