Is your company inclusive of *undisclosed* diversity??
Stacey A. Gordon, MBA
Bias Disruptor ?? Unapologetic Evangelist for Inclusion ?? Top Voice in Gender Equity ??Global Keynote Speaker ?? #1 Course of LinkedIn Learning (2021)
Welcome to Simply Diversity. This bimonthly letter breaks down key diversity concepts and explains how you can apply them... simply. There are plenty of terms heard ‘round the Internet as we prioritize diversity, inclusion and belonging in everything we do. This newsletter explains what these concepts are, why they’re important, and how to practice them.
A gentleman who works in HR made this point in a session I was facilitating:
“We don’t pay enough attention to neurological disorders and mental illness in the workplace,” he said. “So many people come to me about their depression and their fear that they can’t tell anyone they work with because of the stigma.”
These individuals feel they can’t fully be themselves in the workplace and talk honestly about what they’re dealing with. Nobody wants to be thought of as the “depressed employee” who “can’t handle it” if there’s a stretch assignment or exciting new project to be led.
Break it down:
My knee-jerk reaction was this: well, I’m a Black woman and I don’t have a choice about whether to keep my identity private! His comment made me realize my own bias towards visible identities. Those are the dimensions of diversity that I think about most often.
Some identities are usually visible — race, gender identity, (some) disabilities, age. Others are visible less often, and leave the burden on the individual whether to disclose them: neurological differences, sexual orientation, (some) disabilities, mental wellness, religion, chronic illness. (I’m generalizing, but I hope you understand the point I’m making!)
No matter your combination of identities, we can agree that it feels bad when something about you is ignored, belittled, mocked, or overlooked. It feels bad when you don’t have the psychological safety to bring your full self to your job or relationships.
This is not about the “Oppression Olympics” or “who has it worse.” Yes, sometimes you must focus on specific dimensions of diversity to address specific issues. But this IS a reminder that we ALL have bias, and it’s important that we be respectful and inclusive of ALL people.
Do Something Different:
The best way to be respectful and inclusive of ALL is to be mindful.
Like being politically correct, we can all be more mindful of what we respect in other people. Instead of focusing so much on how others show up to us, how can we show up better to people who aren’t like us at work and in our communities?
We’re usually quite happy to point out everyone else’s flaws and issues. Where are our unacknowledged flaws and ignorances?
For the rest of today and this week, consider:
- Being introspective and thinking about how you show up to others around you
- Acknowledging that you haven’t considered whether the job you need to fill can be filled by a person with a disability
- Understanding that it might be time to learn more about dimensions of diversity you don’t possess
- Taking the time to get to know individuals on your team you haven’t had the chance to get to know
Almost every month of the year is dedicated to a specific culture, heritage, gender... you name it, we celebrate it, but do we really pay attention? May is Asian American Heritage Month and Jewish American Heritage Month. We're all about awareness as a first step so at Rework Work, we're sharing uplifting stories from the Asian American and Jewish communities. How can you observe these two themes, either personally or at work?
Today I’m very much looking forward to the conversation I’m having with Johnny C Taylor Jr., the president and CEO of SHRM. Join us at 12:45 PST today to discuss Transforming the Workplace with Transparent Conversations.
President & CEO Sullnet Impact Consulting LLC, Author, Speaker, International Martial Arts Sparring Consultant, Diversity Strategist, Co Host Christian Podcast “The No Negations Podcast”
3 年Great perspective! Thanks you sharing.
Justice Resource Institute Pelham Academy
3 年The clarity and actionability of this article liberates me to core. Thank you for your insights, among my favorites, "Understanding that it might be time to learn more about dimensions of diversity you don’t possess." The imperative of this interrogative as an active mindset posture zips my zap! Namaste.
Talent Acquisition Specialist - Strategically recruiting top talent by partnering with hiring managers and building a strong candidate pipeline
3 年This is such an important topic to discuss and address. According to the?Center for Disease Control?(CDC), depression causes an estimated 200 million lost workdays each year at the cost of $17 billion to $44 billion to employers.?I recommend managers encourage mental health days and work with leaders to ensure that health insurance benefits include accessible mental health care.
Global Marketing Access @ Merck KGaA | Marketing & Communications Expert | Brand Strategist | Digital Media | SEO | Content Marketing | Product Marketing | Masters in Expanded Media @ Hochschule Darmstadt.
3 年Well written article
Global People Leader Achieving Business Results with People and Teams in Talent Management, Learning and Organizational Development, Diversity Equity & Inclusion, Organizational Change Management, & Executive Coaching
3 年20 years ago I wrote my dissertation on the impact of implicit bias (specifically focusing on aversive racism) in hiring decisions. It is nice to see so many companies and leaders finally beginning to make real efforts to drive up diversity across their organizations. However, as Stacey Gordon points out, there needs to be an even stronger focus on recognizing one's own biases and making conscious decisions to enable a sense of belonging, to achieve inclusion, and to ensure equity among ALL employees and co-workers.