There are perhaps countless ways of advocating for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the workplace. No matter your role in the organization, your active participation in DEI initiatives and best practices is impactful and important. So, here are 5 best practices you can start adopting today to develop more inclusive habits:
- Don't Try to Wear All the Hats
If you recognize the importance and value of DEI, you may have fallen into the trap of feeling like DEI is your responsibility. This is particularly true if you are a DEI practitioner who is embroiled in these topics on a daily basis. While it is important for individuals to take responsibility for their role in fostering inclusivity at work, it is just as important to recognize that you are only one person. You cannot "fix" anything immediately, and you cannot take on all the issues at once--at least not in any way that will be effective.
So, don't! Learn to reserve personal and professional resources so that you can contribute a sustainable level of effort to DEI. When appropriate, practice delegating if you start to get burnt out, overwhelmed, or otherwise need support.
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No Self-Assigned Allies
Improvement on personal inclusion goals or your organization's DEI initiatives doesn't earn anyone a badge of honor, and it doesn't entitle anyone to call themselves an ally. This is not to say that allyship is not real or important. In fact, it can be quite valuable to embrace allyship as the concept of putting conscious, continual effort into creating an equitable and inclusive workplace.
But allyship is not a destination, and it is not a label that you can personally apply to yourself, no matter how long you've been involved in the inclusion space. Rather, allyship is a practice of consistently monitoring for biases or unfair power dynamics, challenging your unconscious assumptions, and investing in the adoption of more inclusive behaviors.
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Get Comfortable with Negative Emotions
I sometimes joke that it's my job to tell people things they don't want to hear. That's because fostering inclusion requires us to challenge ourselves in very personal ways--and to deconstruct patterns we have embraced most of our lives. It's uncomfortable sometimes, because it has to be.
If it hasn't happened already, you will probably find yourself feeling uncomfortable, defensive, and/or confused when confronted with new concepts, areas where you hold bias, or ways in which you've behaved non-inclusively. We all hold biases that are detrimental to workplace inclusivity, and we all make mistakes along the way. It's normal to feel negative emotions around these mistakes, but it's vital not to let them get in the way of listening actively to feedback and being willing to hold yourself accountable. Practice noticing moments that feel uncomfortable, and practice slowing yourself down enough to let them pass before you react.
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The Art of "Calling In"
The flip side of this self-accountability is encouraging others to hold themselves accountable by naming non-inclusive behaviors when they occur. Most often, these take the form of microaggressions, but it could extend to other inappropriate actions.
"Calling in" is a particularly valuable skill to have because it interrupts microaggressions at the moment when they happen. This is a different practice than the common expression of "calling someone out," which is more about pointing out the problem with someone's behavior. "Calling in" is about sharing the impact of someone's actions on you, asking questions about their meaning or intention, and/or making requests for what they can do differently moving forward.
"Calling in" can also happen at a higher level when you invite leadership into conversations about the impact of policies and procedures on you and/or your team. This can be difficult depending on your specific circumstances, such as your position or rank, the level of resistance to DEI in your leadership, as well as how well-developed DEI initiatives already are in the organization. If, however, you feel able to instigate these discussions, it's probably a good idea to do so.
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Do Your Homework
Advocating for greater inclusivity and equity in your organization requires savvy, consistency, and a willingness to do challenging, uncomfortable work. These qualities are the product of consistent, conscious effort: seek out new resources, practice adopting new terminology, refresh your action plans or personal learning objectives on a regular basis, and stay open and curious about the process.
We recommend taking accountability for your own learning in these ways for a few reasons. First, doing your own research before you ask questions will permit you to learn in your own way and at your own pace in a way that feels more comfortable.
Second, it takes the onus off of impacted groups to teach you. For those who experience microaggression often or are disproportionately impacted by non-inclusive policies and practices, it is unfair to expect them to be the only ones who advocate for inclusivity. In other words, it's a way of "walking the walk." Finally, it will probably lead to more meaningful discussions with your coworkers if/when you do choose to take up a conversation because you will have more insight into the topic.
Learn more about being an ally, check out our sample course: Becoming an Ally.
