Diversity + Psychological Safety

Welcome to the 17th edition of our LinkedIn Newsletter, "Inclusion and Diversity Learning Circle," brought to you by Diversity Inclusion! The I&D Learning Circle is your go-to resource for best-practice tools, resources, and information designed to directly enhance your organisation's inclusion and diversity (I&D) initiatives, fostering real and transformative change in your workplace.

In this edition, we're excited to celebrate a significant milestone – our 10th anniversary at Diversity Inclusion! It's been a remarkable journey, and we took a moment to reflect on our accomplishments over the past decade.

Additionally, in this 17th edition, we delve into the interconnectedness of diversity and psychological safety. At Diversity Inclusion, we're increasingly recognising the pivotal role psychological safety plays in creating an inclusive workplace environment. We've addressed the misconceptions surrounding psychological safety in previous editions and encourage you to explore those insights along with the embedded Learning Lab videos.

Understanding the nexus between psychological safety and diversity requires unpacking both concepts. Psychological safety entails fostering an environment of openness where individuals feel empowered to voice their opinions, whether in agreement or disagreement. On the other hand, diversity encompasses the myriad ways in which people differ, spanning gender, age, culture, sexual orientation, as well as other facets such as educational background, industry experience, and caregiving responsibilities. Research underscores that it's the diversity of perspectives and experiences that fuels enhanced performance within an inclusive culture (Harvard Business Review).

The fusion of these concepts revolves around cultivating a psychologically safe culture that encourages diverse talents to share their insights and experiences. Without such an environment, individuals who feel different from their peers may hesitate to contribute fully. Not only does psychological safety enable all employees to contribute diverse perspectives for heightened performance, but we propose that teams with greater diversity are also more likely to encourage psychological safety.

This month, our Learning Lab video explores this critical intersection, featuring insights from our CEO, Lucinda Hewitson, on key aspects to watch for within your organisation.

Explore more about our Psychological Safety Program on our website, along with a recent blog we published about conflict at work and psychological safety. Additionally, stay tuned as we're currently developing a program tailored for managers and leaders in collaboration with one of our national clients, set to launch soon.

Our Learning Lab content – including blog articles, videos, and other resources – is readily accessible on our website (diversityinclusion.com.au), with fresh content delivered via our I&D Learning Circle Newsletter. While blog articles and resources are freely available to all, Learning Lab videos are exclusively accessible to our I&D Learning Circle Newsletter subscribers. Use the following password to unlock our video content: LearningCircle.

As we continue to craft future Learning Lab content, we value input from our D&I community. We invite you to share your thoughts, questions, and ideas in the comments section below.

Join our vibrant diversity and inclusion community by subscribing to our newsletter. Stay updated with our latest Learning Lab content, videos, and details of upcoming virtual events. Don't forget to share this newsletter with colleagues and peers who share an interest in advancing diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Thank you for being part of our journey towards a more inclusive future.

Warm regards,

Lucinda Hewitson, CEO & Founder of Diversity Inclusion