Diversity vs. Inclusivity — Do You Know the Difference?

More and more, we hear discussions about the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Many organizations have attempted to make diversity a priority by setting robust targets for promoting women and persons of color into leadership roles. They have required that diverse candidate slates be considered for senior positions and have invested in mentoring and sponsorship efforts to develop internal talent. Yet, their pipelines still don’t show the desired level of improvement in diversity.

To understand why these initiatives often fail, we must first understand exactly what we are working toward and why. So, what is diversity, what is inclusion, and why do we care?

Diversity is a noun meaning “the mix,” whereas inclusion is a noun meaning “making the mix work.” Inclusion refers to proactive behaviors we take based on self-awareness and respect for differences that make people feel valued for the abilities, unique qualities, and perspectives they contribute to an organization.

If individual employees do not possess belief systems that work inclusively, then a diverse, inclusive workplace can never truly develop. The charge is then to transform the nature of employee and leadership development so that the company has no choice but to change. Individual and collective thought processes need to expand for organizational systems and policies to change and for a company’s diversity and inclusion results to improve in a meaningful and sustainable way. People must change for companies to change. It is not possible for this to work in any other order. We have fifty years of proof.

The goals of this new course, Diversity and Inclusion: Concepts and Strategies for Success, are to explore the challenges of developing diverse, inclusive organizations, to share a framework for how to navigate difference, and to propose a path toward inclusivity. I also invite immediate action to begin resolving what appear to be complex issues but that actually have straightforward, tangible solutions, provided that company leaders possess the fortitude to explore their beliefs and reexamine the standards upon which their corporate cultures have been built. These leaders must be willing to examine the assumptions that drive their behaviors, apply their own learning to their organizations, take risks, and act with courage and enthusiasm.

Workplace diversity and inclusion are like the interconnected and interdependent forces of yin and yang that cannot be separated. Each is imperative to keep the people — and the company — functioning well. In Diversity and Inclusion: Concepts and Strategies for Success, I offer expert advice on how to improve diversity and inclusion in your workplace so that your company can maximize its potential, and so can your employees.