Why Diversity and Inclusion Are Important?
Just imagine working in an environment where your colleagues cannot understand you, criticize your work style and communication, and undervalue your opinions and contributions. It’s natural to desire recognition and a sense of belonging. However, if you must continuously tiptoe around and alter your personality, you’ll likely feel fatigued and worn-out by week’s end.
Promoting equality and fairness should be something that every organization addresses. Not only does it increase the company’s performance but also individual wellbeing. Universal Declaration of Human Rights already declared in 1948:
‘’All human beings should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood since we are all born free and equal in dignity and rights’’
Especially now that the world has changed due to Covid19 pandemic, leaders and organizations must consider the human aspect in every question, decision and issue.
What is diversity and inclusion?
In simple terms, diversity refers to the distinctions and similarities among individuals and groups, and how they perceive equality and power. Since diversity is a broad concept, cultures worldwide interpret its challenges and implications differently.
The notion of inclusion aims to foster a sense of belonging in which employees can freely contribute their exceptional talents and ideas, rather than merely educating them about unconscious bias. When employees feel secure and included, it enhances innovation and engagement, provided that it is led correctly.
However, culture is one of the biggest aspects that shape our behaviour and beliefs which highlights the importance of cultural intelligence.
In today’s world, diversity and inclusion matter more than ever before, even though many companies have pulled back on the issue due to the crisis of Covid19.
Alarmingly, about 50% of the companies that have participated in McKinsey’s diversity and inclusions studies since 2014, have made little or no progress at all. Moreover, companies that are not addressing diversity and inclusion are actually outperforming every year more and more.
Why are the advantages of diversity and inclusion?
Diversity and inclusion are strongly associated with employee engagement, which can either decrease or increase employee retention, productivity, and performance. To achieve success, organizations must engage their employees, not just motivate them, as disengaged employees are nine times more likely to quit their jobs than engaged ones.
Therefore, if you are leading a multicultural team, you should invest in intercultural communication training. I recommend reading my blog post ‘’How Multicultural Training Can Help Your Team Achieve More Than Ever Before’’ to understand more in detail what multicultural trainings is all about.
I have heard so many stories about companies where meetings are held in a language that not all participants speak. Just imagine yourself sitting among your colleagues who are making jokes you do not understand, or making decisions on your behalf.
Moreover, it is quite common to switch a language to English if the other speaker has an accent. For example, in Finland, when someone is trying to make an effort to practice their Finnish skills, many Finns switch the language straight to Finnish only because the other person is speaking with an accent. What about next time someone starts a conversation in a different language, you respect their effort to practice their language skills?
Researches’ have shown that companies that prioritize diversity and inclusion tend to perform better during crises as they are more capable of making bold and effective decisions. When diversity is integrated into strategy and led effectively, it can become a significant catalyst for innovation, ultimately leading to economic success.
This is because diversity generates better decisions in complex environments thanks to the wide perceptions. In fact, McKinsey’s study (2019) found out companies which were culturally diverse were performing 36% better than their competitors!
Are you ready to develop your cultural intelligence, and build a diverse and inclusive organization?
Find out more about my services here or book a time for a meeting here.
