A VOCABULARY LESSON IN DIVERSITY

by Oct 28, 2016

Managing diversity is a compliance thing – it means you successfully “manage” your diversity.  It means you are an equal opportunity employer, your anti-harassment policies are up to date, you try to avoid biases in your interviews, and it may even occur to you once in a while that your leadership team is made up of men, and it might be good to get a woman in there someday.

Inclusion, however, is a choice. It means you seek to include others in everything you do. It means, for example, that you go looking for diversity in your recruitment efforts instead of hoping a diverse group responds to your job posting.

What about tolerance? Why people use this in the context of diversity is beyond me. I hate that word. I tolerate the annoying lady behind me in line at the grocery store who is yelling at her kid and keeps bumping into me with her shopping cart. This isn’t a good reference point when we’re talking about diversity.

Let’s replace tolerate with celebrate, and I believe all organizations should have Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) initiatives that provide the opportunity to do just that. When a woman has a child, instead of tolerating that she’s on leave for three months, celebrate with her and ask her what her needs are. Can you offer that she come in and leave an hour earlier to avoid traffic?

When an employee needs a day off due to a religious holiday, instead of tolerating that he’ll be absent, celebrate with him and invite him to share insight about the holiday with the rest of the office.

When you realize that one employee is celebrating Pride Week in your city, instead of tolerating his pride flag taped to his cubicle wall, celebrate with him and find out how you and the rest of the office can participate too.

Inclusion means you invite people to be themselves, and that self is celebrated.

I recently did a webinar with Ascentis on the topic of D&I. Get the FREE recording here if you’re interested!

Civility is the platform for organizational success—it is absolutely necessary for an organization to reach its goals. Download our Ebook on Seeking Civility to learn more on how to create a workplace free of bullying and abusive conduct.

 
  •  

About Catherine Mattice

Catherine Mattice, MA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP is President of consulting and training firm, Civility Partners, and has been successfully providing programs in workplace bullying and building positive workplaces since 2007. Her clients include Fortune 500’s, the military, several universities and hospitals, government agencies, small businesses and nonprofits. She has published in a variety of trade magazines and has appeared several times on NPR, FOX, NBC, and ABC as an expert, as well as in USA Today, Inc Magazine, Huffington Post, Entrepreneur Magazine, and more. Catherine is Past-President of the Association for Talent Development (ATD), San Diego Chapter and teaches at National University. In his book foreword, Ken Blanchard called her book, BACK OFF! Your Kick-Ass Guide to Ending Bullying at Work, “the most comprehensive and valuable handbook on the topic.” She recently released a second book entitled, SEEKING CIVILITY: How Leaders, Managers and HR Can Create a Workplace Free of Bullying.

5 Steps for an Efficient Succession Planning

What happens when the CEO of your organization suddenly resigns or retires? Are you confident that there is someone ready to step up and fill the leadership gap?  That is why succession planning is vital to every organization. Succession planning can help ensure a...

How to Establish a Budget for Training and Development Initiatives

Training and development is a vital aspect for any organization that wants to invest in its employees' growth. Over here at Civility Partners, we often receive inquiries from people seeking guidance on developing their training programs and wondering how we can help....

The Connection Between DEIB and Mental Health

In today's ever-evolving work landscape, it's refreshing to see organizations finally acknowledging the pivotal role of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) in cultivating a thriving workplace. At the same time, the growing recognition of mental health's...

Rebecca Del Secco: Six Years With Civility Partners!

We would like to take a moment to celebrate and recognize the incredible contributions of Rebecca Del Secco, our exceptional People & Culture Consultant, who has dedicated six remarkable years to Civility Partners.  Rebecca began her journey with us as an intern,...

Recognizing 5 DEIB Influencers in Unexpected Places

Picture this: a world where workplace culture is transformed not just by well-known DEIB influencers, but by unexpected heroes who wield the power of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) in their own unique ways.  DEIB are increasingly recognized as...

10 Songs About Inclusion to Play in your Office

In a diverse and inclusive workplace, it's important to create an environment where all employees feel welcome and valued. One way to promote a sense of unity and acceptance is through the power of music.  Playing songs about inclusion in your office can help inspire...

It Starts with You: The Power of Being an Upstander

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you witnessed behavior that made you feel uncomfortable or uneasy, but weren't sure how to respond? Maybe it was a situation where someone was being bullied or harassed, or perhaps it was a situation where someone was...

Three More Brilliant Tips for Dealing with an Angry Boss

A few years ago, we shared five simple tips on how to deal with an angry boss, and the response was overwhelming! We're back with even more tips to help you navigate this challenging situation with civility in mind. According to a survey conducted by the Workplace...

Insights from the Craft Brewers Conference

Last Sunday, May 7th, I had the honor of being a keynote speaker at the THRIVE pre-conference, which was a roadmap to a safe, inclusive, and equitable experience at the Craft Brewers Conference (CBC). As a conference held in Nashville, TN, a city known for its musical...

3 Tips to Leverage Positive Psychology at Work

In the world of traditional thinking, the notion that success leads to happiness is a commonly held belief. We're taught that if we work hard and achieve our goals, then we'll be happy. However, research in positive psychology has revealed a new perspective: happiness...