Inclusive Employers introduced National Inclusion Week (NIW) in 2012 to encourage organisations to prioritise their inclusion and diversity efforts. This year, NIW takes place from September 23rd to 29th, with the theme Impact Matters.
This year’s event emphasises the need for meaningful action to ensure lasting change in the workplace, with a focus on taking steps that will make a true impact on the inclusion mindset and diversity efforts of yourself and those around you. 'Impact Matters' prompts organisations and their employees to actively consider real opportunities for sustainable change.
Participating in the 'Impact Matters’ movement in a meaningful and sustainable manner is straightforward. Inclusive Employers outlines strategies that individuals can adopt to contribute effectively to this important cause. Some of the steps below have links to additional information on the Inclusive Employers website or to relevant signposts.
- Take the inclusion and diversity champion: Self-assessment
Completing the personal assessment provided in the link above will assess your current inclusive practices, identify opportunities for your personal growth and determine actionable steps for further development. - Raise awareness
Sign up for the free tool kit from Inclusive Employers to access branded materials. Consider sharing these on social media to help raise awareness among colleagues and bolster the momentum for achieving successful cultural change. - Attend Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) events
Grow knowledge and understanding of the growth of diversity and inclusion groups. For example, the LGBTQ+ Webinar here. Actively listening to authentic experiences will enhance your comprehension of real actions that will lead to positive change for yourself and those around you. Inclusion and diversity events | Inclusive Employers. - Lead by example
Be your professional authentic self
Develop your self-efficacy and build the confidence to embrace your authentic professional self in the workplace to demonstrate your true value and inform realistic interpretations for colleagues.
Advocate
Provide feedback to senior colleagues regarding the strengths or development areas of available training, workplace policies and employee culture. Providing feedback allows you to inform and drive change.
Think about how you communicate
Be mindful of your language, make neuro-affirming and inclusive language choices. Words have impacts on those around you and can affect the way that differences are viewed or lead to misunderstandings and stigma. Attend reputable awareness training to build on this skill.
Seek out colleague experiences
Encourage colleagues to share their experiences with the aim of developing understanding of their different perspectives, encounters and identity. Be patient, actively listen and allow others to express themselves. Open discussions with colleagues will foster a culture of psychological safety, encouraging yourself and colleagues to identify effective coping mechanisms, strategies and strengths.
Consider your ways of working
For example, do your colleagues prefer verbal discussions vs MS Teams messages? Do they prefer to work alone or would they like to be included in social chit chat more often? Explore the diverse needs within your team and find the best ways to work with one another. Encourage colleagues to make necessary adjustments to promote fairness and equality among team members. Conduct further research to explore additional strategies for fostering a balanced work environment.
Volunteer
Explore local charities to see how your unique skills can support marginalised groups. Volunteering is not only a rewarding and powerful way to give back to society, but it sets the tone for your workplace and actively encourages inclusivity and equity.
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