Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion! Rhetoric or Reality?
The divide between race, gender fair treatment, and intolerance of differences has widen. Millions have been spent to address it but has it really worked? Get the cutting edge truth. Download our Free Report - "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - A Balm to Heal a Nation's Wounds." What's working and what's not and why diversity, equity, and inclusion are so important.
Diversity and Inclusion
We create policies, procedures, and training to make equality a reality.
Diversity
Diversity is the state of being different in some manner that sets a person or group apart from another. From a societal standpoint, it covers cultures and populations that have historically been underrepresented in workplaces and institutions and marginalized in broader society. Its emphasis concentrates on the differences between race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, disability, age or religion.
Equity
Equity in its simplest terms is the state of having a equal starting point in any circumstance. It gives a person or group an equal opportunity in the promotion of justice. It is impartial and fair in the making and implementation of policies and procedures within workplaces, government, the promotion of justice, and distribution of resources by institutions. Equity also challenges any system of unfairness.
Inclusion
Inclusion is the bottom-line test whether diversity and equity are real in any environment. Inclusion is the mechanism to ensure those from diverse groups are made to feel welcome and respected and that they really matter. This is accomplished by making sure diverse individuals fully participate in decision making that has outcome consequences for a company, organization, institution or government body.
Why Diversity and Inclusion are Important.
- Creates a culture environment of ethical and moral treatment of persons no matter their race, culture, gender, religion or sexual orientation.
- Increases innovation and problem solving that benefits all.
- Boosts company profitability.
- Its the right thing to do.
Who Should Care About Diversity and Inclusion?
Everyone should be concerned about diversity, equity and inclusion. America and global nations cannot achieve nor enjoy the full benefits of innovative progress and problem solving powers of individuals and groups without a full out press for inclusiveness of all levels of society.
However, it is unrealistic, although a hopeful goal, that everyone who can will be interested in or motivated to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.
One of the most effective areas where inclusion can create the greatest benefit is within the confines of corporations and small business owners.
Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a self-regulating business model that helps a company be socially accountable to itself, its stakeholders, and the public. By practicing corporate social responsibility, also called corporate citizenship, companies can be conscious of the kind of impact they are having on all aspects of society, including economic, social, and environmental.
To engage in CSR means that in the ordinary course of business, a company is operating in ways that enhance society, meets legal requirements, and sustains the environment instead of contributing negatively to them.
Diversity within the corporate supply chain is another extremely effective way to create inclusion and equity that can affect the entire commence and economic stability of American. Corporations should lead the way in implementing diversity, equity and inclusion.
Small Businesses Have a Role to Play
Much emphasis is placed on large corporations and their social responsibility platforms and the benefits they derive from those efforts. However, small businesses should also be alert and diligent about diversity and inclusion too. The Service Corp of Retired Executives ("SCORE"), part of the U.S. Small Business Administration, stresses the importance of small businesses being involved in inclusion and equity processes within the workplace. It should be part of any business strategy.
Small businesses are the backbone of the U.S. economy and the owners and employees within them are a substantial pipeline within which fairness, equality and inclusion can be achieved across the spectrum of society. There are 30.2 million small businesses in America and they make up 99.9% of all businesses within the country.
Because of their size and efficiency small businesses in many ways can be more effective than large corporations in implementing diversity. They also can benefit from the profitability of employing diverse personnel as well as create a favorable brand and reputation for good will within the communities they exist, hire and do business with.
How To Make Diversity and Inclusion Work For Your Business
A simple and effective system to implement an inclusive and diverse workplace is what our firm has developed and entitled the C.A.M.P system. C.A.M.P. stands for Commitment, Action, Measurement, and Proceeding. The essence of the CAMP system is described below.
Commitment
Effective and real diversity and inclusion requires commitment from the top of a business organization to the bottom. It must be intentional and not just a check the box feel good exercise. Diversity, equity, and inclusive (DEI) must line up with and be an integral part of a company's organizational goals, its mission and vision wrapped up intimately with each of these.
If it is a corporation, the board of directors and top level executives must be thoroughly convinced and on board that DEI is to be implemented from the board room to the employee break room. If it is a small business, the business owner must set the example and require all employees to follow that lead.
Action
There is a saying "Action speaks louder than words." It certainly is appropriate when it comes to making diversity and inclusion within the workplace a reality. Companies must create or assign the duty and responsibility of managing DEI and giving that person power to effectuate the plan that the company has committed to.
Creating a diversity, equity and inclusion position within a company or organization and giving it a title that matches the latest rhetoric for equality without giving the person holding the title authority to make things happen toward that end are just words.
Its just talk with no substantive action. This falls into the cliché of “Are you walking what you are talking.” If you don’t walk the talk it is all for naught. Window dressing in DEI is passé. There is another saying that fits such circumstances more aptly. “Are you walking the talk or stumbling the mumble?”
It's difficult to take effective action if you don't know what your objective is. Unfortunately, when it comes to policies and procedures creation in numerous businesses they miss the mark.
According to a recent Forbes article on global diversity and inclusion, 75% of fortune 1000 companies have diversity initiatives and 70% of companies believe they are effective in recruiting "diverse" employees, but only 11% actually understand what it is.
Measurement
The key is to determine the measuring process. One way is to measure diversity within a workplace based upon a percentage goal that equals the percentage of diversity groups within the community a business conducts its business. For example if the community in which the business does the majority of its business is Hispanic and Hispanics make up 20% of that community, then 20% would be a reasonable goal for the amount of Hispanics employed within that company.
Of course, such diversity and the goals should also be reflected in different levels of the company and especially within positions of management and with authority to make decisions that also affect the profitability of the company. If all of the positions held by the diverse group are lumped in lower level positions, the inclusion and equality of the company will be called into question.
Proceeding
There is no one answer to implementing a diversity, equity, inclusion policy. The key is to define a company's goal for DEI after careful consideration and ensuring that the company mission and vision and DEI goals are compatible and congruent. To do otherwise will unduly interfere with a company's branding, marketing and ultimate sales success.
It make take some adjustments to make the concepts and plans come together but once they do and there is a measure of success it is vitally important to proceed with the successes and eliminate those processes that have proven unreliable or just don't work. The CAMP system is designed to bring all of the essential elements of DEI together along with a businesses core deliverables and proceed to scale to greater success and profitability.
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