Diversity

Does working with different people excite you? Do you look forward to getting to know others better? Are you accepting of those differences and their voices? If so, you are already committed to diversity.

What is diversity?

Diversity is including people of different backgrounds, age, opinions, races, cultures, or genders. It is quite important in our world to be mindful of diversity, and to include people who are different from us. If we cannot accept them, it will cause friction and unhappiness, which is detrimental to any team or community. Diversity also requires that no person is discriminated against based on any demographic or other factor. Not discriminating allows us to safeguard the rights of others and ensure that they have access to equal opportunities and legal protection.

How to be diverse in the workplace

Accepting that a workplace will have people of different political backgrounds, sexual orientation, opinions, races, genders, age, economic backgrounds, and religions is the first step to making your office inclusive and diverse. Then you must learn to respect and include them in all discussions. Truly accepting their differences allows you to be respectful and welcoming. It is important to go beyond anti-discrimination into involving diverse people in teams.

Being truly diverse and inclusive in the teams at the workplace makes for better relationships between team members and also increases the productivity and profit of the workplace. A happy team, one where each member is accepted for who they are, makes for a productive and profitable office. It is then important for us to make everyone feel welcome and a part of the team.

Elements of diversity

• Create a welcoming space for everyone where they feel like they belong.
• Be a good leader where you lead by example in how you treat others in your team, especially when they are different from you or some of the other members of the team.
• Recognize the possibility of privilege that exists for some people because of how they look or their background.
• Get the feedback of the team and let them be part of the process at all times.
• Have quotas if needed, but do not rely on them to create inclusion.
• Remember that you cannot stop at one step: inclusion is an everyday process where you must continue to be inclusive.
• Create an environment where people are happy to be part of the team and not afraid of being persecuted or discriminated against based on some factor.

Diversity is less about everyone fitting in and more about everyone being able to be part of the team in their own way.