Organizational Effectiveness through Diversity & Inclusion

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Diversity and Inclusion are the keys to success in the World of Globalization. The word Global itself encompasses all the attributes of the tangible and intangible aspects of this Universe. Moreover, the “Creation” works on Yin and Yang the two essential components that balance the life force energy.

Diversity means recognizing that each is unique and understanding and empathizing with the differences that set in because of this. These differences can be race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, and other ideologies.

Inclusiveness is a practice or policy of including people who otherwise be or feel excluded or marginalized owing to the dynamics of diversity. It’s about treating everyone fairly and equally.

Research also says wisdom is a function of managing differing situations in life and experience of transacting with varying types of people. Even conditions are based on various people’s transactions only. Thus, the more diverse our people experience, the more adaptable, innovative, empathetic & effective in interpersonal competencies do we get.

Organizations of today must invest in a culture that promotes diversity. There must be an emphasis on ensuring that we get people from all walks of life. This also includes people who are specially enabled and also belonging to the LGBT community. We ultimately involve people for their skills and competencies. However, there is much more to the diversity that can be seen as a critical outcome for every organization. Diversity helps us to:

1. Enable the balanced gender ratio in an organization. This ensures overall alignment to the Yin & the Yang elements of the organization bringing the feeling of completeness
2. Expand Cultural diversity, bringing in a factor of adaptability across cultures and an exposure to different practices thus broadening the mind
3. Facilitate Age diversity ensuring the balance of wisdom and energy thus making the workplace more creatively vibrant with mitigated risks
4. Empower Specially Enabled people and to bring in the factor of real empathy in members of the organization. It also makes people understand that all challenges are always surmountable
5. Encourage Diversity Repertoire, the expansiveness of different experience that people bring in. This becomes important for organizations investing in scale-up
6. Bring the diversity of Passion and Purpose that can help organizations expand with an engaged talent pool
7. Make an organization mature to withstand all business exigencies

Inclusivity becomes a vital element for diversity to stick in. Everyone feels proud of their uniqueness. People in the minority do wish to have their practices respected and allowed to be demonstrated without inhibition. Prayer rooms, celebrations, festivities, and rituals become a part of this. If they feel out of place, they may choose to mask their Identities building unconscious stress within the system and themselves. Diversity without inclusion creates a backlash always. We could see minorities and majorities forming polarized groups. Thus, inclusive leadership becomes a necessity when we talk about practicing diversity and inclusion.

It is essential that Inclusivity is openly promoted in the form of all practices of diversity. This brings in a feeling of belongingness. Authenticity plays an important role here. It must not just be a policy but must be practiced in its spirit. This essentially means everyone must get an equal opportunity in participation in critical projects, career charting, promotions, critical positions, engagement in influential inner and outside networks, etc.

Diversity and inclusiveness go hand in hand. When organizations invest in diversity, they must take extraordinary efforts to bring in systems and processes of inclusion by:

1. Creating diversity based collaborative teams
2. Setting up systems and methods to bring in inclusiveness
3. Having a clear policy to support diversity and inclusiveness
4. Building Inclusive leadership
5. Having sensitization programs regularly
6. Creating an Authentic culture
7. Managing diversity ratios well

Organizations of the future shall be diverse and inclusive. Globalization demands organizations to break the inclusiveness glass ceilings. Diversity and inclusion add to the brand value; It makes one feel this world as “One Global Village.”

Are you investing in Diversity and Inclusion consciously? If yes great, if not there is always a time to begin. Experience the culture of diversity and inclusion to achieve great heights.