Diversity and inclusion (D&I) is a popular corporate topic right now, and for good reason. But while D&I strategies are surely needed, too often, they fall short because they focus only on external differences of gender and race.
Imagine this: All of a sudden, you become blind, and you cannot see the applicant in front of you or the teammate next to you. All you can do is rely on what’s being said. Who and why do you hire?
Our recruiting efforts must pay mind to diversity in thought too.
Applying yoga and meditation to my coaching practice, I recognized how hard it was for leaders to shift their views. Until we connect the physical, mental and emotional aspects of a person, worldviews are held in academic thought versus embodied feeling. It’s time we go all in using my three steps to an inclusive workplace below.
Step 1: Make diversity a priority.
Hiring diverse applicants is the first step. If you’re not reaching outside your core network, get on LinkedIn, visit a college outside of the ones you typically recruit from, or get involved with groups that connect leaders from all over, like Rotary International, which I am a member of myself. Find different, emerging leaders and think bigger.
Step 2: Challenge your bias when hiring.
One of the biggest challenges for mankind is teaching people how to value diverse thought in a day and age when social media conditions the mind to groupthink.
If a D&I program is to be successful, we must be successful at going deeper into our own minds, exploring subconscious thoughts and untruths that prohibit us from asking why:
• Why is this person different from me?
• Why do they think the way they do?
• Why can’t I believe what they believe?
• Why am I reacting to what seems right in hiring more diverse applicants?
• Why am I intolerant of views other than the ones I hold so close to me as my truth?
The mind is our greatest tool or greatest weapon in how we relate to ourselves and others. Training people to become mindful leaders is essential to un-layering stigma, bias, racism, etc. Ensure diverse worldviews are not just allowed in your workplace, but that they are valued as a tool for creativity, innovation, market expansion and employee well-being.
Step 3: Share your differences and celebrate your shared successes.
Remember when you were in elementary school and you had to bring in a family artifact to share something that made you uniquely you? I remember sharing my grandfather’s flag as a World War II veteran. I shared with the group that the greatest lesson he taught me was that a real man fights with his words, using his hands as last resort. My talk was about values — valuing service and valuing yourself enough to not let others bully you in life or compromising your own success by getting into a fistfight.
There’s a lot to be learned through storytelling. In fact, it’s the only way wisdom has been passed down through generations. Consider how wise you want your employees and company culture to be and implement simple storytelling avenues to bring people together through shared values. Think of a unique opportunity to share something that is deeply personal and 100% diverse from the group.
Remember that diversity and inclusion is truly about the depth of who we are, what we think and where we all need to go as a company or nation to ensure a just and equal society where everyone feels supported to thrive.
This article was published by Forbes and can be seen by CLICKING here. Learn more about Drew Aversa @ www.DrewAversa.com
